Zinara unable to fully account for over US$6 million

The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration is not empowered to spend collected road tolls on behalf of local authorities, be it in capital or recurrent expenditure, according to the Roads Act. Chapter 13:18 of the Act says Zinara's role is limited to setting fees, collection, disbursement of funds and auditing use of funds.

Zinara recently said it had stopped disbursing funds directly to local authorities, alleging that councils were either misappropriating the money or diverting it elsewhere.

However, the law only authorises the roads authority to enter into contracts for maintenance of roads.

Part 4 of the General Functions of Road Authorities reads: "Subject to the law relating to the procurement of goods and services by the State or local authorities, award contracts for the management, planning, designing, construction upgrading, rehabilitation and maintenance of its roads."

Harare mayor Mr Bernard Manyenyeni, said the state of roads required urgent disbursements from Zinara.

"We are guided by practice. For now, with the roads crisis the city is facing, I would not have a problem about where the road resources are housed provided disbursements, in cash or kind, are timely, proportionate and accounted for correctly.

"We can discuss the legality and best practice later if only actions could kick in now," he said.

Local authorities said Zinara accused them of abusing funds to justify procurement of goods and services on their behalf. However, they said Zinara had been fingered by the Auditor-General for failing to account for its collections.

"According to the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, Zinara was unable to fully account for more than US$6 million allocated to it in 2011.

"Zinara failed to explain how this money was used when most of the country's roads are fast disappearing and villagers are pooling resources to pay for road maintenance," said a Harare council engineer.

Bindura town clerk Mr Shangwa Mavesera, said they had not received anything in cash or kind from Zinara.

"We do not know if any urban local authority received anything from Zinara save for Harare, which received a pothole patcher last year. We did not get any funds for road maintenance," he said.

He said he was scheduled to meet Zinara officials this week over the matter.

A rural local authority clerk who declined to be named said Zinara needs to be taken to task for acting outside its mandate.

"The Act seeks to instil a system of checks and balances whereby Zinara distributes and audits the work done, while local authorities implement road maintenance programmes. Who is going to audit the usage of funds when the auditor starts utilising the funds?

"This abuse of the law has now resulted in retrogression in terms of road maintenance," he said.

Zinara human resources and administration manager Mr Precious Murove said Zinara could perform other functions if directed to do so by the line minister.

"If the ministry confers us with powers to acquire or source for materials for local authorities we fulfil that mandate," he said.

Mr Murove referred further questions to the permanent secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development, Mr Munesu Munodawafa.

Mr Munesu Munodawafa was unreachable for comment.

A city of Harare official said the last major works on roads were done in 2010 when local authorities last collected funds.

Harare's chief engineer (roads) Engineer Jonathan Mutimukulu recently said Zinara only provided US$1,5 million to the local authority and it owed the council US$5 million.

Gweru City Council also says it is only able to maintain 35 percent of its surfaced road network because funds from Zinara had declined significantly.