News / National
Binga RDC CEO under fire over 2018 audit reported
01 Aug 2021 at 13:04hrs | Views
Binga residents have blasted the Binga Rural District Council chief executive officer Joshua Muzamba for allegedly hiding the 2018 audit report from the full council meeting to be discussed.
The audit of the local authority was assigned by the minister of local governance July Moyo and it was conducted from July 3 to 12 July 2018 to investigate cases of theft of trust property against council officials.
The report stated that Muzamba and the other two senior officials were abusing power and as a result they were arrested on charges of abuse of office and fraud. Muzamba was then released on bail while other officials were sentenced to six months in jail.
Muzamba denied allegations saying that he was not aware of such a report.
"We have not kept any report away from the council unless it is a specific report that I'm not well aware of it," he said.
A source who requested anonymity said that the report has been kept as a secret for too long from the council adding that they need more clarity on the matter.
"The report has been kept under the CEO's underdrawers and he is not exposing it to the councilors who should take heed to discuss it. The question is why such a document is kept a secret, what is the CEO covering in this report," he said.
"The report unearthed several administrative loopholes ranging from internal control systems that include financial handling, employment principles to general corporate governance".
The source said the Minister of local governance should be held accountable for everything that is happening in the Binga RDC.
"What type of corporate governance is this council exercising? What interest does the Minister of local governance have in keeping such CEO material? How does the minister support abuse of office? he said.
"This type of governance gives the need for thorough systems audit of this council, otherwise the ratepayers may end up crying foul as the need for paying rates won't be justified".
Another source alleged that Muzamba employs workers based on the grounds of relationships that they have with him.
"Most employees are employed without council resolutions meaning that they are seconded to those posts not on merit but relationships grounds to the CEO and this has resulted in the chasing away of three council employees," he said.
The source said other two senior members who were asked to appear for a disciplinary hearing in 2018 never attended it to date.
"The audit team discovered that Naison Siamuloba had unreceipted $600 and paid back $300. It is still not clear whether the remaining balance has been settled. Gwinji was owing $1, 651 15 and it was agreed that he was going to pay $400 per month to clear the full amount by the end of July 2018, but no follow-up or payments were made at that time of the audit," he said.
"The council acknowledges the audit team that they were going to institute an appropriate disciplinary action against the two members but the two are still in work despite the gross misconduct".
The audit of the local authority was assigned by the minister of local governance July Moyo and it was conducted from July 3 to 12 July 2018 to investigate cases of theft of trust property against council officials.
The report stated that Muzamba and the other two senior officials were abusing power and as a result they were arrested on charges of abuse of office and fraud. Muzamba was then released on bail while other officials were sentenced to six months in jail.
Muzamba denied allegations saying that he was not aware of such a report.
"We have not kept any report away from the council unless it is a specific report that I'm not well aware of it," he said.
A source who requested anonymity said that the report has been kept as a secret for too long from the council adding that they need more clarity on the matter.
"The report has been kept under the CEO's underdrawers and he is not exposing it to the councilors who should take heed to discuss it. The question is why such a document is kept a secret, what is the CEO covering in this report," he said.
"The report unearthed several administrative loopholes ranging from internal control systems that include financial handling, employment principles to general corporate governance".
The source said the Minister of local governance should be held accountable for everything that is happening in the Binga RDC.
"What type of corporate governance is this council exercising? What interest does the Minister of local governance have in keeping such CEO material? How does the minister support abuse of office? he said.
"This type of governance gives the need for thorough systems audit of this council, otherwise the ratepayers may end up crying foul as the need for paying rates won't be justified".
Another source alleged that Muzamba employs workers based on the grounds of relationships that they have with him.
"Most employees are employed without council resolutions meaning that they are seconded to those posts not on merit but relationships grounds to the CEO and this has resulted in the chasing away of three council employees," he said.
The source said other two senior members who were asked to appear for a disciplinary hearing in 2018 never attended it to date.
"The audit team discovered that Naison Siamuloba had unreceipted $600 and paid back $300. It is still not clear whether the remaining balance has been settled. Gwinji was owing $1, 651 15 and it was agreed that he was going to pay $400 per month to clear the full amount by the end of July 2018, but no follow-up or payments were made at that time of the audit," he said.
"The council acknowledges the audit team that they were going to institute an appropriate disciplinary action against the two members but the two are still in work despite the gross misconduct".
Source - Byo24news
