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ZW$42,9m mismanagement in Covid-19 University projects
11 hrs ago |
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A damning audit by the Auditor-General's Office has exposed serious financial mismanagement in the ZW$42,9 million allocated to universities for the emergency production of Covid-19 supplies, revealing weak oversight, mission drift, and unexplained expenditure within the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
The audit, covering April 2020 to October 2021, found that while universities did produce sanitizers and masks, ZW$9,57 million of the funds could not be linked to any production budgets or plans, raising red flags over potential misuse.
"From the ZW$42 933 870 disbursed to universities, a total amount of ZW$33 377 461 was supported with production budgets or plans, while ZW$9 566 409 was not availed for audit," said Acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga. "The unsupported amount could have been used for purposes other than the production of sanitizers and masks."
The report also highlighted the impact of currency depreciation, noting that the total disbursement was worth about US$1,72 million in April 2020 but had fallen to roughly US$442 000 by October 2021. The unaccounted ZW$9,57 million alone was equivalent to approximately US$382 800 at the project's outset.
Beyond missing documentation, the audit revealed a strategic drift in the use of funds. Universities, following ministerial guidance, expanded production beyond pandemic-related supplies into commercial manufacturing — producing school uniforms, theatre caps, sanitary bags, bin liners, and liquid soap — without the governance structures normally required for such operations.
"The objective was to address the national shortage of materials needed to fight Covid-19. However, universities diversified their product range to continue business after the pandemic," Kujinga noted, stressing that oversight from the parent ministry was minimal. Internal audit visits were conducted only once at project inception, leaving financial and operational controls weak.
The audit warns that failure to reconcile the unsupported ZW$9,57 million and strengthen oversight could entrench a culture where emergency public funds are repurposed without accountability. Kujinga called for regular audits, stronger monitoring, and immediate remedial action to prevent recurrence.
The audit, covering April 2020 to October 2021, found that while universities did produce sanitizers and masks, ZW$9,57 million of the funds could not be linked to any production budgets or plans, raising red flags over potential misuse.
"From the ZW$42 933 870 disbursed to universities, a total amount of ZW$33 377 461 was supported with production budgets or plans, while ZW$9 566 409 was not availed for audit," said Acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga. "The unsupported amount could have been used for purposes other than the production of sanitizers and masks."
Beyond missing documentation, the audit revealed a strategic drift in the use of funds. Universities, following ministerial guidance, expanded production beyond pandemic-related supplies into commercial manufacturing — producing school uniforms, theatre caps, sanitary bags, bin liners, and liquid soap — without the governance structures normally required for such operations.
"The objective was to address the national shortage of materials needed to fight Covid-19. However, universities diversified their product range to continue business after the pandemic," Kujinga noted, stressing that oversight from the parent ministry was minimal. Internal audit visits were conducted only once at project inception, leaving financial and operational controls weak.
The audit warns that failure to reconcile the unsupported ZW$9,57 million and strengthen oversight could entrench a culture where emergency public funds are repurposed without accountability. Kujinga called for regular audits, stronger monitoring, and immediate remedial action to prevent recurrence.
Source - The Independent
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