Chinhoyi fails to account for 6 700 litres of fuel

The Municipality of Chinhoyi is under scrutiny after failing to account for 6,700 litres of fuel intended for road rehabilitation projects in the city, the National Assembly heard recently.

The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has withheld road rehabilitation funds from Chinhoyi pending a full accounting of the missing fuel, leading to stalled road works in the area for the past two years.

Chinhoyi Member of Parliament Leslie Mhangwa raised concerns about the impasse between Zinara and the local authority during a parliamentary session, questioning what steps the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works was taking to resolve the issue.

Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Benjamin Kabikira, responded by confirming that Zinara's audit report revealed significant discrepancies in fuel disbursement to the municipality.

"The local authority conducted an internal investigation which found that fuel registers were not maintained, resulting in the unaccounted loss of 6,700 litres of fuel," Kabikira told the Assembly.

He added that the ministry was in the process of establishing an investigation team to delve deeper into the matter and would act on the team's recommendations once the inquiry is complete.

"Investigations are still ongoing. As a ministry, we are committed to resolving the matter as soon as possible, although we cannot give a timeline at this stage," Kabikira said.

Separately, MP Mhangwa expressed concern about the deteriorating condition of roads in Chinhoyi, which has been effectively "blacklisted" by Zinara due to the municipality's failure to comply and properly account for disbursed funds.

The Combined Chinhoyi Residents Association (CCRA), led by chairperson Tendayi Musonza, has also called for full accountability before any further funds are released.

"We fully support the deputy minister's stance of withholding funds until the missing fuel issue is fully resolved," Musonza said. "Without a clear acquittal of the previous fuel allocation, how can we trust that resources won't be lost again?"

Investigations by NewsDay revealed that despite suspending an employee implicated in the fuel loss since 2023, the municipality has yet to take meaningful action. Moreover, the suspended employee continues to receive full salary payments.

The fuel shortage and stalled funding have severely impacted road rehabilitation efforts in Chinhoyi, raising urgent calls for transparency and accountability in managing public resources.