Bulawayo City Council hit by US$82,000 bitumen scandal

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been rocked by yet another corruption scandal, this time involving the mysterious disappearance of 285 drums of bitumen - vital road construction material - worth over US$82,000 from the council's Kelvin North Depot.

The missing stock, which also includes nine drums of Stable 60 (valued at US$2,142) and 20 drums of MC30 (worth US$6,480), has sparked outrage among city councillors, who are now calling for immediate dismissals and a forensic investigation.

The matter was reported to Western Commonage Police Station on 6 June 2025, according to a damning council report that paints a picture of poor internal controls and systemic failures in procurement and inventory management.

"The chamber secretary and the audit team have submitted reports, but the magnitude of this theft shows deep-rooted supervision and accountability failures," the report stated.

Bitumen, which is critical in road surfacing and maintenance, costs approximately US$1.45 per litre, while Stable 60 and MC30 cost US$1.19 and US$1.62 per litre respectively.

The revelations were met with fury during a full council meeting last Wednesday, with several councillors describing the scandal as a betrayal of public trust - particularly in light of the city's crumbling road network.

Proportional representation councillor Melissa Mabeza said the theft amounted to blatant corruption, calling for urgent disciplinary action within the Department of Works, which oversees the missing materials.

"We cannot continue having all these drums going missing. Clearly, this has been happening for quite some time. Something is wrong within this department, and something must be done," said Clr Mabeza.

Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu also criticised the report as being too vague, demanding concrete action.

"285 drums of tar going missing is not child's play. These are public funds, and this is a public matter. Our roads are in terrible condition - this is criminal negligence," he said.

The incident is the latest in a string of serious corruption cases at Kelvin North Depot. Just last month, Peter Dube, a senior supervisor in the ambulance services department, was dismissed after being found guilty of siphoning off nearly 7,000 litres of diesel worth US$10,187.88.

Dube, 57, used his position to double-dip from council fuel depots, reportedly filling a Toyota Land Cruiser at Khami Stores, then draining the fuel before refilling again at Famona depot under false claims.

An internal audit team exposed the scam through inconsistencies in fuel records, missing logbooks, and vehicle inspection reports.

The city's audit department has since released a prediction report, flagging systemic weaknesses in procurement controls and stock monitoring. While some reforms have been promised, councillors insist more drastic steps are needed.

"The new measures proposed by the finance department must be accompanied by real accountability. We are dealing with repeated incidents of theft because no one is being held to account," reads part of the council's discussion.

With the city's roads in disrepair and residents demanding improved service delivery, the loss of over US$90,000 in critical materials and fuel has dealt a severe blow to public confidence in the council.

The scandal is expected to dominate upcoming council sessions, with pressure mounting on Town Clerk Christopher Dube and the Department of Works to explain how such large volumes of inventory disappeared without detection.