Kwekwe municipality audit chairperson Aaron Gwalazimba says his committee will not invite acting town treasurer Morris Mutema to answer charges of financial mismanagement levelled against him by an internal audit report.
Gwalazimba recently tabled a report accusing Mutema of a litany of financial irregularities which included making unauthorised cash payments using funds drawn from the local authority’s rates hall.
“Our findings and recommendations were proper and final. We, therefore, stand by our recommendations to council . . . Mutema was given a chance to provide answers when the audit report was being prepared and we, therefore, find no reason why he should appear before us,” Gwalazimba said.
Part of the audit report reads: “Internal auditor noted that there was non-compliance with laid-down procedures as there were some payment vouchers which were not signed by the originator, accounting officer, assistant treasurer . . . failure to append the signature by one of the respective officers mentioned implies that payments are being processed without following laid down procedures.”
Mutema, who is council audit manager, is accused of failing to implement recommendations which he prescribed for the fired treasurer Albert Zingwe a year ago.
But Mutema dismissed the allegations saying all payments were above board and were done with approval of town clerk Emmanuel Musara.
Gwalazimba’s committee had also said it would summon Mutema to appear before it to explain the financial irregularities and possibly “moot a way forward”. The audit committee chairperson said there was no longer need to summon the acting treasurer.
Kwekwe Residents Ratepayers’ Development Association said the audit report confirmed fears there could have been massive looting of resources at the civic centre.
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Council and the association have had an uneasy relationship which resulted in Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo appointing a probe team to investigate allegations of corruption at the local authority last month.
