Criminal charges and criminal abuse of office should now be levied against local authorities that fail to submit financial statements to the Auditor General for auditing, after Parliament adopted a recommendation by its Public Accounts Committee.
In her 2019 report, the Auditor General, Ms Mildred Chiri noted that 59 local authorities did not submit their financial statements for auditing with 2020 and 2021 showing a similar trend.
Chairperson of the sub-committee on local authorities of the Public Accounts Committee, Chegutu West legislator Cde Dexter Nduna, said it was time stern action was taken against errant local authorities.
“On the face of this report, it looks very innocent but deep inside, deep down, it is mired in a lot of controversy and a lot of town clerks and heads of departments in the local authorities are taking advantage of non-submission of their financials to the Auditor General’s Office to avert and avoid scrutiny,” he said.
“The non-submission of financials raised in the Auditor-General’s report speaks to the heart of delinquent behaviour and the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act is not silent about such behaviour. If at all, it does chastise such delinquent behaviour and there are a plethora of sections that are dotted around Sections 134 up to Section 176 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act. Some of those sections speak to the heart of such behaviour which is criminal abuse of office.”
The non-submission of financial statements could be deliberate and meant to mask irregularities.
“For instance, 2019, about 59 local authorities did not submit financials for audit. Fast forward, 2020, there is about 69 and 2021, there are 78.
It means Mr. Speaker Sir, as long as we do not crack the whip as the Committee and as Parliament, there is bound to be no support for the Auditor-General,” he said.
Ms Paurina Mpariwa said it was time that recommendations made by the PAC be implemented.
“It is not the first report but I think many PAC reports have been tabled in this House. My worry is that there is lack of implementation in terms of the recommendations.
I hope and trust that since this report put emphasis on operations and service delivery, that we will be able to see some kind of implementation and some changes in the way the recommendations have been shared within the ministry (of Local Government and Public Works),” she said. – The Herald
