Zacc probes 9 public entities over maladministrati...

Zacc probes 9 public entities over maladministration

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is probing nine State-owned enterprises and local authorities that were flagged by the Auditor-General for alleged maladministration and other corporate governance deficiencies.

Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, confirmed the development but said the anti-graft body could not disclose the names of the companies for fear of jeopardising investigations.

She said the investigations followed a report by the Auditor-General’s office, which recommended action against any officials found to have been engaged in illegal activities.

So far this year, three trials have been completed, two of which have led to high-profile convictions, that of former Zimbabwe National Road Administration chief executive officer, Saston Muzenda and Karoi provincial magistrate, Felix Chaurome, who were jailed by the courts.

Muzenda was sentenced to 36 months in prison while Chaurome was jailed for four years.

“Where the Auditor General’s Office has raised issues that amount to a criminal offence, the Commission has conducted investigations into the allegations. To date the Commission has conducted investigations on nine parastatals which led to the arrest of officials in these companies,” she said, adding that Zacc would follow leads from the Auditor-General.

Zacc had incorporated a component of checking the implementation of the Auditor-General’s recommendations when carrying out compliance checks and system reviews.

The Commission launched the “Evaluation of the Implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations” by sending circulars to over three hundred public entities requesting their internal audit departments to conduct evaluations on the implementation of the Auditor-General’s recommendations.

“By the end of the year 2022, over 60 institutions had responded to the Commission. The Commission is continuously engaging Public Institutions to report on their progress,” she said.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said that several entities had responded to the call to set up Integrity Committees at their workplaces, adding that of the 40 institutions engaged to set them up this year, a considerable number had successfully established the Integrity Committees.

She said the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration, Mutare City Council, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Great Zimbabwe University, Gwanda State University, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, NatPharm, Zesa Holdings, TelOne and Midlands State University, among others had already set up the Integrity Committees.