A deepening corruption storm has engulfed Chitungwiza Municipality after a damning internal audit revealed that over 92,000 litres of diesel worth US$138,000 vanished in a brazen fraud scheme, sparking fears of arrests and a wider probe into council operations.
The audit, presented to the council’s Audit Committee for June and July 2025, lays bare a trail of mismanagement, altered fuel coupons, bogus claims and possible collusion among municipal officials.
“Internal audit observed that a total of 92,358 litres of diesel… was not accounted for,” reads part of the report. “The tanks are not leaking.”
Drivers and Officials Implicated
One striking case involved council driver A. Mawire (EC 756), accused of swindling the local authority of 2,660 litres of diesel worth US$3,990 by altering authorised fuel coupons to withdraw higher amounts.
Investigators said Mawire “verbally consented to the findings during an interview… but failed to submit a written statement despite several reminders.”
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In another case, M. Matsikidze claimed 180 litres of diesel for a non-functional generator at St Mary’s Clinic, later arguing that the fuel was used for the head office generator.
However, senior officials “refuted the claim,” and no proof was produced to back his explanation.
Systemic Governance Failure
Auditors warned of poor coordination between departments, unsecured fuel tanks and a non-functional bulk meter, allowing large-scale fraud to go undetected.
“There is no cohesion between departments… This has led to cases where fleet that is non-functioning fraudulently claimed fuel,” the report noted.
Public Outrage and Council Response
Residents blamed the scandal for poor service delivery, including uncollected garbage and under-resourced clinics.
“We are constantly told there is no fuel for refuse trucks… but thousands of litres are being looted,” a Zengeza 2 resident said.
Chitungwiza Municipality spokesperson Tafadzwa Kachiko confirmed that implicated officials had been suspended pending investigations.
“Council is determined to ensure that any individual found guilty of fraud or misconduct faces the full consequences,” he said.
A Pattern of Mismanagement
This is not the first time Chitungwiza Municipality has faced controversy. Previous audits have exposed lavish trips for managers and unremitted pension contributions running into millions.
Authorities are now under pressure to recover the missing fuel, tighten controls and restore public trust.
