AG report exposes Solwezi council financial scam

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 13:22:19 +0000

By JACK MAPAPAYI

VARIOUS stakeholders in Solwezi have expressed indignation over revelations in the latest Auditor General’s report that the local authority misapplied millions of Kwacha.

And Solwezi Municipal Council town clerk Venture Kafula has failed to explain how K12 million was spent at the council when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government, Housing and Chiefs Affairs which visited Solwezi recently.

According to the latest Auditor General’s report, revenue amounting to K110, 814 out of the total K176, 560, 101 was unaccounted for by the local authority in that the money was neither banked nor was cash found during the period under review.

The revelations have angered various stakeholders in the district and have since called for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the scam.

North Western Development Council of Elders says they are disappointed with the manner in which the local authority is misapplying funds at the expense of service delivery.

Organisation chairperson Lucas Chikoti told the Daily Nation in an interview that all the culprits must be brought to book and made to pay back the money because the funds were meant for service delivery.

“It is evil for someone to pocket such a huge amount of money when people want to see development in the district. So, whoever has a hand in it, let them pay back the money,” Mr Chikoti said.

And Civil Society for Poverty Reduction provincial coordinator Haggai Nyambe said having 91 members of staff failing to account for their imprest was clear indication that the local authority had a weak finance management system.

“This means that starting from the controlling officer, all the directors, senior staff, including those in procurement and finance departments, should be involved in this scam,” Mr Nyambe said.

He said people have been blaming the central government yet the local authority was in the forefront of misapplying public funds.

“We are appealing to security wings to come in with full force and bring to book everyone involved. We cannot continue pointing fingers at Government when the local council is failing to manage its resources. Investigations should be instituted,” he added.

Meanwhile, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) coordinator John Kalusa said there was need to identify all those involved in the syndicate and recover the lost funds because it was meant for service delivery.

“We have always been crying to Government that we are not seeing the services, but here is money which is filtering into some selfish people’s pockets. And we pray that may the long arm of the law visit those involved,” he said.