Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. 10 000 litres of diesel meant for major road projects disappeared from Bulawayo City Council (BCC)’s roads department, it has emerged.
BCC reportedly conducted an internal investigation on the matter where the acting director of roads, Dalithemba Sibanda, got away with just a written warning.
Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube confirmed to Sunday News that they have supplied the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) with all the documents relating to the matter which they had requested for further investigations.
A source revealed to the publication how the local authority discovered that 10 000 litres of diesel were unaccounted for. The source was quoted as saying:
The audit findings had indicated that between December last year and February, council received 20 000 litres of diesel for service delivery and road projects.
The fuel was delivered and stored at the Khami Road main stores. Between January 11 and February 26, Mr Sibanda allegedly issued several requisitions to stores instructing the stores controller to issue fuel to fuel tankers that were purportedly said to belong to Asphalt Products (Pvt) Ltd, a contractor that had won the contract to undertake road works in the city.
Sometime in February, the contractor ran out of fuel before completion of the project and was asked why he could not complete the works as per the contract after having been paid in advance and he explained that he had not received fuel and was expecting 10 000 litres, which Mr Sibanda could not account for.
