Published: 24 July 2025

The City of Bulawayo has ramped up its anti-corruption efforts by upgrading its internal audit unit into a full-fledged department, aimed at enhancing fraud detection, accountability, and good governance in local council operations.

The development was revealed during a public dialogue on local governance and integrity hosted at the Bulawayo Club on Wednesday. The event was jointly organised by the Centre for Innovation and Technology Zimbabwe (CITEZW), the Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ), and the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA).

Sizo Sithole, Acting Director of Internal Audit and Risk Management, said the department is already operational, staffed with four certified auditors. The auditors are tasked with probing high-risk areas such as procurement and public service delivery, which have been identified as particularly vulnerable to corruption.

"Procurement is a key area where we've seen vulnerability. We now have our hands on deck to monitor these processes closely," said Sithole.

He also pointed out that departments responsible for drainage maintenance, water, and sanitation services - those that directly interact with residents - will receive special scrutiny due to the higher potential for abuse of office.

The audit department's upgrade stems from a city council resolution passed ten years ago, which advocated for the institutionalisation of fraud and corruption investigations. Sithole also revealed that the city is close to launching a whistleblower mechanism that will allow residents to report suspicious conduct confidentially.

The city's renewed push against corruption comes amid mounting public frustration over recent scandals - most notably, the mysterious disappearance of more than 280 drums of road surfacing bitumen from the city's Kelvin North depot in June 2025.

An internal audit revealed that the missing consignment, which included 20 drums of MC30 and nine drums of Stable 60 bitumen, was worth an estimated US$82,000. A formal complaint was lodged with Western Commonage Police Station, and investigations are underway.

"We are involved in high-profile cases, including the ongoing ‘280 drums' investigation, which is being handled in partnership with ZRP," Sithole confirmed.

Additionally, the city has formed an Integrity Committee under the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC)'s national integrity initiative, and launched an Enterprise Risk Management Unit. Sithole said the unit will proactively assess and mitigate risks across all municipal departments to stop corrupt practices before they take root.

"With risk management, we are shifting from reacting to problems to preventing them," he said.

City officials say these reforms are part of a broader campaign to rebuild public trust and promote transparency in council activities. Sithole encouraged residents to become actively involved in the anti-corruption drive, noting that accountability is a collective duty.

"Fighting corruption is not just the city's responsibility. Residents must be watchdogs too," he said.
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