ZIMBABWE COUNCILS ARE FAILING WHILE PEOPLE SUFFER IN SILENCE

Zimbabwe’s councils are collapsing in full view of the public. The Auditor-General’s 2024 report on local authorities showed that billions of dollars are being wasted or stolen while people live with dry taps, dirty streets, and unfinished clinics. The report said 1 042 issues were found across 92 councils in just one year. This is not a small number. It is proof that the system is broken. The sad thing is that the same problems are seen every year, and nothing changes.

The reason is fear. Workers inside the councils see the abuse first, but they keep quiet. They are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak. Zimbabwe has no strong law to protect whistleblowers, so silence is safer than truth. Because of that silence, the same corruption continues year after year.

More than half of the councils failed to submit their financial accounts on time. Out of 92 local authorities, 52 did not give their statements by March 2024. Some had not produced accounts for three years. That means billions of dollars passed through the councils with no independent check. Councillors and residents had no idea how the money was used. In a country with whistleblower protection, insiders could have warned the public. In Zimbabwe, silence hides the abuse.

The devolution programme was supposed to help communities. But the Auditor-General showed that the money was abused everywhere. Ruwa Town Council got ZWL 1.2 billion for water projects. The projects stopped and people still queue at boreholes. Buhera Rural District Council got money to drill boreholes, but many were not finished. Villagers still fetch water from rivers. Gokwe South paid contractors for road work that was never done. Roads remain impassable. Chegutu Municipality bought a refuse truck, but the truck vanished before it was even used. These are not mistakes. These are planned failures.

Revenue collection was also a disaster. Harare and Bulawayo did not collect millions in unpaid bills. In Bindura, money collected was kept in staff hands for weeks instead of being sent to the bank. At Kadoma, people owed over ZWL 1.4 billion, but there was no plan to recover it. Councils claim they have no money, but the truth is that money is being lost inside the system.

The report also found shocking abuse of assets. In Bulawayo, 11 vehicles worth millions were missing from the register. In Marondera, land was sold without any valuation, and buyers included councillors themselves. In Zvishavane, title deeds for land could not be found. In rural councils, fuel and vehicles were used by staff for private trips. In Chegutu, the missing refuse truck remains “under investigation,” but no one has been arrested.

On the ground, the collapse is clear. In Chitungwiza, raw sewage ran through homes while sewer funds disappeared. In Masvingo, garbage piled up while refuse projects were left unfinished. In Kwekwe, people faced constant water cuts because money for chemicals was diverted. In Buhera, unfinished boreholes left villages drinking unsafe water. Each missing receipt and each fake project meant more suffering for ordinary people.

The Auditor-General keeps warning. In 2023, there were 998 issues. In 2024, the number rose to 1 042. Instead of fixing problems, councils are creating more. The cycle continues because no one is punished. Insiders stay silent because there is no law to protect them.

Zimbabwe does not need more reports to prove corruption. The evidence is already there. What is missing is courage. A strong whistleblower law would break the silence and protect truth-tellers. Without that, corruption wins every day. The cost is paid by residents in dirty water, broken roads, and endless queues. The truth is clear. The numbers are clear. The silence is deadly. Zimbabwe must act now.