ZEC scandal: Audit exposes rot in election material procurement

A forensic audit has exposed rampant fraud, corruption and flouting of tender processes in the procurement of material for 2018 harmonised elections.

CID anti-corruption department  is now making moves to probe the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) over the alleged fraud, Zim Morning Post can reveal.

The audit noted gross financial abuse in the procurement of election material implicating top officials led by deputy chief executive officer for administration and finance Notayo Mutemasango.

The probe threatens to suck in other senior officials.

Insiders confirmed that the CID anti-graft section was zooming in on Zec following a tip-off.

“The CID is acting on a tip off and Mutemasango is the chief culprit.

“He was responsible for the purchasing of tents to be used at the poll stations last year but he only made enquiries with suppliers three weeks before the elections.

“Suppliers told him that they could not beat the deadline and he resorted to hire the tents at exorbitant prices and received kickbacks,” revealed our source.

Among the items under investigation is the hiring of tents, computers and stationery for election-related purposes for the 2018 harmonised elections.

The CID anti-corruption section has also been furnished with documentation regarding Mutemasango who allegedly flouted tender processes in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.

It has not yet been established how much government was prejudiced, but insiders believe the State may have lost substantial amounts of money.

ZEC has always been on the spotlight after every election. In 2013 two internal audit reports, one carried out soon after the 2013 referendum and another after the July 31 elections, revealed serious abuse of funds by senior officials in the election-managing body.