LOOTING IN BROAD DAYLIGHT: ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS STILL STEALING TRAVEL FUNDS WITHOUT SHAME

Corruption in Zimbabwe is no longer a secret. It’s a culture. A sickness. A disease that has eaten deep into every level of government. The latest Auditor-General’s report proves this once again. Our leaders are not just careless with public money — they are deliberately looting it. Boldly. Openly. Without fear.

The report for the year ending 31 December 2024, presented to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Parliament last month, exposes how senior government officials are receiving massive travel and subsistence allowances without proper accountability. This is not just a technical problem — it is a national scandal.

According to the report by acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga, officials processed travel claims worth ZWL$38,288,135 without even recording basic information like the time they left or returned. How do you approve such a payment without knowing when the trip started or ended? It’s simple — you do it when you know no one will question you.

The law is very clear. Section 59 (15)(f) of the Public Finance Management (Treasury Instructions) of 2019 says that before any payment is made, officers must make sure the claim is a proper charge against public funds. That means the paperwork must be complete. It must be clean. It must show clearly what the money is for. But that’s not what’s happening. What we have instead is theft hiding behind forms and signatures.

And what is the risk? The Auditor-General puts it plainly: allowances could be misstated. That means officials could be claiming money for trips that never happened. They could be inflating amounts. They could be using fake details and still getting paid — all because no one is checking. No one is held to account. And no one is punished.

Of course, the management gave the usual empty response: “We acknowledge the finding. Staff will be encouraged to include the missing details.” Encouraged? Not punished. Not investigated. Just “encouraged.” This is why corruption continues — because there are no consequences. Just words. Soft words that protect criminals in suits.

What makes this worse is what this stolen money could have done. ZWL$38 million could buy hospital beds. It could help fix broken schools. It could improve roads, fund clinics, buy medicines, or support struggling families. But instead, it disappears into the wallets of officials who already earn more than enough.

This is not just bad governance. It is criminal negligence. It is betrayal. When leaders abuse public funds, they are not just wasting money — they are stealing from the sick, the poor, the unemployed, and the hungry. They are taking food from the mouths of children. They are making sure the country stays broken.

We cannot keep watching this happen. Zimbabweans must demand full accountability. That means stronger audit systems that actually lead to prosecutions. It means Parliament must stop acting like a ZANU PF club and start doing its job — demanding answers, following up on reports, and forcing change.

We need real transparency. Officials who claim public money must show proof. Receipts. Timelines. Logs. Not just vague forms and promises. We also need whistleblower protection so that those who see wrongdoing can report it without fear.

Until we build a government that fears the people, this cycle will continue. Audit reports will come. Ministers will smile. Nothing will change. And the people — the real owners of the money — will be left with nothing but suffering.

This is no longer a matter of policy. It is a matter of justice. Either we stop the looting now, or we accept a future of poverty and pain. The choice is ours.