WHEN THE MONEY HAS NO OWNER, THE CORRUPT TAKE EVERYTHING

The Zimbabwean government is still failing to explain how public money is being used. This has been a problem for many years, and today it is still the same story. A new report has again shown that officials do not give full details when they claim money for travel and other expenses. There is no real accountability, and this makes it easy for more corruption and waste to happen.

The latest Auditor-General’s report, covering the financial year that ended on 31 December 2024, shows very shocking things. The report was given to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube last month and has now gone to Parliament. Acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga showed many problems in how travel and subsistence allowances are being handled by government departments. These are simple things that should have clear rules, but they are still not followed.

One of the most worrying findings is that ZWL$38 million was paid out without proper claim forms. In some cases, officials did not even include their arrival and departure times. This is a serious problem because the law, Section 59 (15)(f) of the Public Finance Management (Treasury Instructions), 2019, says that all payment claims must be complete and properly checked before money is given out. This law is meant to stop public money from being wasted. But when the leaders refuse to follow the law, the door opens for theft and lies.

Without full details like travel times, it becomes very hard to prove if someone really travelled or if the claim is true. This means the money can be stolen or used wrongly. It also means someone can get paid for work they never did. When rules are ignored, fraud becomes easy. Mismanagement becomes normal. Corruption becomes the system.

When the audit raised these issues, government departments only said they “acknowledge the audit finding” and promised to do better in the future. But we have heard these promises many times before. Every year the Auditor-General brings the same warnings. Every year we are told things will improve. And every year nothing changes because the people in power do not want to change.

This is not just a small paperwork issue. It affects the whole country. When public money is wasted, there is less money for hospitals. Less money for schools. Less money for roads. Less money for clean water. It means development moves slow, and people continue to suffer. It means leaders enjoy benefits they did not earn while ordinary citizens struggle every day.

Fixing this problem is not difficult. What is missing is political will. The government must enforce the rules. Officials who break the rules must face real punishment, not soft warnings. Parliament must do its job and watch over how money is used. Whistleblowers must be protected so they can speak out without fear. And most importantly, the people of Zimbabwe must continue to demand better from those in power.

Public money is not private money. It belongs to the people. Every dollar must be used wisely and honestly. If we allow this behavior to continue, then we are saying we do not care about our own future. It is time for real accountability. Not just nice words. Not just promises. We want action that we can see.

Until real action is taken, Zimbabwe will continue to lose money. Progress will remain slow. And the people will keep suffering while corrupt officials continue to eat.