The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the body entrusted with overseeing the country’s elections, has once again found itself at the heart of controversy. This time, it’s not about the contentious outcome of the 2023 elections, but rather the alarming state of its financial management practices, as revealed by the Auditor General’s (AG) latest report.
The report paints a picture of a deeply flawed system, riddled with inconsistencies and a lack of basic financial expertise, creating a fertile ground for potential corruption. The AG’s findings, which come on the heels of a series of exposés highlighting questionable procurement practices within ZEC, have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral body.
“The Commission’s Audit and Risk Committee had no members with accounting and financial expertise,” reads the report in part. “In addition, the audit committee was combined with the risk management committee contrary to sections 92 and 94 of the First Schedule of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31] which requires every public entity to have essential committees which include Audit Committee, Risk Committee, Dispute Resolution Committee and Remuneration Committee.”
The report further reveals that ZEC lacked critical policy documents to regulate its operations, with policies covering risk management, procurement, information technology and whistle blowing all absent. This absence of essential safeguards creates a dangerous environment where financial mismanagement and potential abuse can flourish unchecked.
Adding to the woes, the AG found that ZEC’s accounting procedures were outdated, with manuals not updated since 2012. This lack of modernisation further undermines the credibility and integrity of the electoral body’s financial management.
The AG’s findings shed light on the environment that may have allowed for the recent corruption scandals uncovered within ZEC. In June, ZimLive exposed questionable procurement practices, including the purchase of non-essential items at inflated prices and the bypassing of public tender procedures.
ZEC ordered 2,000 non-flushable toilets on the eve of the August 2023 elections at a cost of US$7.6 million, astronomically inflated at US$3,800 per unit when they retail for about US$300 in South Africa. These toilets were only delivered in April this year, eight months after the election.
The electoral body also splurged US$5.4 million on gadgets to display digital V11 polling station forms for last August’s elections, also bought at inflated prices and delivered months after the polls.
The AG’s report has sparked outrage among political analysts and civil society groups, who view it as further evidence of ZEC’s failure to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability. They argue that the lack of financial expertise and the absence of robust policies have created a system ripe for abuse, undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
“This report is a damning indictment of ZEC’s financial management practices. It raises serious concerns about the body’s ability to conduct free and fair elections. The lack of financial expertise and the absence of basic safeguards are simply unacceptable,” said a prominent political analyst.
The report’s findings have also sparked calls for a thorough investigation into ZEC’s financial dealings, with many demanding that those responsible for the mismanagement and potential corruption be held accountable. The AG has recommended that ZEC strengthen its financial management practices through the implementation of robust policies, qualified personnel, and updated procedures, highlighting the urgent need for reform within the electoral body.
