The scheme,
allegedly masterminded in collusion with council clerical officer Mr Busani
Nyoni — who has since gone into hiding — allowed the ministry to hold church
services at the Large City Hall without paying the required fees but using the
same receipts multiple times.
A damning
report by the city’s internal audit department reveals that Spirit Embassy
Ministries, represented by Mr Somerai Charamba exploited weak internal controls
and used four receipts on at least five different occasions between 2024 and
early 2025, resulting in actual prejudice of US$2 072.05. A backward audit of
2023 bookings exposed further inconsistencies at both the Large and Small City
Halls.
Mr Charamba
admitted to auditors that although he was familiar with the official booking
process, he had established a “working relationship” with Mr Nyoni, who would
handle the bookings informally in exchange for undisclosed US dollar cash
payments.
One receipt —
0151638434 — was issued on 21 June 2024 at 2.22 PM for a legitimate payment of
US$415. However, the same receipt was used again just two days later on 23
June, this time without verification or a corresponding entry in the official
register. This same receipt was recorded by security officer Mr Maickel Ndlovu
with details of the organisation, its representative, and his contact
information. The booking, curiously, was written in pencil — an immediate red
flag for auditors.
Even more
troubling, the receipt resurfaced once again on 14 July 2024 for another church
service, giving Spirit Embassy access to the hall twice without making any
further payments.
A similar
pattern emerged with receipt 0141590226, initially issued for a service on 21
July 2024. No booking record was ever created for that date, yet the same
receipt reappeared on 4 August, this time logged by a security officer and
written in black ink by Mr Nyoni — again, with no additional payment. Sunday
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