MANAGER SIPHONS 20 000 LITRES OF FUEL, ZACC POUNCES

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has begun investigations into the Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Services Department fuel scandal that has seen 20 000 litres of diesel siphoned over a three-year period.

The alleged culprit is a manager in the Ambulance Services (name supplied) who allegedly took advantage of a non-functioning speedometer on his service Toyota Land Cruiser, known as Command Vehicle, registration number AAA 6540 to double fill it with fuel without indicating any mileage on the log book.

He would fill up his tank on Mondays at the Council’s Khami Road stores, decant it and go to the Famona station fuel site and refill. He would repeat the same thing on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Investigations by Check Point Desk revealed that the fuel was being bought by illegal fuel dealers who operate under a tree in Nketa Six suburb along Nketa Drive just after Masiyepambili Drive road.

“We confirm that we are handling such a case, but investigations are still at their infancy, awaiting the outcome of an internal audit in the local authority,” said ZACC spokesperson, Ms Simiso Mlevu.

BCC insiders said while the vehicle is supposed to operate as a first responder every time there is an emergency, the manager had turned it into a personal car and at most, it clocks 40km daily, yet it gets 60 litres every Monday, 80litres every Wednesday and 60 litres every Friday, which he would decant.

The scam has been going on for a long period of time, raising concerns from staff members that the manager may be protected from high offices within the Council.

The Fire and Ambulance Services Department falls under the purview of the chamber secretary, headed by Mrs Sikhangele Zhou.

Another source revealed that an ambulance, which operates 24 hours, can clock as much as 320km during that period, but it gets just 30 litres of fuel per day, 210 litres per week yet the Command Vehicle gets 200 litres inside five days.

Both the BCC town clerk Mr Christopher Dube and chamber secretary, Mrs Zhou, confirmed the case and said the city’s internal audit team was seized with the matter.

City mayor Councillor David Coltart, writing on his X account while responding to the exposé article, said the council will thoroughly investigate the issue and present the findings to the public.

Recently, it was revealed that only seven out of 30 BCC ambulances are operating, with the rest of the fleet grounded, having broken down, with the local authority citing limited financial resources. Chronicle