National

Lupane State University’s finances in disarray: Auditor General’s report reveals significant concerns

Published

9 months ago

July 22, 2024

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Office of the Auditor -General’s (OAG) report on Lupane State University’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, reveals significant concerns. The report states that the University’s financial statements are incomplete, inaccurate, and do not reflect the true financial position of the institution.

One of the main concerns tabled before the parliament is the University’s academic fees income. “Academic fees comprise a significant part of income generated by the University from its operations,” the report notes.

However, the auditor general was not provided with all the supporting documents for the academic fees income recognized. “I was unable to perform alternative audit procedures to satisfy myself on the completeness, accuracy, and occurrence of academic fees income amount during the audit,” the report states.

“The University could not provide accurate and complete student statistics to evaluate recalculation of academic fees using numbers of active students and the authorised tuition fees for each program per semester, to assess if the academic fees income amount of ZWL$ 2.4 billion presented in the financial statements was accurate.”

The report also highlights issues with trade receivables. “In the absence of sufficient audit evidence, the University’s records did not permit the application of alternative procedures and therefore no assurance could be obtained that the student receivables had actually existed and were accurately recorded,” the OAG writes.

Furthermore, the report notes that the University’s property, plant, and equipment valuation does not meet the fair value criteria as per International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 13. “The revaluation was performed in USD and translated to ZWL using the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) interbank rate for financial reporting purposes. This did not meet the fair value criteria as provided for in International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 13 – Fair Value Measurement,” the report states.

Governance issues are also a concern. “The University did not have lease agreements on the buildings leased to the University by a commercial bank,” the report notes. “This was attributable to inadequate due diligence and maintenance of the University filing system.”

In addition, the report highlights procurement issues. “The University made advance payment amounting to ZWL$22.6 million to a supplier for the purchase of heifers in May 2022. However, the heifers had not been delivered as at December 31, 2022,” the OAG writes.

Overall, the report raises significant concerns about the reliability and accuracy of Lupane State University’s financial statements. As the auditor general states, “I was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to provide a basis for an audit opinion on these financial statements.”

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

5 days ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.