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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
NINE officials have been blamed for various 2014 African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games financial irregularities.

Allegations are that some high ranking members of the local organising committee (LOC) and government officials helped themselves to huge amounts of money and goods meant for the Games.

An audit report by Deloitte and Touche listed the LOC chairperson Khonzani Ncube, chief executive officer Elkannah Dube as well as two Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing officials Mike Dzimati, director quantity surveyor, and one Muchada, a chief quantity surveyor in the ministry, among the officials responsible for the rot.

The auditors noted that Muchada signed variation orders, serial number 13741 for Combined Services contract number 9983 for Barbourfields Stadium despite the fact that there were no drawings, site instructions or bills of quantities attached to the variation orders amounting to US$151 616.11.

Muchada also signed off variation orders amounting to US$144 936 under serial numbers 15562 and 13755 for Techno Expert Construction contract 9965 for Luveve Stadium despite the fact that there were no drawings, site instructions or bills of quantities attached to the orders.

He was also responsible for payment variation order 15557 for Olimas Engineering contract for Bulawayo City Swimming Pool.

Olimas Engineering got a contract to install a heating system at the pool and was paid for that, but the system was not functional during the Games. The contract was initially worth US$214 923.50.

Dzimati signed the final acceptance letter awarding Olimas Engineering the tender yet the company did not provide record of similar projects or those it successfully completed in the past.

He also the signed the final acceptance letter for a US$104 109.50 Nextchir Construction tender yet the company did not meet mandatory tender requirements like minimum technical qualifications. It also did not submit its company profile.

It was the same with Asphalt Products for the Luveve Stadium tender yet Dzimati signed the acceptance letter.

LOC chairperson Ncube and her chief executive officer Dube authorised the US$114 613.03 worth of goods to be received after closure of the Games.

Dube also authorised payments for purchases worth US$5 175 without purchase orders and three qoutations.

Simplicio Musekiwa, the LOC acting administration and procurement director, failed to avail the LOC asset register to the auditors and LOC chief accountant David Mubariki authorised payments worth US$1 319 502.79 without purchase orders, requisite three quotations and vouchers.

Purchases worth US$577 208.80 were paid for without purchase orders, three qoutations and goods received vouchers in violation of the LOC finance and procurement policy at the orders of Lathi Sijingo, the LOC director of finance.

Enock Mateta, the LOC accountant, authorised payments for purchases worth US$153 928.82 without any paper trail, while another LOC accountant Betty Sihle authorised payments of goods worth US$160 314.

LOC chairperson Ncube yesterday called an emergency meeting of all former LOC members.

“The question is, did they have to wait for you guys to expose these things for them to meet? This forensic audit report was done two years ago and surely if they were serious about addressing the raised matters, they ought to have met a long time ago. It’s clear they were complicit in the wrongs done. The chickens have come home to roost,” alleged an informant.