The Victoria Falls City Council has been discharging substandard raw effluent into a nearby river, raising fears of a public health crisis and environmental pollution.
This is revealed in the latest Auditor General's report on Local Authorities for the 2024 financial year.
The council’s sewer system failed to meet environmental standards, leading to the dumping of untreated wastewater into a river.
"The council’s sewer reticulation system was not operating as per environmental management legislation,” the report read.
“The council was disposing of low standard effluent into the nearby river...”
This violation resulted in a ZWL$12.58 million fine.
"In addition, the council did not have a landfill as it was making use of a dumpsite, which was contrary to the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27], First Schedule 11(a) which requires the council’s waste management to have a landfill."
The AG warned that this posed serious health and environmental risks and urged the council to upgrade its sewer infrastructure.
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In response, the council said it had launched a water, sanitation, and hygiene (Wash) programme, structured in phases due to funding constraints.
“Currently the City of Victoria Falls is implementing phase 1 of the Wash programme.
“Later phases of the Wash programme (Phase 3 and 4) will seek to upgrade the sewer outfalls and sewer treatment plant so that the effluent from the treatment plant meets the Environmental Management Agency standards.”
On previous audits, the AG said the council made little progress in addressing concerns noted in the findings.
"I raised 16 findings, four were addressed, nine were partially addressed and three were yet to be addressed," the AG said.
Those that were addressed were the valuation of property, plant and equipment while undeveloped land was classified and quantified, master plan was approved by the council in June 2024 and will be opened to the public in August and September 2024.
The AG also noted minimal progress in resolving past audit issues.
The AG issued a qualified audit opinion, citing multiple violations of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
"The council did not account for roads materials as inventory in the financial statements.
“This was contrary to IPSAS 12 paragraph 47 which requires the council to recognise the construction materials not consumed at year end to be accounted for as inventory.”
The AG said the council had large quantities of quarry stones that were not valued.
“In addition, the council did not maintain purchase invoices, delivery notes and issue vouchers.
“Due to the incomplete records keeping, I was not able to perform alternative procedures to ascertain the quantities and values of the construction material."
The report further states that the council did not have approved documented disaster recovery plans.
The AG urged the council to account for its entire inventory in the financial statements.
