In a significant milestone for public sector accountability, the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara) has achieved a 100 percent clean audit from the Auditor-General for the year ended December 31, 2023.
This is the first time Zinara has achieved this milestone since inception in 2002.
Furthermore, this feat comes at a time when Zinara had also implemented all the recommendations made in the Grant Thornton forensic audit report of 2018 which unearthed gross governance and operational anomalies.
This turn of events is attributed to the transformation measures implemented by the organisation as part of the parastatal reform agenda of the Second Republic.
Addressing delegates and stakeholders at the Zinara 8th Annual General Meeting and presentation of financial statements or the year ended December 31, 2023, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said: "Allow me from the outset to applaud Zinara for complying with Section 33 (3) of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act which provides that (Chapter 10:31), which provides that at least once a year, the board of every public entity shall convene an annual general meeting, to be attended by representatives of the line ministry and other stakeholders such as the Corporate Governance Unit (CGU), the Accountant-General, the Auditor-General and such other persons as may be prescribed.
"As stakeholders, we are excited by the work ethic, attitude and focus of the Zinara board and management.
"Unrelenting efforts to comply with corporate governance principles at Zinara and voluntary subjection to oversight, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms by the line ministry, auditor general, relevant Parliamentary portfolio committees and the Corporate Governance Unit among other watch dogs, is an eloquent testimony of the milestones being achieved by Zinara."
Minister Mhona said the current Zinara had become a flagship parastatal in Zimbabwe, epitomising good governance, excellence in performance and astute financial prudence.
"As representatives of Government, the shareholder, we are gratified that this AGM has come at a time when Zinara has made notable progress in aligning its mandate with the attendant legislative and policy frameworks.
"We have noticed improved disbursements being made to road authorities and periodic publications being made on these disbursements," he said.
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"This level of transparency including publication of your audited accounts is testimony of improved efficiency by Zinara. A good reputation is key to gain public confidence in your operations."
Minister Mhona challenged Zinara to be more technologically oriented by adopting smart and more efficient tolling technologies.
Said Minister Mhona: "As the Ministry, we stand ready to support Zinara as a key enabler to the realisation of our Government vision. To that end, this Annual General Meeting enables us to put our heads together, and to craft solutions that will define our road map going into the future."
Speaking at the same event, Zinara board chairperson Dr George Manyaya said: "This Annual General Meeting is no ordinary meeting for two major reasons.
"This is the first annual general meeting that Zinara is conducting since 2019. In 2019, Zinara was four years behind. But today, November25, 2024 marks an important date as Zinara is now regular.
"The second reason why this is not an ordinary occasion is that this is the first time that, as ZINARA, we are presenting our annual financial performance in the context of a clean unqualified audit opinion. "
