Accountability Crisis: Procurement Scandal Hits TIMB as US$50,500 Bus Goes Missing

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) is facing mounting questions over accountability and financial governance after the latest Auditor-General’s report exposed a string of unresolved procurement failures, including a US$50,500 passenger bus that was paid for but never delivered.

The Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, paints a troubling picture of weak oversight within the statutory body, revealing that longstanding audit findings dating back several years remain unresolved despite repeated recommendations for corrective action.

At the centre of the controversy is the mysterious disappearance of a passenger bus valued at US$50,500. According to the audit, the procurement remains unresolved years after payment was made, with the report bluntly stating under its review of delivered goods: “The bus was not delivered.”

The finding, first raised in previous audit reports, remains completely unaddressed, raising serious concerns over procurement controls, contract management and accountability for public funds.

The missing bus is among several unresolved governance failures identified by the Auditor-General, who noted that TIMB had made little progress in implementing recommendations aimed at strengthening financial management and internal controls.

The report states that the Board “did not make significant progress in addressing audit findings,” with two critical findings remaining completely unresolved while another showed only partial implementation.

The audit also exposed TIMB’s failure to recover money that was wrongly paid to former employees. Despite the erroneous payments having been identified in previous audits, the report found that the funds had still not been recovered, highlighting ongoing weaknesses in financial oversight and debt recovery mechanisms.

Further concerns were raised over the Board’s Special Projects loan programme, where recovery efforts remain alarmingly poor. According to the Auditor-General, only 10 percent of loans issued in Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG) had been recovered, while recovery of loans issued in United States dollars stood at a mere four percent.

The dismal recovery rates raise questions about the effectiveness of the Board’s credit management systems and whether sufficient safeguards were put in place before public funds were disbursed.

Although the Auditor-General issued an unmodified audit opinion, confirming that TIMB’s 2025 financial statements fairly present its financial position in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), the report makes it clear that clean financial statements do not erase persistent governance failures.

The continued inability to account for a US$50,500 bus, recover wrongly paid public funds and improve loan recoveries has intensified concerns over accountability within the institution.

The latest findings are likely to increase pressure on TIMB’s leadership to explain how a publicly funded vehicle could remain undelivered years after procurement, while implementing stronger measures to safeguard public resources and ensure those responsible for procurement failures are held accountable.