Are you a qualified and experienced accountant? The government of Zimbabwe is looking for an Auditor General to oversee public sector audits

Harare – The Zimbabwean government has officially begun the search for a new Auditor General, following the retirement of Mildred Chiri in 2023 after a distinguished 40-year career in the public service, 19 of which were spent as Auditor General.

The advertisement for the position, which has been widely circulated, highlights the critical role the Auditor General plays in ensuring financial transparency and accountability within the country’s public sector.

The successful candidate will inherit significant responsibility: overseeing the audits of all government departments, ministries and government agencies. This includes providing strategic leadership and technical direction to the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), ensuring that all audits and investigations comply with legal and professional standards, best practices and the mandate of the OAG Board . The advertisement clearly outlines the scope of the role:

“The Auditor General is responsible for fulfilling the overall mandate of the Office of Auditor General (OAG). He/she leads and oversees the audit and accountability functions of the public sector. He/she provides strategic, policy, operational leadership and technical support and ensures that audits and investigations are conducted in accordance with the provisions of the law, professional standards, best practices and the OAG’s governance mandate. He/she provides independent and objective assessments of public sector activities, programs and financial management to parliament and the public.”

The position requires a person of high caliber who is able to provide independent and objective assessments of the public sector’s activities, programs and financial management, reporting directly to Parliament and the public. This underlines the critical role the Auditor General plays in holding government accountable for the responsible management of public resources.

Mildred Chiri’s legacy casts a long shadow over this appointment. During her tenure, she earned widespread respect for her tireless efforts to expose financial mismanagement and corruption within government departments, parastatals and local authorities.

Her reports consistently revealed gross accounting malpractice that led to the loss of millions of dollars of public funds. She documented cases where goods and services were paid for but never used, and sometimes not delivered for years. Her commitment to transparency and accountability has been steadfast, even in the face of significant challenges.

However, Chiri’s work also revealed a systemic problem: a persistent lack of will within the executive branch to act on her findings. Numerous senior government officials and officials involved in financial scandals escaped prosecution or meaningful disciplinary action, despite the compelling evidence presented in its reports. This highlights the significant hurdles the new Auditor General will face in translating audit findings into tangible improvements in governance and accountability.

Chiri’s career began in 1983 as an audit assistant in the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. Her rise through the ranks culminated in her appointment as Auditor General in February 2004. Over the next 19 years, she consistently championed transparency, ruthlessly exposing financial mismanagement and corruption at all levels of government. Her dedication to her role is undeniable, but the continued failure to act on her findings underlines the need for a strong and assertive individual to take this critical position.

The Government’s announcement for the position clearly outlines the significant challenges and responsibilities involved. It calls for a highly qualified and experienced auditor with a proven record of leadership, integrity and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards in public sector auditing. The successful candidate will need not only technical expertise, but also the political acumen to navigate the complexities of Zimbabwe’s political landscape and ensure their findings are acted upon.

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