AAZ branch meeting aborted after board fails to declare audited financials

Harare- THE Automobile Association of Zimbabwe Harare branch meeting was aborted Wednesday, when stakeholders walked away demanding the board to adjourn the meeting to Monday after the former failed to present audited financials.

Express Mail Zim has it on good authority that the abandoned closed door meeting was held in Newlands and stakeholders wanted the board and managing director to present financial statements amid reports that there is rampant corruption at the supposed non profit making organisation.

“These guys are looting funds and they are are abusing the constitution which stipulates that they serve for two years, most of them have been in control for 10 years.

“There is cartel of four guys led by the managing director called Mtandwa and they award themselves hefty perks.

“For instance they give workers ZWL3 million as grocery allowance since the organisation consider them voluntary workers and they go behind the back and pocket USD3000 each.

“So when auditors come they misrepresent and inflate figures claiming that they have given voluntary workers allowances of grocery, school fees and so on.
“In November they took home bonuses of USD6000 each and gave workers USD 900 across the board,” said our inside source.

When contacted for comment, the Mashonaland chapter president Amos Mtandwa confirmed the adjournment of the meeting over sticking issues involving presentation of financials but he said they wanted to give stakeholders time to peruse the finacial statements sent to them via email.

“We are a very transparent entity religiously publishing audited financial statements every year on public platforms including our website and holding AGMs timeously.

“The financials are also emailed to members ahead of the AGMs. The meeting you are referring to as aborted is a branch committee meeting and there is no obligation in terms of our governance structures to discuss nor publish financial statements at Branch AGMs. However, we have traditionally provided these at our meetings and it was in that spirit that when members asked for an adjournment so they could get time to look at them, the request was acceded to.

” Some members had not received emails on time due to email challenges experienced by the Association, but these were available on the website,” said Mtandwa.

He added that procedurally, he could have just referred the members to the national AGM that they are entitled to attend.

He maintained that aborting the meeting was a matter of theor benovelence otherwise they could have proceeded.

“It was still within our rights to proceed with the meeting as due notice had been provided (which notice was the basis for the members attending our Mashonaland AGM) and the financials were available on the association’s website. Besides, the Mashonaland committee does not run nor sign the Association’s financials. The Executive is responsible and they are approved by the board, all steps which have been adhered to religiously,” explained Mtandwa.

AAZ is a non-profit organisation whose mandate is to offer roadside assistance, vehicle inspections, vehicle valuations, technical advice, Legal advice and defence, emergency hotel expenses and many more.

Its membership is comprises of big companies and it is subscriber based meaning they rake in a lot of money.