In a shocking turn of events, 285 drums of bitumen and other vital road maintenance materials worth over $82,000 have gone missing from the Bulawayo City Council’s Kelvin North Depot. The theft, reported on June 6, 2025, has sparked widespread outrage and calls for disciplinary action.

The stolen materials, including Stable 60 and MC30, are essential for road resurfacing projects, which are desperately needed in the city. Deputy Mayor Clr Edwin Ndlovu condemned the situation, stating, “We lack supervision and daily monitoring. 285 drums of tar missing is not child’s play.”

Councillor Melissa Mabeza described the incident as “blatant corruption” and demanded an immediate investigation. “We cannot have an entire institution like BCC without proper systems,” she said.

This is not the first time the council has been hit by theft. Last month, a senior ambulance services supervisor was dismissed for misappropriating diesel worth over $10,000. The audit team has raised concerns over serious vulnerabilities in the council’s inventory and procurement systems.

As the city officials scramble to get to the bottom of the tar-geted thievery, residents are growing increasingly frustrated with the deteriorating roads and lack of transparency. The council has promised to implement new control measures, but many are left wondering: what’s next?

Stay tuned for further updates on this sticky situation!

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