Sex scandal rocks Ministry of Finance

By Lance Guma

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HARARE – A female whistle blower in the Ministry of Finance has opened up to Nehanda Radio on what she claims is the abuse of government funds by senior officials who are asking for sexual favours from female employees.

Fingered in the alleged ‘sex for trips and allowances’ scandal is the Principal Director (Budgets) Mr Pfungwa Kunaka and Mr Edwin Vela Moyo (Director in the Budget Office) who are allegedly targeting single and married women employed by the Ministry.

The two are accused of taking their ‘workplace lovers’ on foreign trips, funded by the tax payer, for periods ranging from 2 to 3 weeks while pocketing special rates of nearly US$1000 per day, far above the normal government rates.

Nehanda Radio sought comment from Mr Kunaka who denied the accusations saying;

“I don’t act alone, I am an employee of the government and am on the treasury side. I don’t decide who travels. The Permanent Secretary does that.”

Judith Madzorera is currently the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry.

According to Kunaka he has been on three trips to Washington, Mozambique and recently Morocco. On the trip to Washington he was part of the entourage that went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

Another highly placed source told Nehanda Radio “Minister Biti did not employ these people but found them there. He has no authority to hire or fire these guys but the Public Service Commission under Mariyawanda Nzuwa.”

We were also told “these Principal Directors in the Finance Department due to shrinked fiscal space have become more powerful than the politicians. The politicians now actually dance to their tune and are powerless.”

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