By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
Parliament on Monday fingered three cabinet ministers among lawmakers who abused the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) that was meant to help constituencies with socio-economic empowerment.
The ministers include Ignatius Chombo, the minister of Home Affairs under whose portfolio the police falls, President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Patrick Zhuwao who is in charge of the indigenisation ministry, and Sithembiso Nyoni (Small to Medium Enterprises).
The alleged abuses were unearthed by the Public Accounts Committee which presented its report on Monday.
Another minister who is reported to be a relative of the Mugabe family and is in charge of the Mines portfolio, Walter Chidhakwa, was also named as a culprit.
He represents Zvimba South constituency while Chombo is from Zvimba North in Mashonaland Central.
Zhuwao represents Zvimba East and Nyoni Nkayi North.
The report says the lawmakers failed to open bank accounts for their CDFs.
“The Justice ministry officials (auditors) pointed out that they could receive information on projects being implemented on paper and the moment they made an attempt to go and physically check the projects, they were threatened by MPs,” read the report.
It was presented by the PAC chair, Paurina Mpariwa.
“The committee recommends that the Speaker of the National Assembly, as head of Parliament, should compel the MPs and former MPs to produce the bank statements to support the bank balances in the financial statements by September 30, 2016. In the absence of bank statements, there are high chances that public funds were converted to personal use.
“The committee noted with concern that the MPs mentioned above acted irresponsibly by failing to account for public funds given that, as elected representatives of the people, they should be exemplary when it comes to accountability in the use of public resources,” said Mpariwa.
The CDF, which has now been suspended, was introduced during the life of the 2009-2013 coalition government to help lawmakers bring development to their communities. Nehanda Radio
