Trabablas Interchange may be complete, but the road to accountability remains unpaved

The revelation that the Trabablas Interchange in Harare cost a staggering US$114 million—US$26 million more than the initially budgeted and Parliament-approved US$88 million—has laid bare the Zimbabwean government’s blatant disregard for fiscal accountability, constitutional governance, and public trust.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s feeble justifications during a parliamentary grilling this week not only failed to satisfy lawmakers but also exposed a disturbing pattern of executive overreach, financial opacity, and possible corruption in high-profile infrastructure projects.

The implications go far beyond a single interchange; they speak to a systemic erosion of checks and balances, where those in power treat public funds as a personal slush fund while ordinary Zimbabweans grapple with crumbling services and economic hardship.

When Emakhandeni-Luveve MP Descent Bajila first pressed Ncube to clarify the total cost of the project, the Finance Minister’s response was a masterclass in obfuscation.

He admitted that the government had spent an additional US$26 million from the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)—funds meant for macroeconomic stabilization—without ever seeking parliamentary approval.

His reasoning? That the extra money was a “deposit” required to access the original US$88 million loan from a consortium of contractors.

Yet, when pressed further, he could not convincingly explain why this supposed deposit was never included in the initial budget presented to lawmakers.

More alarmingly, when Kwekwe Mbizo MP Corban Madzivanyika directly challenged Ncube’s authority to spend outside parliamentary oversight, the minister’s retort was chilling in its arrogance:

“One did not have to come back to Parliament to be able to exercise the powers that Parliament and the Executive have already awarded or extended to me as Minister of Finance.”

This statement is not just legally dubious—it is an outright assault on constitutional governance.

The Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Section 305 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution are unequivocal: any expenditure beyond the approved budget must be authorized through a supplementary appropriation.

There is no provision allowing the Finance Minister to unilaterally divert funds—especially critical reserve assets like SDRs—into unbudgeted projects. Ncube’s attempt to frame this as a routine executive prerogative sets a dangerous precedent, effectively granting the Treasury carte blanche to bypass legislative scrutiny whenever inconvenient.

If such actions go unchallenged, Zimbabwe’s Parliament risks becoming a mere rubber stamp, while fiscal anarchy becomes the norm.

Equally troubling is the sheer implausibility of the cost overruns. Ncube blamed the additional US$26 million on the “unexpected” expense of relocating families near the construction site.

Yet any competent feasibility study—standard practice in infrastructure projects—would have accounted for resettlement costs upfront. The fact that this was treated as an unforeseen expense suggests either staggering incompetence or deliberate financial mismanagement.

Worse, regional benchmarks reveal the absurdity of Zimbabwe’s spending: similar interchanges in Botswana and South Africa are built for around US$45 million.

At US$114 million, the Trabablas project costs more than twice what it should, raising legitimate suspicions of inflated contracts, kickbacks, or outright embezzlement.

Who are the contractors behind this “consortium,” and what political connections might they have? These are questions that demand answers, yet none have been forthcoming.

The Trabablas scandal is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of unchecked executive spending.

President Mnangagwa’s surprise visit to Parliament on the same day as Ncube’s interrogation—ostensibly to “inspect the building”—reeks of political stage-managing, a subtle reminder to MPs that oversight has its limits.

Meanwhile, ordinary Zimbabweans endure potholed roads, drug shortages in hospitals, and rolling electricity blackouts. If US$26 million can vanish into a single project without explanation, how much more is being siphoned elsewhere?

This case must be a turning point. Parliament should immediately demand a forensic audit of the Trabablas expenditures, subpoena the loan agreements, and hold Ncube accountable for violating procurement laws.

Civil society and the media must amplify the outcry, ensuring this does not fade into the usual cycle of outrage and amnesia. Zimbabwe cannot afford another decade of impunity.

If those in power can casually bypass the law today, who will stop them from looting even more tomorrow? The Trabablas Interchange may be complete, but the road to accountability remains unpaved—and the journey is long overdue.

Law Mak the Unpacker writes here in his personal capacity.