Ministers and MPs fail to account for constituency funds

Posted by on Thursday, February 16, 2012 in Corruption, Zimbabwe politics | 2 comments

Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, Sekai Holland

Tererai Karimakwenda
16 February 2012

The state run Herald newspaper has implicated two cabinet ministers and seven members of parliament in alleged corruption, involving money that was allocated to them under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

According to the report Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga on Wednesday said his ministry had approached the Anti-Corruption Commission and the police to investigate how the money had been used in each of the constituencies.

Government set aside a budget of $8 million for the CDF in 2010 and the money was to be used for development projects by the legislators. Each constituency received $50 000, but some have failed to account for it.

Among them are the Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, Sekai Holland, Public Service Minister Lucia Matibenga and Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Douglas Mombeshora.

Minister Matibenga, who is also the MP for Kuwadzana constituency, admitted she had failed to submit documents accounting for the funds she was given before the deadline.

“For all purposes Minister Matinenga is right. But I can confirm that I sent my returns to the ministry on Monday,” Matibenga explained. She told SW Radio Africa that she accounted for nearly $45,000 and the balance is still in the bank account.

Mai Matibenga said Kuwadzana residents know that the money was used to dig eight boreholes and to finish the construction of a clinic, which was started by the council. She added that the delay in accounting was due to time spent dealing with the civil servants’ salaries crisis.

Unfortunately we were not able to contact the other cabinet members named by the Herald.

The list includes Marvelous Khumalo (St Mary’s), Peter Chanetsa (Hurungwe North), Edward Chindori-Chininga (Guruve South), Naison Nemadziva (Buhera South), Franco Ndambakuwa (Magunje), Abraham Sithole (Chiredzi East) and Lawrence Mavima (Zvishavane-Runde).

Minister Matinenga reportedly said he had notified the Office of the President and Cabinet and the Prime Minister’s Office on the developments. He said an audit of the CDF projects currently underway had completed 65 out of 210 constituencies.

  • Chimbi Manwa

    The calibre of our MPs is embarrassing. To begin with, I don’t subscribe to the idea of having MPs handle “constituency development” funds. Developing constituencies is the mandate of various government departments. Govt departments have administrative staff specially trained to handle and acquit funds. The CDF projects by our MPs are a clear vote-buying ploy. Its a crying shame that MDC-T MPs are found on the wrong side of the law. Can Mrs Matibenga tell us how much each borehole cost? How much was used to finish the clinic? Given the unlimited needs of the constituency, is it justifiable to have $5000 still unspent? Matibenga also says she was busy handling civil servants’ concerns. It’s still fresh in the public memory that the same civil servants complained about the poor handling of their concerns by the same Lucia Matibenga!

  • Chimbido Warvet

    Money makes the world go round. Even those who preached to us from the MDC’s camp not so long ago that when they hold positions of trust will be honest in their dealings with public funds are stealing from vulnerable people. So who can be trusted in this country when it comes to handling public funds? Both Zanu PF and MDC are crooks or thieves who cannot be trusted and are not even ashamed of themselves.