Source: Parly ejects bungling Youth Council officials | The Herald December 2, 2016
Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
A parliamentary portfolio committee yesterday threw out of the House officials from the Zimbabwe Youth Council after they turned up unprepared to respond to how they used 100 000 litres of fuel they got from Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).
ZYC acting executive director Ms Julian Kariri and programme manager Mr Lungani Zwangobani were reprimanded after they failed to give a detailed account of how the fuel was used.
This happened when they appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya MP Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu-PF).
Cde Wadyajena and other legislators warned them to take the business of Parliament seriously before ejecting them and asked them to return next week when they were prepared to respond to issues raised by lawmakers.
The 100 000 litres given to ZYC by Zimdef forms part of an investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, which is investigating Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and his deputy Dr Godfrey Gandawa for allegedly abusing $450 000 from Zimdef to strengthen their social ties in their respective constituencies.
ZACC has indicated that the 100 000 litres given to ZYC did not get to Zanu-PF Youth wing, the intended beneficiary.
In his evidence before the same committee a fortnight ago, Secretary for Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Mr George Magosvonge, said he had no knowledge about the 100 000 litres given to ZYC despite him being the accounting officer of the ministry who should be seized with such information.
When proceedings started yesterday, Ms Kariri told the committee that she was standing in for ZYC executive director, Mr Livingstone Dzikira whom she said was in China.
When asked to give comprehensive details of how fuel was utilised and how other funds from development partners were used, Ms Kariri said ZYC had already furnished the committee with such details.
When told that no such details were submitted to the committee and that they were obliged to explain to legislators, Ms Kariri said she had no adequate details since she was not the substantive executive director, prompting Cde Wadyajena to ask why they came unprepared when the committee had informed them of the information required.
“It is my understanding that the report was delivered and it was quite comprehensive. At that time I was not yet acting director,” said Ms Kariri.
Prior to yesterday’s meeting, ZYC had written to Parliament requesting for the recusal of Cde Wadyajena saying since he was a member of the Zanu-PF Youth wing which was the beneficiary of the 100 000 litres, he would not be impartial.
Parliament, however, dismissed the assertion saying that Cde Wadyajena was exercising his mandate as Member of Parliament and not as a member of Zanu-PF.
Asked yesterday why ZYC had wanted Cde Wadyajena to recuse himself, Ms Kariri said she was not able to respond since it was Mr Dzikira who had written the letter.
At that stage Cde Wadyajena read out to Ms Kariri a letter written by Counsel to Parliament Ms Gladys Pise dismissing ZYC’s request.
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