Scandal at anti-graft body

Source: Scandal at anti-graft body | The Sunday Mail May 22, 2016

Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commissioners and the body’s acting secretary, Senior Assistant Commissioner Silence Pondo, are allegedly receiving allowances and benefits outside prescribed parameters.

Also under the spotlight is Snr Asst Comm Pondo’s appointment to the Commission as he is still with the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

According to Section 208(4) of the Constitution, serving security sector officers are prohibited from concurrently holding office in civilian institutions.

The Section reads, “Serving members of the security services must not be employed or engaged in civilian institutions except in periods of public emergency.”

In a letter dated June 2, 2014 (reference number D2/7/49), Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Melusi Matshiya seconded Snr Asst Comm Pondo to ZACC.

“Please be advised that you are seconded to the post of secretary to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission until the post has been filled. The secondment is with immediate effect . . . ZRP will continue to pay your salary, allowances and benefits as usual,” reads part of the letter.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Matshiya were unsuccessful while Snr Asst Comm Pondo declined discussing the matter.

“The issue here . . . is that I have no comment,” he said when The Sunday Mail phoned him on Friday.

ZACC chair Dr Job Wabhira could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered and he did not respond to text messages.

Other information gathered by The Sunday Mail shows that:

ZACC executive commissioners, who are involved in the daily running of the organisation, are on monthly salaries ranging between US$2 000 and US$5 000 but they also claim allowances of between US$80 and US$100 per sitting.

The commission usually sits twice a week, meaning each commissioner can claim between US$600 and US$800 per month on top of salaries.

The Sunday Mail understands the sitting allowances are paid as part of their perks;

Between 2011 and 2013, senior officials allegedly claimed healthcare refunds from Zacc and yet Government covered these costs directly with a named medical aid society. They also allegedly made various cash claims for unused NetOne cellphone units in violation of company policy prohibiting such claims;

Snr Asst Comm Pondo, who is essentially the acting CEO, joined the commission from the police force with his two official vehicles — a top-of-the-range BMW 3 Series a Ford Ranger T6 — after which he received a Mercedes-Benz ML350 (chasis number WDC1641862A439029) and an Isuzu twin-cab, registration numbers ABE 9989 and ADE 98541 respectively. Mr Matshiya’s appointment letter said he was only entitled to one “suitable 4×4 vehicle”. And on top of his police fuel allocation, Snr Asst Comm Pondo is also getting 400 litres of fuel from Zacc monthly. The commission pays the senior cop US$100 cellphone and US$100 home landline allowances; and

Snr Asst Comm Pondo is paid US$810 by the ZRP and gets a US$1 368 “responsibility  allowance” from Zacc. Details at hand also show that instead of his salary coming from Zacc employment costs, he is being paid as part of operational costs.

It has also emerged that Zacc does not have standing orders or conditions of service for staff.