via Chiefs threaten to sink 2014 budget – DailyNews Live by Mugove Tafirenyika 17 JANUARY 2014
Chiefs have threatened to sink the 2014 national budget when it is presented before Parliament next week for approval.
The traditional leaders are livid that their budgetary allocation was drastically slashed from $10m to $1m.
Fortune Charumbira, president of the Chiefs Council, warned parliamentarians during a post-budget consultative meeting with the portfolio committee for Local Government on Wednesday that his members would not support the budget if no changes were made to their allocation by next week.
Charumbira said the slash in their budgetary allocation came at a time the new constitution provides for a standalone budgetary allocation for traditional leaders.
He said with the $10 million allocated last year, the Chiefs’ Council failed to fund its activities, including holding the Council Assembly owing to shortage of funds.
“We need to see changes to that budget before next week, otherwise we cannot support it as it is,” Chief Charumbira said.
“It is an unconstitutional budget because the new constitution provides for a standalone budget for the Council of Chiefs.”
Joseph Mhakayakora, the Local Government ministry acting permanent secretary, tried in vain to explain that the reduction was taken care of elsewhere in the budget.
“Maybe you did not quite get me because I was using English,” Mhakayakora said.
“There has not been any reduction in the current year. It’s only a separation in the allocations and that is taken care of elsewhere in the budget if you check,” Mhakayakora explained in the vernacular.
However, Charumbira would have none of it.
“I fail to understand why you are resisting seeing what is very clear,” Charumbira said.
“The constitution provides for a standalone budgetary vote for chiefs and it is not there in the blue book.
“You do not need to be defending yourself here but to discuss so we can make you see things properly.
“There is no need to even explain in the vernacular because I am more educated than most of you and have more degrees. What I am telling you is what is in the constitution so we need to see changes.”
COMMENTS
What are the activities done by Chiefs if I may ask besides coercing the poor rural folks to vote for zanu?
Fortune Charumbira is one of the most idiotic chiefs . He has been on the Zanu pf gravey train for years. Now as the cake shrinks the less important start feeling the pinch .PSS See Happyisson Muchechetere victim of a shrinking cake.
No more cake sukeeeer
The party is over Chiefs. Money is not like manna from heaven.
The sad thing is that they will now start looting villagers cattle and goats since the funds have now been cut a lot.
the opposition had been accussed of undermining the chiefs and the war vets,but their fellow comrades seems worse off,who else cares??/.survive within your means,chief charumbira.
THIEFS OR THIEVES
yes, i agree,that money for value. even to any party including, ZANU PF, should, receive value for money, if, thats the way forward.
my suggestion,is, THE CHIEFS,AND VILLAGE HEARDMAN, should be in the payroll, like every=one else. if, we, get a good year,then pay increase,for a bad year, its either pay cuts or no pay increase at all. but never the less we should encrouge every one to do good.
charity begins at home, we are educated more than the chiefs and the heardman, no dought about that.
but, these are the roots of,our success in our society.
thanks.
Go to hell charumbira,zanu has nikuved you also now that elections are over.Wait for 2017/18 budget fool.We alaways ask you to stand by the people and not political parties but hey who the hell are we,just commoners1
Why should the Chiefs be the only ones to be thrown out of the gravy train? Not fair at all!!!
Don’t worry Chief, u’ll get more funds towards the next election.u served yo purpose let’s wait for the next assignment in 2018.in 2018 u’ll get top of the range 4WDs & other perks only to be withdrawn after “elections”.
these chiefs need their wings clipped, they were used and should accept that.