via Mugabe and Tsvangirai’s offices fail to account for public funds | SW Radio Africa by Mthulisi Mathuthu November 6, 2013
Parliament this week heard how President Robert Mugabe and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai failed to account for public funds amounting to approximately $16,000,000 for the 2011 financial year.The News Day reported Wednesday that these shocking details were revealed in audited reports tabled in parliament by the auditor general on Monday.
According to the newspaper the reports ‘revealed gross misuse of funds and assets by ministries, including the President’s Office and the Prime minister’s office’.
Tsvangirai’s office is reported to have failed to provide ‘24 payment vouchers’ for ‘audit examination’ for an expenditure of over $15,000,000. Surprisingly, Mugabe’s office emerged as a lesser offender as it failed to provide ‘invoices to validate payments’ of ‘assets’ valued at $449,759.
It is not clear exactly how the unaccounted money was spent as both parties have not responded to the damaging revelations. MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora remained un-reachable for the whole of Wednesday.
But Human Rights defender and democracy activist Nixon Nyikadzino said the developments vindicated the people who were opposed to the MDC joining the government of national unity.
Nyikadzio said lack of accountability in government was ‘a cancer’ which the MDC could not have survived. Nykadzino called on parliament to ensure that accountability and control measures were put in place to curb misuse of public funds.
While the case of Tsvangirai’s office will have come as a shock to many, that of President Mugabe is generally in keeping with tradition. The President’ office, which houses the spy agency the Central Intelligence Organisation, is known to be un accountable.
The CIO’s budget, which falls under the Special Services in Mugabe’s office, is not subject to audit and complaints about their activities go unheeded.
The latest revelations that Mugabe’s office could not account for certain purchased ‘assets’ bring into memory past reports in which the CIO were said to be purchasing properties called ‘safe houses’ within Harare.
The purpose of the properties was never revealed.
COMMENTS
BOTH LACK INTEGRITYAND ACCONTABILITY! SEND THEM TO CHIKURUBI UNIVERSITY!
Come on Douglas Mwonzora-speak up if your party has nothing to hide!
We must welcome the future, remembering that soon it will be the past; and we must respect the past, remembering that it was once all that was humanly possible.The best thing about the bedroom was the bed. I liked to stay in bed for hours, even during the day with covers pulled up to my chin. It was good in there, nothing ever occurred in there, no people, nothing.
My condolences……..