CDF Fund abusing MPs face arrest

yesterday could not be drawn to reveal names of the defaulting MPs.

“All I can say at the moment is that we’re working with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with a view of having the legislators arrested,” said Adv Matinenga.
Secretary for Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said last week that they would be handing the defaulting MPs over to the police starting from Monday this week.
Reports of parliamentarians abusing the CDF have been rife, with some MPs publicly accused of converting the funds to personal use by their constituents.

The ministry has held capacity building workshops and seminars in individual provinces, with MPs reporting on projects they were working on.
During the workshops, indications were that most legislators were not conversant with basic accounting as well as the administration of public funds.
The delay in public accounting of CDF by parliamentarians has brought an outcry from ordinary people, social and political commentators.

Former Zimbabwe Local Government Association president Cde Jerry Gotora said it was wrong for the MPs to be given public money in the first place.
“It should be questioned why the legislators – some without an idea of how to even budget for their own money – ended up being custodians of public money.
“Why didn’t the responsible ministry use other channels like local authorities, ward or even village development committees, with the MPs only playing a supervisory role?” said Cde Gotora.

He said since the money had been given to the wrong office, it was of paramount importance that all the public funds be accounted for to the last cent.
Cde Gotora said it was equally important to involve the Treasury, Comptroller and Auditor-General’s departments in accounting for the funds.

A commentator who preferred anonymity warned that the some parliamentarians might get away with fraud.
“I can give you an example of my constituency (name supplied) in Mashonaland Central where the MP said the funds had been used in the construction of a clinic.

“This is despite widespread knowledge by all the constituents that the Australian Embassy had provided full funding for the clinic in question,” he said.
The man said it was no secret that building material purchased for the purported construction of the clinic was later openly sold at a centre in the constituency.

“How do they convict such a legislator as he will simply produce receipts for all the material he purchased and show the auditors the clinic he helped ‘construct”?” he queried.
Other people were of the opinion that the defaulting parliamentarians should be named and shamed, and not be given a second chance to lead the people in future.
Mrs Mabhiza revealed last week that seven MPs faced imminent arrest after failing to account for the funds they were allocated.

She said 24 other members also faced punitive measures for ignoring calls to submit their returns.
Mrs Mabhiza said some of the Parliamentarians could not account for even a single cent out of the US$50 000 they received.
From last year, Adv Matinega is on record saying that he would not hesitate to name and shame the defaulting MPs, but to date has not been true to his promise.
The CDF is expected to be pegged at US$66 000 per constituency this year, but will only be made available – if it is – to those who have fully accounted for the previous allocation.