MPs duck Tsholotsho on Zimdef fact-finding mission

Legislators on a fact-finding mission of Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund projects have said they will not tour Tsholotsho North where Government Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo is alleged to have diverted money from the fund to buy bicycles. Prof Moyo, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Development, is also the Member of Parliament for Tsholotsho North.

Parliament's committee on Higher Education is touring zimdef projects at Chinhoyi University of Science and Technology, Kwekwe Polytechnic and Bulawayo Polytechnic, but chose to avoid Tsholotsho North constituency where Prof Moyo was accused of using Zimdef funds to raise his political profile.

During a briefing at zimdef House on Tuesday, Proportionate Representative MP Dr Ruth Labode (MDC-T), asked why the committee had not included Tsholotsho as one of their areas of fact finding mission.

Dr Labode said it was prudent to include Tsholotsho North, so that the committee would see bicycles bought for the traditional leaders using zimdef funds.

Committee stand in chairperson and Zaka Central MP Paradzai Chakona (Zanu-PF), shot down the proposal, saying it was not part of their mandate. In an interview, Chakona said Prof Moyo had given the committee voluminous documents when he appeared before them last week where he responded to some of the issues.

"From the oral evidence we had with zimdef, we asked them if it was a priority and they said they do not know anything and that issue should be directed to the Trustee (Prof Moyo)," he said.

"When the Trustee came, he gave us all the evidence and all the information pertaining to the bicycles, how they were bought, and staff like that, and we have that information, but we have not yet gone through it. We will be calling the Minister after we have gone through it."

Asked why they did not regard as prudent to include Tsholotsho, Chakona said: "Bicycles are not a project and if you say buying of a bicycle is a project there is a serious problem."

He said after they interacted with zimdef, they were invited to tour the project and have an appreciation.

"After we conducted oral evidence from zimdef, they wrote a letter to Parliament requesting the committee to have a look at zimdef funded projects," said Chakona. "Those are some of the issues that came out during oral evidence. This is why we are now moving around at their invitation."

Prof Moyo and his Deputy Dr Godfrey Gandawa, had been a subject of investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission over allegations that they abused $450 000 from zimdef.

They have since mounted a constitutional application with the Constitutional Court for the apex court to determine whether or not zacc has arresting powers.