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MPs threaten auditors
06 Apr 2016 at 06:36hrs | Views
JUSTICE, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Secretary Virginia Mabhiza has revealed that government officials auditing the Constituency Development Fund were threatened with violence by some legislators.
Mabhiza said she now fears for her life should she reveal the identity of the concerned lawmakers.
She said one of the reasons why at least 53 constituencies were not audited is that some legislators threatened to harm government auditors.
Mabhiza said this while giving oral evidence before a parliamentary portfolio committee on public accounts where she had been invited to explain irregularities that were found in her ministry by auditor general, Mildred Chiri.
Bulawayo South MP Eddie Cross (MDC-T) demanded that she identifies the constituencies saying Parliament could institute disciplinary proceedings against the concerned legislators who refused to account for government money.
"Honourable chairperson, I also need protection as it's not easy to disclose some of the occurrences that we came across. I'm also scared at times to reveal some of the information that we came across," said Mabhiza.
The committee, chaired by Mufakose MP Paurina Mpariwa (MDC-T), wanted her to explain several issues including why CDF money was paid through cash and not bank transfers and why some constituencies were not audited despite several irregularities unearthed by Chiri regarding the ministry.
"Some of the constituencies weren't accessible to us due to security reasons. As a result, not all constituencies were audited. We always brought this to the attention of our principal who was the then Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs (Advocate Eric Matinenga). At the end of the day, not all constituencies were audited," said Mabhiza.
Binga North MP Prince Sibanda (MDC-T) asked Mabhiza to explain what she meant and whether government security agencies had refused to provide protection.
"First and foremost let me highlight that non-accessing of 53 constituencies is not 100 percent attributed to security reasons but resources. There were instances where our auditors would be threatened by Members of Parliament whenever they attempted to go in constituencies to see the projects on the ground. We would receive information on paper that there's this project but when we want to see projects on the ground that's when we had instances of our officers threatened with violence," said Mabhiza.
Mabhiza said she now fears for her life should she reveal the identity of the concerned lawmakers.
She said one of the reasons why at least 53 constituencies were not audited is that some legislators threatened to harm government auditors.
Mabhiza said this while giving oral evidence before a parliamentary portfolio committee on public accounts where she had been invited to explain irregularities that were found in her ministry by auditor general, Mildred Chiri.
Bulawayo South MP Eddie Cross (MDC-T) demanded that she identifies the constituencies saying Parliament could institute disciplinary proceedings against the concerned legislators who refused to account for government money.
The committee, chaired by Mufakose MP Paurina Mpariwa (MDC-T), wanted her to explain several issues including why CDF money was paid through cash and not bank transfers and why some constituencies were not audited despite several irregularities unearthed by Chiri regarding the ministry.
"Some of the constituencies weren't accessible to us due to security reasons. As a result, not all constituencies were audited. We always brought this to the attention of our principal who was the then Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs (Advocate Eric Matinenga). At the end of the day, not all constituencies were audited," said Mabhiza.
Binga North MP Prince Sibanda (MDC-T) asked Mabhiza to explain what she meant and whether government security agencies had refused to provide protection.
"First and foremost let me highlight that non-accessing of 53 constituencies is not 100 percent attributed to security reasons but resources. There were instances where our auditors would be threatened by Members of Parliament whenever they attempted to go in constituencies to see the projects on the ground. We would receive information on paper that there's this project but when we want to see projects on the ground that's when we had instances of our officers threatened with violence," said Mabhiza.
Source - chronicle
