Wadyajena, Jonathan Moyo crosses swords

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment had no mandate to summon Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo for a hearing, as it had no oversight role over his ministry, the Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda has revealed.

Last week, committee chairperson and Gokwe-Nembudziya MP, Justice Mayor Wadyajena, said his committee had resolved to probe allegations that Moyo, his deputy, Godfrey Gandawa, and other ministry officials, allegedly abused over $400 000 from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).

Wadyajena, an ally of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, wants Moyo to explain allegations that he and Gandawa siphoned nearly half a million dollars from Zimdef to fund their respective constituencies, Zanu PF activities and personal lifestyles at the expense of the intended beneficiaries - students at tertiary institutions.

"Each committee has a specific mandate and plays an oversight role on specific ministries … so that is a clear issue," Chokuda said.

The parliamentary committee that oversees Moyo's ministry is chaired by MDC-T MP, Peter Matarutse.

However, Wadjajena insisted he would summon Moyo.

"The fact that the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC), that falls under the Youth ministry, had a direct transaction with the minister of Higher and Tertiary, brings us into the equation," he said.

"Our mandate is to play an oversight role on every ZYC activity, meaning we have an interest in what was revealed by Moyo. We want to appreciate the kind of transaction they had with Moyo and under which legal provision they carried out that transaction.

"It's about issues that concern the committee in the same manner the committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services toured telecommunication companies, when some incompetent people, who don't want to protect the Constitution and Standing Orders, thought the sector does not fall under them."

Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, who is also leading a Zanu PF probe into the Zimdef scandal, yesterday said he would investigate the matter before making a decision on whether the Tsholotsho North legislator could be summoned by the Wadyajena committee or not.