Massive RBZ-sponsored looting exposed

From The Zimbabwe Times - By Takarinda Gomo, 10th November 10 2009

HARARE – Mildred Chiri, the Comptroller and Auditor General of Zimbabwe, is a very brave woman. Mai Chiri, as she is popularly known, tabled her first quarter report for 2009 in Parliament recently.

To say it was a damning report that exposed rampant corruption and unprecedented wholesale looting of State assets by some Cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries, is putting it mildly. Anyone who has had sight of the report is shaking his or her head in utter disbelief.

For instance, the report reveals that 10 277 youths were employed in the Ministry of Youth Development as so-called ward officers in the run-up to the March 29, 2008, harmonized elections. The posts did not exist in the government establishment. The youths were then deployed country-wide along with Zanu-PF youth militia and state security agents. There they unleashed a reign of terror, murder and mayhem that left over 200 innocent supporters of the mainstream MDC of Morgan Tsvangirai dead and thousands others either maimed or homeless.

There are certain strict procedures that must be followed without fail for anybody’s name to be added to the government payroll. First, the Public Service Commission (PSC) would have created those posts. Justification for establishment of the posts is informed by availability of financial resources and also whether the posts are essential for the national interest.

If the PSC is satisfied by the justification, it will approach the Ministry of Finance (Treasury) to request, in writing, that resources be availed for the posts. Treasury, will also weigh the macro-economic environment, especially areas that should be prioritized for funding, then respond to the PSC request, also in writing, to confirm that indeed the resources are available to support the posts.

From the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), these procedures were completely dispensed with, thereby making this issue extremely scandalous.

Somebody, somewhere, caused the State to be prejudiced of colossal sums of money, paying ghost workers. The very fact that the youths were used for political purposes to further the interests of the then ruling Zanu-PF, calls for thorough scrutiny of the Public Service Commission. The PSC is the employer and paymaster of all public servants. The PSC has to explain how these posts were created. The PSC must then show that the Commission sat down and approved the creation of the posts?

If not, who then authorized the hiring of the ward officers? Who instructed Salary Services Bureau to add 10 277 names to the payroll? Whose signature is there on the instruction?

If the PSC cannot answer these and other questions, then heads must roll. The Chairman of PSC, Dr Mariyawanda Nzuwa, is known to ride roughshod over other commissioners. If he, single-handedly decided to employ those youths, and, as the CAG report confirms, the posts were not on the establishment and Treasury authority was never sought, then Nzuwa should be arrested forthwith, for prejudicing the State of large sums of money paid to the youths.

The other commissioners should simply resign in shame for dereliction of duty.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, under whose supervision these youths fell, must be fired without delay. So should the minister, Saviour Kasukuwere. How else can these officials face the public after being named and shamed so publicly?

The CAG Report also focused its attention on the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, where Nicholas Goche presided as minister. He was one of Zanu-PF’s negotiators during the talks that created the government of national unity.

The report found out that 14 motor vehicles were donated as part of the largesse from the central bank. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Gideon Gono operated an illicit quasi-fiscal project where motor vehicles were purchased left, right and centre. Some even ended up in the hands of girl-friends. Others cannot be traced to anyone. Some were donated to Government ministries, parastatal bodies and even to trade unions that owed allegiance to Zanu-PF. One such union is the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, where the ominously ubiquitous Joseph Chinotimba is president.

No documentation accompanying the vehicles could be produced for the auditors. Neither could the vehicles themselves. In essence, these vehicles simply vanished into thin air?

Over now to the Ministry of Information. Here as well vehicles were donated by the RBZ. Out of the 71 new vehicles donated to the ministry it is believed that at least 20 were not accounted for. There was no audit report on the ministry, but the press reports implicated a certain Mr. November, who was then director of finance. George Charamba, the belligerent permanent secretary was also mentioned, but the case collapsed like a pack of cards.
Mr November is still at large, a fugitive from justice. Reliable sources say he is basking in stupendous wealth in Mbabane, Swaziland.

Back to the Ministry of Labour, the CAG Report says when Goche moved to the Ministry of Transport after formation of the inclusive government in February 2009, he took with him a luxury Toyota Prado. He apparently did not find it necessary to seek Cabinet Authority, as is the normal practice.

The CAG Report then zeroes on Obert Mpofu, then Minister of Industry and International Trade. This is the same gentleman who has thrown his hat into the ring, to vie for the post of Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Not to be outdone, as the looting frenzy gained traction, he took two vehicles while his former deputy, Phineas Chihota took only one.

But the then permanent secretary in that ministry, Colonel Christian Katsande (Rtd), is mentioned in CAG Report as having taken possession of four vehicles when he left the Ministry on promotion. He is now Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, an office to which he found attached, two brand new cars waiting for him as perks that go along with such high posts.

This brings the total number of State vehicles possessed by Rtd Col Katsande to six. It would be very interesting to find out if all these vehicles are still physically in his possession.

It will be recalled that in the mid-1990s Col Katsande was Defence Attaché in Paris, France, where he was implicated in the disappearance of large sums of money. He was recalled home then, promoted to permanent secretary. While the CAG has now got it on record that Katsande took four vehicles from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce he was promoted again to the exceedingly powerful post of Deputy Chief Secretary.

Even Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s own permanent secretary, Ian Makone is a junior to Katsande.

Former Transport Minister and now Provincial Governor for Manicaland, Chris Mushohwe and his ex-deputy Hubert Nyanhongo, and former permanent secretary George Mlilo, are mentioned in the CAG Report as having taken three vehicles each when they left the ministry. They told auditors that they had purchased the vehicles but, apart from their verbal assertions, there is no proof of purchase.

Former Minister of Information, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and his former deputy, the once vociferous Bright Matonga are cited in the CAG report as having helped themselves to computers, laptops, fax machines, again courtesy of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. These assets were never on the Ministry’s master inventory. That is how the assets are easily stolen and that could explain why Charamba and the Ministry of Information are not too keen on newspapers that poke their noses where they are not wanted. Meanwhile they convince the President that “unpatriotic newspapers” must not be registered.

The sad story is the same in the provinces and districts where shocking revelations were unearthed by auditors at hospitals, passport offices, schools and local government offices. It is very likely that the law will take its usual course at these lower levels. As is the norm, the untouchables at the top will again not be touched.

The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Tapiwa Mashakada, who is a mainstream MDC legislator, has been breathing fire and brimstone. He has vowed that this was just “the tip of the iceberg.” No stone would be left unturned until the looters are brought to book, he said.

But Zimbabwe has traveled this particular road before. Parliament is not the Executive. The damning report will gather dust somewhere in the files of some portfolio committee and everything will soon be conveniently forgotten.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office, buoyed by recent victory at the SADC Troika in Maputo, is trying to flex its muscles by generating at police headquarters, an interest in these cases and press charges.

But in President Mugabe’s Office, ever since the CAG Report was publicly tabled in Parliament, the silence over scandal of such stupendous proportions has been deafening. Those familiar with the behavioral antics of the President are reading the tell-tale signs of anger in him these days as being the result of these embarrassing revelations by Mai Chiri and her staff.