HARARE, March 9 (NNN-NEW ZIANA) — zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts has grilled the permanent secretaries of four ministries for failing to properly account for public funds and equipment allocated to their ministries.

This followed an audit of the ministries conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the first quarter of 2009.

First to appear before the committee, chaired by Tapiwa Mashakada, was Science and Technology Ministry permanent secretary Francis Gudyanga who was asked to account for missing equipment at the time of the audit.

The equipment comprised three laptops, eight cellphones, two central processing units (CPUs) and a computer keyboard.

Professor Gudyanga told the committee that the cellphones had ?gone missing? but had since been replaced.

He said former minister Olivia Muchena had taken with her one laptop following her appointment to the Gender Ministry while two deputy directors in the ministry were in possession of the other two laptops.

The two CPUs had since been found with major parts such as the hard drives stripped, he said, adding the matter had been reported to the police.

Gudyanga said a major weakness at the building housing the Ministry was lack of proper security. He told the committee that additional measures had since been taken to improve security at the offices.

Next in line was Local Government Ministry permanent secretary Killian Mpingo who was quizzed on 815 USD and 250 South African Rands, which the ministry failed to account for.
The money was allocated to the ministry by government last year in support of Independence Day celebrations in the country?s districts.

The permanent secretary said the monies had since been accounted for after the audit was done except for 100 USD from Tsholotsho district.

Higher and Tertiary Education Ministry permanent secretary Washington Mbizvo was quizzed over the Ministry?s borrowing of fuel amounting to 500 litres from the Harare Polytechnic College.

He was also questioned on a payment of 950.91 USD the polytechnic made to a South African company for service of vehicles on behalf of the Ministry.

Dr Mbizvo said failure of the Ministry to pay for services at the time necessitated the deals.
He said the US$950.91 had since been repaid while the position on the fuel could not be ascertained.

The committee urged the Ministry to stop relying on institutions under its management for support and instead turn to government when its budgetary allocation ran out.

Mbizvo said the auditors had been informed that the money was repaid, expressing surprise on why the matter was being raised again. The coupons, he said, had been used in exchange of services at a time when the country had just dollarised and the coupons were an acceptable ?currency? then.

Foreign Affairs Ministry permanent secretary Joey Bimha, who came with a large delegation, was questioned on why the Ministry had been involved in a barter trade deal for 500 litres of fuel.

The permanent secretary said the coupons had been used to pay for computer services to four companies at a time the Ministry?s coffers were dry. ?It was a case of desperate actions under an abnormal situation,? he said, adding that permission had been granted from Treasury for the barter trade.

Mashakada said it was critical that all public officials be made accountable for public resources. “We need to ensure that there is accountability, transparency and good governance,? he said. — NNN-NEW ZIANA

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