10 000 Youths Illegally Hired
Youth Militia
In a damning report by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, Mildred
Chiri, for the first quarter of 2009 financial year, several ministers and
their deputies and permanent secretaries took away vehicles, some as many as
four, from ministries where they had been working before the formation of
the inclusive government.
The audit also revealed irregularities and inadequacies in the payroll
administration in several ministries.
The Ministry of Youth Development was singled out as the worst case of
abusing government recruitment procedures when it employed 10 277 youths
between May and June 2008 without the existence of posts on the ministry’s
establishment.
The youths were deployed throughout the country as ward officers in
what Chiri said was a violation of a treasury instruction that stated “no
officer shall be appointed unless an appropriate vacancy exists on the
authorised establishment and no unestablished officer shall be appointed for
specific work unless adequate provision has been made for the purpose”.
“In terms of the authorised establishment supporting the 2008 Budget
estimates, the ministry had an establishment of 144 youth officers,” reads
the report. “This was based on the criteria that there would be two youth
officers in each of the country’s 72 districts.
In a clear violation of Treasury Instruction 1101, in May and June
2008 a further 10 277 names were added to the ministry’s payroll. Although
no provision had been made in the estimates, a decision had been taken to
the effect that the additional appointees would be deployed up to ward level
throughout the country and designated as ward youth officers.”
Between May and June 27 – the day of the presidential run-off – there
was widespread political violence in the country. The Morgan Tsvangirai-led
MDC alleged that close to 200 of its supporters were killed and thousands
tortured and injured by Zanu PF youths, war veterans and state security
agents.
The audit said public service appointment procedures were flouted as
there were no public advertisements for vacant posts, no offers of
appointment and no letters of engagement issued.
“The appointees were not subjected to a medical examination as
required by the public service regulations quoted above. Declarations of
official secrets were not completed and there was no staff files opened at
either the ministry headquarters or the provincial and/or district offices
in all the provinces and districts covered by audit.”
The audit report reveals that there was duplication of 458 names on
the payroll.
During the audit there was the absence of personal details of the
employees and the very “likelihood of some of these or the majority thereof
being ghost employees”.
“The appointment process was unprocedural as evidenced by the
following irregularities: duplicated names and surnames with the same ID,
individuals appearing in two ministries, no appointment documents, same date
of birth for most employees and same bank account used for paying
employees-imprests accounts,” reads the report.
The Auditor-General said though salary cessation was effected in March
using IDs as the controlling key to identify duplicates after the revelation
of ghost employees by the print media, there was no evidence that
disallowances were raised to recover salaries from non bona fide employees.
The auditor raised concern that there was no evidence of the fraud
having been refereed to the police for investigations. There was also no
evidence that disciplinary action had been taken or a board of enquiry
instituted.
The audit said when the ministry’s accounting officer was taken to
task, he conceded that the ministry’s establishment had no room for any
vacancy. He indicated that some 1 260 existing posts of ward officers under
the Ministry of Women’s Affairs were going to be converted and transferred
to his ministry to cater for the recruitment.
He attributed failure to follow laid-down procedures and the absence
of personal files to budgetary constraints to facilitate the purchase of
files and stationery.
The accounting officer promised that he would produce a “vigorous and
extensive audit” in the ministry, but it was never submitted to the
Auditor-General, the report reads.
Last night, Youth minister Saviour Kasukuwere confirmed seeing the
report, but said it had a “lot of inaccuracies”.
“I saw the report by the Comptroller and Auditor-General which is
based on her own findings,” Kasukuwere said. “We are still studying the
report as we feel that there are a lot of inaccuracies. The ministry’s
accounting officer is looking at all the issues raised and carrying out our
own investigations. Once we have completed, we will make an official
response.”
The audit report also exposed the misapplication of funds in the
Ministry of Agriculture.
“It was observed that US$21 738 for the Agricultural Revolving Fund
was used for minister (Joseph Made)’s business cards, Internet router, head
office provisions and hotel bill. Audit considered that the above
expenditure did not fall within the ambit of the Agricultural Revolving Fund’s
core business,” the report said. “Funds allocated to statutory funds should
only be applied to the services for which those funds were established.
Accordingly, the minister should consider making arrangements to refund to
the fund the monies thus spent.”
In the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, the Auditor-General
uncovered unvouched expenditure.
The auditee incurred expenditure amounting to US$1 909 without
supporting documents. However, a statement was prepared by the auditee to
confirm the expenditure amounting to US$382.”
Irregularities were also found in the Ministry of Industry and
Commerce where the ministry’s total vehicle holding had been depleted after
former Minister Obert Mpofu and his ex-deputy Phineas Chihota and permanent
secretary took possession of cars they had been using before leaving the
ministry.
“The former cabinet minister took possession of two motor vehicles
which he had been using before leaving the ministry, the former deputy
minister was authorised to purchase the vehicle which he has been using
before leaving the ministry, the former permanent secretary took possession
of four motor vehicles which he had been using when he left the ministry and
one vehicle was allocated to an officer who was assigned to carry out duties
outside the country,” reads the report. It further states the allocation
was unauthorised.
Former Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Chris
Mushohwe and his ex-deputy Hubert Nyanhongo and permanent secretary are said
to have taken possession of three motor vehicles each they were using before
they left the ministry and relevant authorities for the acquisitions were
not produced during the audit.
Wongai Zhangazha
Posted by Raymond Mhaka
on October 23, 2009. Filed under Local News.
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