Minister Mpofu Returns Govt Vehicles: State Asetts Looted
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
Saturday, 06 February 2010 20:58
MINES Minister Obert Mpofu has returned two top-of-the-range vehicles – an Isuzu and a Pajero – he illegally took away from the Ministry of Industry
and International Trade when he changed portfolios last year.
The revelation comes as pressure mounts on government officials who took state assets to return the property or face consequences.
Mpofu is one of several government officials named in a damning report to parliament on the rampant looting of assets by ministers and permanent
secretaries.
The report, prepared by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts, reveals how government officials took advantage of the political
impasse between Zanu PF and the MDC formations to grab state assets.
The report notes that during this period – which saw the country being run without a cabinet between the March 28, 2008 elections and February last
year – senior government officials took advantage of the political vacuum to loot state assets.
It recommends the dismissal of some of the officials for “gross incompetence”.
Presenting the committee’s report on the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s 2009 first quarter special report on Thursday, Hatfield MP Tapiwa Mashakada said they will deal with culprits once their report is adopted.
“Once our report is adopted by Parliament, we will follow up all those cases to make sure that remedial measures are taken,” Mashakada said.
But while the report awaits adoption, information reaching The Standard shows that one of the ministers heavily censured in the report has already
returned government property.
Mpofu told The Standard that he had returned two vehicles to his former Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
“This is not an issue anymore,” said Mpofu. “It’s you in the media who want to make it an issue. I returned the vehicles some two months ago.”
The Minister of Industry and Commerce Welshman Ncube confirmed receiving two vehicles from Mpofu. “Yes, he has returned two vehicles, an Isuzu and a Pajero which are now in the hands of the director of finance.”
Mpofu’s conduct did not escape scrutiny or censure in the Parliamentary report.
The report noted that when he was still Minister of Industry and International Trade, Mpofu and his former permanent secretary, retired
Colonel Christian Katsande, illegally took two and four vehicles respectively when they changed portfolios last year.
The committee concluded that the accountability for both financial resources and state assets by the ministry “leaves a lot to be desired”.
“Hon. Minister Mpofu and Col. Katsande should return two vehicles each, which they were using while they were still with the Ministry of Industry
and Commerce,” recommended the 16-page report. It added: “In its view, the behaviour by such senior public officials of unlawfully taking away vehicles when they leave ministries was quite unfortunate and deplorable.”
Katsande is now Deputy Chief Secretary in the Department of Economic Research and Policy Analysis in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
It remained unclear if he has since returned the cars as he was not reachable for comment. Mpofu said he “temporarily took” the vehicles because he had nothing to use when he left the ministry. “You wanted me to walk to work? I wanted to use them because I had nothing to use at the time,” he said.
It was not just the Ministry of Industry and International Trade where the Comptroller and Auditor-General found evidence of gross incompetence,
irregularities and general maladministration.
A total of 14 vehicles donated to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare by the Reserve Bank in 2008 were neither recorded in the
vehicle register nor the donations registered.
Vehicle registration papers were not produced and therefore the report said specification details of the vehicles were not known to the ministry.
“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe should consider permanent transfer of vehicles which they donated to the Ministry of Public Service as currently their status cannot be ascertained,” says the report. The committee also recommended that the central bank return the US$7 million it took from the Registrar-General’s Office.
The office used to bank with the central bank but can no longer access the money.
Mashakada’s committee also recommended the dismissal of permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Prince Mupazviriho, for “gross incompetence” after he unprocedurally employed more than 10 000 officers who were drawing monthly salaries.
The report noted that the ministry had misrepresented facts by making an entry of the same date of birth of 18 April 1980 for all ward youth officers
when it could have asked the actual dates of birth from the youths.
It also noted cases where signatories would draw salaries for youth officers and convert them to personal use.
There were 423 names of officers duplicated on the payroll.
“The committee recommends that the accounting officer should institute measures to recover moneys paid out to officers as a result of names
duplicated on the payroll.
“It further recommends that the accounting officer should be dismissed for such gross incompetence,” adds the report.
In her report for the first quarter of 2009 financial year tabled in parliament the Comptroller and Auditor-General Mildred Chiri revealed that
state assets such as vehicles, laptops, computers, fax machines, cell phones and spares of cars were stolen but no police reports were made.
She also noted that fuel coupons and cash were being misappropriated.
Posted by Dave Fish Eagle
on February 7, 2010. Filed under Main Headline.
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