IN yesterday’s edition, we ran a story where Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube revealed in Parliament that government spent unbudgeted millions pampering chiefs with twin-cab vehicles early this year in a development that left their parent ministry in the red.
Ncube revealed this after he was taken to task in Parliament on Wednesday by Budget, Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Committee chairperson Clemence Chiduwa over unauthorised expenditure by several ministries.
“It must be noted that the Council of Chiefs incurred excess expenditures on its vote due, in part, to the unbudgeted procurement of 237 vehicles for chiefs as well as review of allowances and other related national events,” Ncube said.
“However, the vehicles were the bulk of this expenditure. These are tools of trade.”
A brand new 4x4 Isuzu twin-cab vehicle goes for around US$70 000 on the local market, pushing the figure for all the vehicles to above US$17 million, the NewsDay report read.
All this is happening because Ncube knows he will plead his case in Parliament and seek condonation for unauthorised spending.
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To make matters worse, Zanu PF has the majority representation in the Lower House and relies on a pliant opposition to bulldoze anything in Parliament and march over opposition protests.
This is not the first time that Ncube has overspent and resorted to seeking condonation in Parliament.
For the period 2019-20, the Treasury sought the same through the Financial Adjustments Bill (2022) for an overspent ZWL$107 billion.
This was after in 2019, Ncube went over the budget by ZWL$6 783 930 028 and the next year, he went overboard by ZWL$100 690 788 418.
Such expenditures are of grave concern as they are contrary to the promises made by the present administration to break away from the past of overspending as if the country had inexhaustible resources.
Such poor public finance management is quite concerning and they have a huge implication on the economy, with the biggest casualty being the local currency.
In fact, to cover up the gap, authorities usually resort to overtaxing citizens.
Soon, Ncube will present a Condonation Bill, which is a testament to the government’s poor public finance management and continuation of a trend of impunity seen in the previous Robert Mugabe administration.
Section 307 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that the minister must seek condonation within 60 days after the unauthorised spending is proven.
In March this year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa doled out over 100 high performance 4x4 off-road Isuzu twin-cab vehicles to the traditional leaders.
Today we are in September and Ncube has not approached Parliament seeking condonation for the kneejerk procurement.
Already, he has breached the number of days in which he should seek condonation.
This cannot go on, Cde Minister.
This shows impunity and lack of respect for the rule of law.
Such overspending behaviour which disregards the recommended legal channels on reporting shows lack of respect for the people of Zimbabwe.
It also shows that the country is not committed to cut its coat according to the size of the cloth and overspending will impact on the local currency.
Even international creditors who have strongly called for economic reforms will see that Harare is not serious in the way it conducts business, despite claims of its adherence to fiscal prudence.