Chamisa says Zimbabwe’s turnaround is a minute away- just arrest corrupt ministers

Full contribution:

HON. CHAMISA:  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.  I just want to say that we have had an inflow of Ministers, which makes it very interesting as it is very important for our Ministers to appreciate the points that we are raising as Parliament, not just from the opposition benches but even from the ruling party benches.  As Parliament, we have a duty to the people, the Constitution and taxpayers.  I am saying this because we have realised the propensity and tendency by most Ministers, to literally have a lackadaisical approach to issues of superintending national coffers.  I am saying this, particularly in the presence of the Minister of Industry and Commerce because the report we are debating concerns your Ministry. Hon. Minister, it may please you to note that your Permanent Secretary and indeed, your officials in the Ministry have become encyclopedically and legendarily very corrupt to the extent that you may need to take this matter yourself and to the President, to indicate that as Parliament, we have taken a serious notice of the corruption that has dominated the corridors of Government. We say this with a very serious note because you are aware that Cuthbert Dube, through PSMAS, almost raided the coffers of the various contributors of PSMAS to the tune of about $6 million.

Not only that, we have almost $20 million that was not accounted for in terms of another report that was made by the Auditor and Comptroller General, and nothing was done by the Government. Nothing was also done after Parliament took serious note of the issues that we had raised. Hon. Speaker, I want to say, until and unless Parliament gives a stop to the immunity and impunity of these culprits, we are going to be judged harshly as Parliamentarians, but also as leaders because we are simply allowing coffers of the State to be raided under our watch. What are we supposed to do?

In terms of Section 119 of the Constitution, we as Parliament have the right to call upon Ministers, and when I say Ministers, I am also referring to Minister Chinamasa. I can see that you are in a deep conversation with my brother Hon. Prof. Moyo, which is good but please just listen to this very important …

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, that is my prerogative.

HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. You know I respect your prerogative but we also want our Ministers. They are sitting in these offices on our behalf. We can be ministers, probably better ministers but they are there for us and we must make sure that we ask them to account. This is why I asked them to listen, Hon. Speaker.

I was saying that in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, we are enjoined by this Constitution to come here and demand answers where there are no answers and where there are questions. Right now, you know that the President told us Hon. Speaker Sir, that we have $15 billion that disappeared in the diamond sector but it is business as usual. We cannot just ignore $15 billion having disappeared and the President is aware of the disappearance of that $15 billion. We want Parliament to say we want the President to look for the $15 billion. Perhaps he knows where it is but we want the Ministers to be accountable for that money.

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