Chegutu MP says it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money to inject only $2 million to revive David Whitehead

Full contribution

HON. NDUNA:  Thank you very much Madam Speaker for allowing me to add my voice to the report presented by Hon. Mpariwa and seconded by Hon. Marumahoko.  Madam Speaker, there are few issues that I need to touch on that were brought up by this report in particular, the relationships where the procurement Committee is made up of subordinates in  an organisation.  I also believe that Madam Shonhiwa said in her defence that what was currently obtaining in that Ministry was across the board in all other Ministries.

Madam Speaker, I want to quickly say two wrongs do not make a right.  Ministries as they are independent entities and should not relate to each other when it comes to delinquencies and counter delinquencies and when it comes to a skewed modus operandi and when it comes to a flawed way of dealing with economic issues.  Madam Speaker, as we are guided by the Public Finance Management Act as Hon. Mpariwa has alluded to was in place more than seven years ago.  We need to adhere to the dictates and principles of the same.

What comes to mind immediately is the haphazard nature of giving loans and counter loans by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce without any loan agreements.  I come here to the podium very aware of the fact that the Industry and Commerce Ministry is about to release US$2 million to the Judicial Manager of David Whitehead Textiles.  If this loan comes through Parliament as ratification for a loan agreement, it will be seen through the thin veil of economic machination by that judicial manager because currently the debts of David Whitehead stand at plus or minus US$15 million to 20 million.  The judicial manager will have Ministry of Industry and Commerce believe that David Whitehead can be resuscitated by mere injection of US$2 million against debts that amount to US$20 million.  If that loan agreement comes for ratification to Parliament, we will obviously, effectively and efficiently as the National Assembly, Members of Parliament, particularly myself and a few other Honourable Members, including Hon. Chibaya who comes from Gweru where David Whitehead is resident; we are going to see that no amount of US$2 million can resuscitate David Whitehead. However, if they continue on their archaic, moribund and historic way of dealing with modern day issues, where they just ratify and give each other loans which are not ratified by Parliament as agreements, they are going to get this US$2 million stolen and pilfered by the Judicial Manager who, in my view and those Hon. Members like Hon. Phiri who also resides in Kadoma where David Whitehead is also currently resident; believe that turning credit into equity is the only way to save David Whitehead. No amount of money in US$2 million form, coming from Industry and Commerce can resuscitate, rejuvenate and rehabilitate David Whitehead in the form it is now.

Madam Speaker, I say this parallel to the issuance and procurement of fuel that was brought up here without going through loan agreements and counter loan agreements.  Such inecestus and flawed ways mechanisms of operation in a Government entity can only get us back 40 or 50 years back, where all of us dealing with issues of BBC or born before computers, historic ways of dealing with modern day economic issues.  We need to adhere to Public Finance and Management Act.  It has been brought up in this modern day technology oriented year to address economic issues and this should cuts across all fuel procurement departments.  I also propose that it all cuts across the portfolio committee that I chair, Transport and Infrastructure Development Committee. I speak like that aware and cognisant of that it is a multi-billion dollar procurement process oriented parastatal and Ministry which speaks to transport and infrastructure development.

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