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

Chegutu West Member of Parliament Dextor Nduna says there is no way former textile giant David Whitehead can be revived by an injection of only $2 million when the company has debts totalling about$20 million.

He said that he understood that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce was about to release $2 million to the judicial manager of David Whitehead under the veil of economic revival but this would be a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“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,” Nduna told Parliament recently. 

“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.”

Nduna was speaking during the debate on the report of the Public Accounts Committee on audit of the the Ministry of Industry and Commerce which exposed rampant misuse of government funds.

The committee said the Permanent Secretary Abigail Shonhiwa must be fired because she was incompetent.

Mabvuku-Tafara legislator James Maridadi, however, said Shonhiwa was not entirely to blame because it was the whole system that was corrupt.

He blamed the corruption on President Robert Mugabe whom he said was not firing corrupt ministers and sat on the same table with those who were on the police wanted list at the recent ZANU-PF annual conference.

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