THE Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has accused Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands and Agriculture chairperson Justice Mayor Wadyajena of abusing his position to grab its grain and inputs transportation deal.
GMAZ made the claims in its application filed at the Harare
High Court on Tuesday seeking a review of the committee’s inquiry proceedings.
The association said they were ambushed by the committee,
adding their chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara was being bullied by Wadyajena, a
Zanu PF legislator.
“The applicants apply in terms of the provisions of the
High Court Act Chapter 7:06 as read with the provisions of the Administrative
Justice Act Chapter 10:28 and the common law for the review of the proceedings
relating to the funds distributed by the 6th respondent (RBZ) to the 1st
applicant (GMAZ) for procurement of wheat…” the application read in part.
In the application, GMAZ, Drotsky (Pvt) Limited and Musarara
were the applicants.
They cited the parliamentary committee, its chairperson
Wadyajena, Parliament of Zimbabwe, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, Clerk
of Parliament, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube as
respondents, respectively.
GMAZ noted that while the law allows the committee to order
any person to appear before it, the same law does not permit its chair to
prepare and adopt reports.
“Second respondent (Wadyajena) is an interested party in
the proceedings in that he operates a fleet of trucks which he owns under the
company called Mayor Logistics. This company was awarded contracts to ferry
agricultural inputs, grain, cotton and other crops on behalf of the
government,” GMAZ submitted.
The association indicated that Wadyajena failed to declare
his interests in the matter, but went on to preside over the inquiry despite
him being conflicted.
“The result of the failure by 2nd respondent to declare
that he is conflicted is that he presided over a committee that has oversight
over the grain value chain business in which he is an interested party
benefiting through his company Mayor Logistics, which is a clear breach of the
Administrative Justice,” GMAZ submitted.
“The 2nd respondent displayed he had nefarious motives calculated
to harass, embarrass and portray 1st
applicant (GMAZ) in bad light by passing gratuitous and sarcastic comments
against the applicant on social media at the time when the proceedings were
pending or ongoing under his chairmanship.”
GMAZ appealed to the court to set aside the committee’s
findings.
In his founding affidavit, Musarara said Wadyajena’s
conduct during the proceedings were reckless and unprofessional
“The reckless and unprofessional conduct of 2nd respondent
manifested itself in relation to a separate enquiry in respect of funding by
the 1st applicant (GIMAZ) to the Grain Marketing Board. 1st applicant wrote a
letter of complaint against 2nd respondent to 5th respondent on the conduct of
(Wadyajena) that he was on witch hunt against 1st applicant,” he submitted.Newsday
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