SENIOR government officials, including those from the
Ministry of Agriculture, feasted on a US$20 million farm mechanisation grant
from China after diverting to personal use some of the farm equipment sourced
through the facility.
Official documents reveal how the officials, who include
senior police officers, soldiers, Zanu PF politicians and top bureaucrats,
unprocedurally benefitted from the facility after they were allocated farm
equipment ordinarily meant for state departments.
Auditor-General Mildred Chiri initially raised a red flag
over the distribution and recording of state assets in her annual 2017 audit
report.
The officials have repeatedly been failing to give
satisfactory responses to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public
Accounts on how state assets were distributed.
The equipment, which Chiri classified as state assets, was
donated to Zimbabwe by the Chinese government through a US$20 million grant for
farm mechanisation.
According to Chiri’s audit report for the Ministry of
Agriculture’s books as at December 2017, the ministry flouted Treasury
regulations by not recording the equipment in the ministry’s master asset
register.
In her recommendations, Chiri directed the ministry to
avail the Chinese grant agreement for audit inspection.
The donation consisted 200 motorcycles, 30 pick-ups, 36
corn planters, 25 fodder grinders, 36 tractors, 36 disc harrows, 36 farm
sprayers, 36 mouldboard ploughs and 36 disc ploughs.
According to the documents seen by the Zimbabwe
Independent, the beneficiaries who got Foton tractors include a Mr Muzamhindo
from Makonde district, one Gumbo (Makonde), Mr Katsvairo (Mashonaland West), Mr
Matibiri (Mazowe), Mr Mhaka (Midlands), Mr Nyathi (Midlands), Mr Raire
(Manicaland), Mr Mapingire (Manicaland) and Chief Serima (Gutu).
Others are Mr Ziyambi (Mashonaland West), Mr Mukorera , Mr
Museka, Mr Mvundura (Makoni), Hon Marapira (Masvingo), Dr Mguni (Midlands), Dr
Nyika (Mashonaland Central), Mr Zata (Mashonaland West) and Mr Munaapi
(Mashonaland East).
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (Harare) got 30 motorbikes
from the project.
Matibiri, Mhaka, Nyathi, Raire, Mapingire, Chief Serima,
Ziyambi , Museka, Mukorera, Mvundura, Dr Nyika and Marapira also went on to get
one disc plough each.
Added to the list were Dr Gata (Mashonaland West),
Mangwende, Jura, Mvenge, Chinyanyu and Sango whose provinces were not stated.
The list of beneficiaries is contained in a February 2013
letter from the secretary of Finance’s office to the secretary of Agriculture’s
office titled: “Authority to receive donation from the People ’s Republic of
China”.
“Reference is made to your minute dated 19 December 2012 on
the above subject matter. Treasury is hereby granted to accept donation of
agricultural equipment and tools worth RMB 15 million from the People’s
Republic of China as indicated in your letter.”
The ministry however failed to provide Auditor-General
Chiri with the list and she said there was a risk the assets may not be
properly safeguarded.
“I was not provided with the file with information of the
Grant arrangement. Furthermore, contrary to the provisions of Treasury
Instruction 2002 read in conjunction with Section 4.9 of the Government of
Zimbabwe Accounting Procedures Manual, the tractors and their respective
attachments were not recorded in the Ministry’s Master Asset Register,” she
said.
“The Ministry should ensure that the provisions of Treasury
Instruction 2002 read in conjunction with Section 4.9 of the Government of
Zimbabwe Accounting Procedures Manual are complied with.”
Chiri also noted that the ministry was flouting regulations
in the distribution of equipment that had been recovered from Farmers’ World
that had been guaranteed by government.
“Contrary to Treasury Instruction 0909, the Ministry
collected and distributed to beneficiaries farm equipment recovered from
Farmers’ World which had been guaranteed by government. The equipment was given
in the form of loans though no monetary value was given. Also contrary to the
provisions of Section 4.2 of the Government of Zimbabwe Accounting Procedures
Manual, equipment valued at $853 750 from William Bain and Company Holdings
(Pvt) Limited comprising of 50 disc harrows, 70 disc ploughs, 10 rippers and 10
trailers was not recorded in the Ministry’s Master Asset Register,” she wrote.
In her report she said there was a risk that the farm
equipment might have been irregularly distributed.
Departmental assets may be misappropriated, she noted,
adding that the equipment should be properly accounted for.
The management response was that the equipment had been
lying idle at Farmers’ World warehouse since the year 2007 without proper
accountability and the condition of the equipment did not warrant any
meaningful value.
“The implements were distributed as dismantled parts and
most of the components were missing. Recovery of this equipment would not be
prudent financially as the equipment is beyond its useful life. Contracts were
administered to all the beneficiaries of the remaining material. It is
important to note that those items failed to perform in the Zimbabwean soil and
that is why they remained at Farmers’ World for nine (9) years,” the report
reads. Zimbabwe Independent
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