Mugabe Hits His Corrupt Ministers With The Public Finance Management Amendment Act

President Robert Mugabe has declared war upon his party members caught in corruption.

Following allegations that Ministers, Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere were involved in corrupt activities, Mugabe has decided to teach his subordinates by signing a directive that will see those found guilty imprisoned for up to 5 years.

According to a Government Gazette published this past Friday, Government officials and managers at public entities will be jailed for up to five years if convicted of accepting monetary or other benefits “inconsistent with discharge of duty”, such as tokens of appreciation, travel, fuel, holiday, management committee and trustee allowances.

The Government Gazette said President Mugabe had signed into law the Public Finance Management Amendment Act (Chapter 22:19) which contains the new provisions. The amendment to Section 51A of the principal Act says, “The accounting authority and every member or employee of a public entity, and the accounting officer and every member of the civil service employed in an appropriate ministry responsible for that entity, shall (not)…

“(2)(a) act in a manner or receive any monetary or other benefit that compromises the supervisory or regulatory role of the appropriate ministry or infringes on the autonomy of the public entity.”

It is an offence for ministry officials to accept “(2)(b)(iii) or receive any monetary or other benefit inconsistent with discharge of the appropriate ministry’s supervisory or regulatory role including (but not limited to) any payment or benefit in the way of or in guise of – management committee allowances; or trustee or trustee representative allowances; or travel allowances, fuel coupons or holiday allowances”.

 According to the Act, any person who wilfully or with gross negligence contravenes the regulations “(4) shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding level ten or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment”.
A number of senior government officials have been making millions in underhand deals with tender bidders and private businesses who are well known for engaging in these activities in order to protect private business interests.
The last time, there was a serious investigation into government corruption was in the late 1990s when ministers were caught up in the Willowvalle Toyota Cressida storm that claimed the lives and political careers of  Zanu PF biwigs.