BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has opened investigations into the Lands and Agriculture ministry where several millions of United States dollars meant for the purchase of machinery and equipment could not be accounted for.

The graft allegations arose soon after the Public Accounts Committee (Pac) in September this year urged Zacc to investigate the ministry within 90 days of disposal of inputs and assets.

In the Pac report, which was presented in Parliament in September, the committee accused the ministry of corruption and mis-governance.

The report said the corrupt practices included failure to keep records of assets acquired and disposed, questionable transactions without supporting documents, leakages, misappropriation and theft and bleeding of parastatals under the ministry involving several millions of US dollars.

Investigations covered the period from December 2017 to December 2018.

Pac commenced investigations in May 2019 and completed receiving oral evidence in March 2020.  The report said Pac faced several challenges which included refusal by witnesses such as the central bank to provide the much-needed information.

Zacc spokesperson John Makamure yesterday said the anti-corruption body had no option but to make a follow-up on the committee’s findings as they relate to corruption.

“On issues that are raised by Parliament, and are corruption-related, we investigate. Any issues that are corruption related and are raised by various committees, or by any other forensic audit or whistleblowers, we investigate those matters. That is our mandate,” Makamure said.

Among some of Pac’s findings were that vehicles, plant and machinery, which were  bought in 2017 and 2018 had either not been delivered to date despite being paid for, or were missing, or not accounted for in the registry of assets.

“The department of Irrigation bought 10 motor vehicles from Solution Motors amounting to $518 850 on December 19, 2017. The department only received six motor vehicles out of the 10 motor vehicles paid for in advance without seeking redress from the supplier for the remaining four motor vehicles worth $207 540,” the report read.

The Department of Irrigation also entered into a procurement contract with Solution Motors to buy two excavators, one motorised compactor, one water bowser and two tipper trucks at a cost of $958 665 for irrigation rehabilitation on December 5, 2017, but the excavators and bowsers were not delivered.

Since the merging of the Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development ministry with the former Lands and Rural Resettlement and Water and Climate ministry, the ministry allegedly neither took stock of its motor vehicles nor updated the asset register in contravention of Treasury Circular Number 8 of 2018.

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