By Paul Nyathi| Members of Parliament have declared that they can not account for Constituency Development Funds handed them by parliament as they are not trained as accountants.

Opposition MDC-T Vice President Engineer Ellias Mudzurwi led the debate denouncing speaker of parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda’s announcement for members to provide an account for the funds.

“On the CDF Mr. Speaker Sir, on the accounting manual and on the process of running this account there is no room for employing an accounting officer.  You will find out that the Member of Parliament becomes the accounting officer. It is very difficult for non-accounting officers to be able to do it,” said Mudzuri.

Advocate Mudenda had ordered for the parliamentarians to produce records showing how they have used the $50 000 advanced to them by parliament to carry out development projects in their constituencies.

“I have to inform the House that Hon. Members who have received CDF Funds for Constituency projects are reminded to submit their monthly, quarterly and annual returns to Parliament Management Committee in terms of Article 524 of the Accounting Officers Instructions,” said Mudenda.

“The documents to be submitted include but are not limited to:-

a)    returns of expenditure;

b)   returns of bank reconciliation statements;

c)    returns of assets purchased; and

d)   project job cards,” implored the speaker.

Mudzuri challenged the Speaker not to expect the reports as the CDF does not provide for the employment of an accounting officer to do the records.

“On the CDF Mr. Speaker Sir, on the accounting manual and on the process of running this account there is no room for employing an accounting officer.  You will find out that the Member of Parliament becomes the accounting officer,” said Mudzuri.

“There must be that allowance where you have to allow for employment of somebody who runs the accounts,” he added.

Mudzurwi’s sentiments were echoed by youthful ZANU PF parliamentarian Joseph Matangira.

Matangira said that the engagement of personnel to do the accounts records will cost $50 000 which will wipe out the entire fund before the projects are done.

“What it means is, you will have to engage people who will do the job.  It will cost more than the $50 000 that we are getting as a development fund,” said Matangira.

Over the years very few parliamentarians have been able account for the funds raising a huge uproar amongst members of the public accusing the legislators for abusing public funds.

Several commentators have been calling on parliament to abolish the fund which the MPs tend to use as funds for their campaigns instead of development.

The fund consumes over $10 million during the parliament term.

The fund was first introduced by former finance minister, Tendai Biti, during the Unity Government in 2010.

A year after it was unveiled, the fund collapsed due to budgetary constraints and the absence of a legal framework to govern it.

At the time, a number of Members of Parliament were accused of dipping their fingers into the fund, with many of the lawmakers failing the transparency and accountability test.

About four legislators were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission, and appeared in court facing charges of abusing the fund.

The cases later fizzled out because there was no proper legal framework to successfully prosecute the culprits.

Government reintroduce the fund through the Constituency Development Fund Bill which is meant to curtail abuse of the facility.