By A Correspondent- Norton legislator Temba Mliswa’s Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard) has petitioned Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, demanding that he discloses the source of funding for the 19 all-terrain vehicles bought for Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) principals.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month pampered leaders of fringe opposition political parties which lost the 2018 presidential election with twin cab Isuzu vehicles, but to disclose how the cars had been sourced.
But Yard said it suspected the money could have been siphoned from Treasury, yet the 2021 budget had no provision for Polad expenses.
“We kindly request information on where funding for vehicles allocated to Polad principals was drawn from,” Tichaona Masiyambiri, Yard director said in a letter to Ncube yesterday.
“By making this request we are guided by section 621(2) of the 2013 Constitution which states that every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident, including juristic persons, has the right of access to any information held by the State or by any institution or agency of government at every level, in so far as the information is required in the interests of public accountability and for the exercise or protection of a right.”
Masiyambiri added: The information required is meant to promote public accountability and protection of access to information as a human right.”
“By making this request we are guided by section 194(1)(e) which states that people’s needs must be responded to within a reasonable time.”
He said section 68 of the Constitution accorded every person the right to administrative conduct that is lawful, prompt, efficient, reasonably proportionate, impartial and both substantively and procedurally fair.
Section 194 provides for basic values and principles governing public administration while Chapter 17 of the Constitution lays out the financial management system, authorisation of expenditure and safeguarding of public funds and property.
Ncube could not be reached for comment last night.-newsday