CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) board chairperson Michael Madanha has asked the police to investigate misappropriation of the parastatal’s funds by the executive led by acting CEO Mathelene Mujokoro.
Appearing before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Accounts, Madanha asked the police to investigate the criminal abuse of funds by ZINARA management which will lead to the prosecution of the culprits.
“I have called in the police to investigate all the financial transactions at ZINARA and this is what is happening. We shall be seeing action as we are seized with the matter. Heads are going to be rolling soon,” Madanha said.
He said that his board, which is just three months in office, had also brought to book the former ZINARA board chairperson Albert Mugabe who last month appeared before the courts on abuse of office charges.
“We are concerned that a lot of abuse of office has happened with misappropriation of funds, For example a $437 000 voucher payment which was made to Simon Taranhike the former finance director which is not accounted and he must answer for it,” Madanha said.
“Another $700 000 was made towards resurfacing roads at One Command barracks and Police Headquarters which was not audited and we need it to be accounted for. These are matters we have called police to investigate. We are going to be seeing prosecution of the culprits soon, ” said Madanha, a former deputy minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development
He said his board had resolved not to renew the contracts for senior management at the roads administration agency. The board has also decided to review all the contracts that ZINARA management had signed with the companies that it was working after revelations that over $161 million of the contracts had not been put tender, Madanha said.
He said ZINARA was now sticking to its mandate of road funding and not carrying out special projects as they had been used as conduits of financial abuse.
Last month, Mujokoro, together with other senior manager namely Taranhike and former executive Precious Murove refused to give evidence on the forensic report prepared by the Auditor General on how the organisation has been operating and using the public funds it is administering.
Mujokoro told the committee chaired by Tendai Biti that she needed approval and consent from Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Biggie Joel Matiza to explain how the roads authority has been using its funds.
