Minister, MP clash over Youth Fund
YOUTH Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Patrick Zhuwao has rubbished the fact finding mission of a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee which is currently looking into the disbursement of the Youth Development Fund, describing it as a ‘mere witch hunt’.
In response, the portfolio committee chairperson and Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena has said the minister is ‘in a panic mode’.
Minister Zhuwao said the legislative committee is misdirecting itself and targeting the wrong people.
He said concentration should be on financial institutions that administered the funds.
“We guaranteed (the youths on the loans), but we devolved the administration of the fund to financial institutions,” said Minister Zhuwao recently in a sideline interview at the National Heroes Acre during the burial of national hero, Cde Godfrey Chidyausiku.
“The reason why we gave the financial services to financial institutions is because we recognized that as Government we did not have that particular capacity.
“So the fact that we did not have that capacity meant we had to get the capacity from financial services institutions.
“It is a witch hunt (by the portfolio committee). The reports they are getting, it is a witch hunt and I am very ready now to respond to them because in terms of conducting basic research, the methodology that they have used, from what I have seen, I still have to interrogate.
“Isn’t it that they are going to make a report? Let that report come. It is the one I am waiting for.”
Minister Zhuwao added that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee should look into the future, especially on how to assist the youths.
“The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee is so backward thinking, they need to look into the future and see how to assist young people.
“All the work that the committee has done to date indicates that they do not have a vision. All they do is look for faults without looking at moving forward,” he charged.
In an emailed response to questions from The Sunday Mail, Cde Wadyajena said it is unfortunate that Minister Zhuwao was commenting on his committee’s mission before a report has been compiled.
“He calls it a ‘witch hunt’ in reference to himself? Is he female?
“No doubt these are his usual closeted queer hang-ups at play. But really, the minister makes some baffling declarations.
“Then again this is the same minister who dubiously claimed that he failed to interpret the Indigenisation Act as a defence against massive corruption around certain deals he supported. He is disingenuous and trifling.
“He ought to know the correct procedure to file complaints or share information pertaining to a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee.
“But we pardon his ignorance as he is not a Member of Parliament, having been rejected by the people of Zvimba.
“Nevertheless, it seems to me he is in panic mode and deliberately trying to subvert the mandate of this Parliamentary Portfolio Committee.”
The committee’s fact finding mission has discovered that more than US$212 000 of the Youth Development Fund went down the drain.
A piggery in Chikomba district, a project embarked upon by the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, failed due to poor management.
It was also discovered that acting National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) board chief executive officer, Mr Rangu Nyamurundira, accessed US$4 500 from the youth fund to carry out a potato farming project in Nyanga, but diverted the money to other uses.
Cabinet minister Makhosini Hlongwane also got US$33 000 from the youth fund.
During another fact-finding tour in Bulawayo, Members of Parliament failing to find functional projects on given addresses of beneficiaries of the youth fund.
The loan facility, bankrolled by Cabs, CBZ, the Infrastructure Development Bank and Stanbic, was introduced in 2012 by the ministry as part of a US$40 million facility to offer start up loans to disadvantaged youths aged between 18 and 35.
Recently, Minister Zhuwao was quoted in the media defending the youths that are being accused of unprocedurally receiving loans from the youth fund.
He argues that cases of big companies that failed to pay back Government funds are being ignored.