Mthuli must put his house in order

IN the past week, concerns have increased over government’s culture of secrecy, particularly on the state of its finances. Citizens have raised their ire over the rocketing public debt situation, with the Ministry of Finance keeping the data a closely guarded secret. We are not really surprised by this. But we are extremely concerned that in the 21st century, our government continues to pursue medieval policies. So many things are kept out of public scrutiny in this country. State-run firms defy laws compelling them to publish financial statements, only releasing them as they please.

ey do not hold annual general meetings as prescribed by law.  ey operate for many years without full boards or substantive CEOs. But reports that Zimbabwe’s debt has spiralled, while Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has kept parliament in the dark demonstrate just how low this country has sunk. We smell a rat.

e dangers of abuse of public resources in such a situation are high, and the chances of unchecked extravagancy by bureaucrats even higher.  e result is that they throw the already debt strapped administration into a catastrophic debt trap.

e Public Debt Management Act compels the Minister of Finance to submit details about the status of the debt to parliament twice a year. Why this is not happening defies logic.

Ncube must be summoned by the legislature to explain.

We are also worried that even the legislature appears to be sleeping behind the wheel.

It baffles the mind to see that parliamentarians have kept quiet while national laws, and the Constitution are violated by people who should defend them.

It is a crime not to release public data in time, and we call upon legislators to act.

e minister must put his house in order before it’s too late.  e public cannot just wake up to be told that they owe US$10,6 billion external debt, or the central bank has incurred US$2,23 billion fresh debt.

ey have the right to complain.

But the problem with Zimbabwe is that if they complain, they are treated as enemies, and teargas canisters are fired at them.

is has happened to many human rights defenders and investigative journalists who have demanded answers to pertinent questions.

ey want to know where the country’s resources are going, if the country continues on the downward spiral.

ey wake up in the morning to be confronted by darkness because mindless abuse and stinking corruption at the state-run power company, Zesa Holdings has grounded this once solid operation.

ey are forced to bath in toxic water pumped out of sewagesoaked dams by disastrously administered local authorities.

ey struggle to get cheaper transport because the state-run public transport operator, Zupco, has been run down and they travel through potholed roads because no one cares to maintain them.

It is a complete rot.

But we urge all members of the executive and the legislature to act. It is not too late.