PAC Set the Pace, Transparency and Accountability Trajectory Yields Results

Record-Breaking, 25 Reports in 6 months:

By Shingirai Vambe

In the midst of Zimbabwe’s complex governance landscape, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament of Zimbabwe has emerged as a beacon of hope, championing transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

At the helm of this noble endeavor is the Chairperson of the Committee, Charlton Hwende, the Opposition Member of Parliament for Kuwadzana East constituency under the leadership of Nelson Chamisa, has demonstrated unwavering dedication to ensuring that public resources are utilized effectively and efficiently.

2023-2028 would be a Record-Breaking Parliament period of Scrutiny and oversight under Hwende’s steadfast leadership.

Responding to the Post On Sunday Newspaper, the Chairperson said the PAC has achieved a remarkable milestone, producing an unprecedented 25 reports this year alone, against the previous 8th Parliament which had no report and the 9th Parliament which had only 3 reports to its closure.

“This feat is a testament to the committee’s unrelenting commitment to scrutinizing the government’s financial dealings and holding public officials accountable for their actions. The reports have shed light on numerous cases of corruption, abuse of power, and mismanagement of public resources, paving the way for meaningful reforms and corrective measures,” noted Hwende.

Tackling corruption and abuse of power head-On, the PAC, has been actively investigating cases of corruption and abuse of power, and has referred several cases to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) for further investigation. One notable case is the conviction of officials from Hurungwe District Council, who were found guilty of misusing public funds by pretending that a road was constructed using public funds when, in fact, it was done by another entity. This case demonstrates the committee’s unwavering resolve to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

“Despite the numerous challenges posed by the executive, including political turmoil, division, and excessive abuse of power, the committee has managed to summon Parliament of Zimbabwe, ZIMRA, Ministry of Agriculture, Air Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Finance, to mention just a few critical Government Ministries and entities,” added Hwende.

Hwende told this publication that there are challenges, citing the capacitation the Auditor General’s Office, which has released tremendous reports exposing the rot and abuse of power and funds by the Government of Zimbabwe.

“We have a lot of challenges, particularly with our local authorities, most of them are without adequate systems, failure to collect revenue, corruption and lost value for money in local authorities,” cited Hwende.

He told the Post On Sunday that, there are two things that they agreed as legislators, would make them different from other Public Accounts Committees, evidence based approach.

One of the key aspects of the committee’s work, “when we started, there are two things that we said would make us different from other public accounts committees, verifying claims made by individuals and entities. For every person that is summoned to parliament, whatever you say in parliament, we would deploy people on the ground so that we can verify what you’ve said and what is on the ground,” the chairperson explained. This approach has helped to ensure that public funds are being used effectively and efficiently,” said Hwende.

He added, the AG’s Office plays a critical role in ensuring that public resources are accounted for and by providing adequate resources and support to the Auditor General’s office, the committee believes that the office will be better equipped to conduct thorough audits and investigations, thereby promoting transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

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