SPEAKER of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda yesterday blasted Finance minister Mthuli Ncube for failing to table the 2021 national budget strategy paper before Parliament for condonation.
Mudenda described Ncube’s behaviour as unacceptable and ordered Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda to drag him to the National Assembly to correct the anomaly.
The Finance Ministry is also accused of overspending by US$10,6 billion since 2015 and Ncube is expected to appear before Parliament to seek condonation for the over-expenditure.
First to raise the issue was Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa (MDC Alliance) who said: “It is the role of the Finance minister to seek condonation first because we cannot go forward with the 2021 budget process until his ministry has sought condonation.”
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance chairperson Felix Mhona (Chikomba Central MP, Zanu PF) said: “I tried to engage officials in the Ministry of Finance and told them that this is a topical issue, which is a constitutional matter which cannot be taken lightly.”
He said he had asked Ncube through his proxy to appear before Parliament for condonation before today’s pre-budget consultations.
“Truly speaking, this is an oversight from the ministry, which must not be tolerated going forward. We had to go for the 2021 public consultations without being guided in terms of the budget’s priority areas,” Mhona said.
Mudenda then flexed his muscles and ordered that Ncube be ordered to present himself before Parliament.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF chief whip Pupurai Togarepi (Gutu South MP) raised a matter of privilege saying that all MPs should join Zanu PF on October 25 to call for the removal of
sanctions.
But Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) said: “The welfare of MPs must be sorted out first and then your call for the anti-sanctions campaign will follow. If MPs’ welfare is sorted out first, then they will participate in the anti-sanctions campaign.”
