MPs from across the political divide yesterday called for the immediate resignation of Health minister David Parirenyatwa and President Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba, accusing them of being part of the rot at Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS).
By Veneranda Langa
A motion calling for the immediate prosecution of Parirenyatwa, Charamba and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chief executive officer and former PSC secretary Constance Chigwamba, former CEO Cuthbert Dube and other PSMAS executives, was introduced in the National Assembly by Bulawayo South MP Eddie Cross (MDC-T) and seconded by Mabvuku-Tafara legislator James Maridadi (MDC-T). The motion was overwhelmingly supported by Zanu PF MPs, who said it was time to act on corrupt members of the Executive despite their status and standing in society.
MPs demanded a full investigation into the issue and said Parirenyatwa should appear before Parliament to explain why he was paid $100 000 by PSMAS.
Charamba and Chigwamba were alleged to have received several thousands of dollars in allowances from the cash-strapped medical aid society.
“I was disturbed when I heard that the Minister of Health took $100 000 — and was this a bribe for the minister not to take action on this matter? The minister must appear before the House to account for these resources and if he cannot, he must resign,” Cross said.
He claimed a forensic audit had revealed that Dube pocketed $2,7 million in four months in various claims.
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Maridadi weighed in, saying Parirenyatwa must explain why he was paid $100 000 by PSMAS.
“We have two secretaries who have taken money from PSMAS and government has not done anything about them. Parliament should show its teeth and jail the people who took that money from PSMAS,” he said.
Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu PF) said parliamentarians must speak with one voice on the issue and bring those implicated to book.
“No one is above the law and if they ‘stole’, they should be arrested and the properties they acquired like buses and houses in Zimbabwe and out of the country confiscated,” he said.
Several other Zanu PF MPs like Dorothy Mhangami (Gokwe), David Chapfika (Mutoko South), Munyaradzi Kereke (Bikita West), Ronald Muderedzwa (Buhera Central) and many more said those implicated should be brought to book even if they belonged to Zanu PF. Chapfika suggested MPs should come up with a Private Members’ Bill to craft a law imposing stiff penalties on corrupt government officials.
Nyanga North MP Hubert Nyanhongo (Zanu PF) demanded the arrest of PSMAS looters, saying this should be done within three months. Harare West MP Jessie Majome (MDC-T) said Charamba had publicly admitted that he received allowances from PSMAS, adding he must do the noble thing and resign.
“He is the government spokesperson and he admitted that he got undue allowances from PSMAS as a board member, and I want to appeal to him to pay back the money he took and also to resign,” she said.
Public Accounts Portfolio Committee chairperson Paurina Mpariwa said she was disturbed that the Auditor-General’s Office had exposed a lot of embezzlement of public funds in its audit reports, yet to date, no government official had been brought to book for those crimes.
PSMAS recently asked government to take over its $144 million debt, but the Parliamentary Legal Committee passed an adverse report on Statutory Instrument 77 of 2015 (Presidential Powers).
It said it was unconstitutional for the government to take over the debt as PSMAS was a private entity.
MPs also said they would reject the Statutory Instrument that was still being debated.
