THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth yesterday threatened to charge the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) with contempt of Parliament after it failed to furnish Parliament with information on how it got 100 000 litres of fuel from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).
By VENERANDA LANGA
ZYC acting director, Juliana Kariri and programme manager, Lungani Zwangobani had appeared before the Justice Mayor Wadyajena-led committee to give oral evidence on their operations, as well as to explain how they got 100 000 litres of fuel from Zimdef.
The council was supposed to further give serial numbers of all the fuel coupons and explain how it used donated funds and goods.
“I do not have the report on the 100 000 litres, and the list of donations in cash and kind,” Kariri said when Wadyajena asked her to explain the issues.
“Take us seriously, we have been trying to get you to appear before this committee for two years and you have the written correspondence where we told you what we expected you to give in your presentation,” Wadyajena warned Kariri.
She was then asked to read a letter that ZYC director, Livingstone Dzikira wrote to Parliament requesting Wadyajena to recuse himself from presiding over the oral evidence session with the ZYC.
The letter alleged Wadyajena was an interested party and was also a member of the Zanu PF youth league to which the ZYC donated the fuel.
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But, Wadyajena said the was no basis for him to recuse himself, as the oral evidence was before a Parliamentary portfolio committee and not Zanu PF.
“In terms of the ZYC Act, the ZYC falls under the Ministry of Youth and Indigenisation, and this Parliamentary portfolio committee overshadows this ministry, and so there is no legal basis for asking Wadyajena to be recused, as he is chairing a committee of Parliament, which has oversight over the Ministry of Youth in terms of the Constitution,” he said.
Chitungwiza North MP, Godfrey Sithole (MDC-T) said Parliament must invoke contempt charges against ZYC for not co-operating.
“Do you mean to tell us, if we invite the Minister of Environment and Water to appear before Parliament, we should all be recused because we drink water? As a committee, we should invoke the necessary sections on contempt of Parliament because you are not taking us seriously,” he said.
Kuwadzana MP, Betty Kaseke (Zanu PF) suggested that the committee must wait for Dzikira’s return from China so that he gives evidence on the Zimdef issue.
Dzikira is on study leave in China and the committee resolved to meet at a later date.
