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Auditor-General leaves government

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AUDITOR-GENERAL (AG) Mildred Chiri has left government service after a 13-year stint, where she could have angered some quarters with her adverse reports exposing abuse of public funds by various government departments.

AUDITOR-GENERAL (AG) Mildred Chiri has left government service after a 13-year stint, where she could have angered some quarters with her adverse reports exposing abuse of public funds by various government departments.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Auditor-General, Mildred Chiri
Auditor-General, Mildred Chiri

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa yesterday announced Chiri’s departure, but did not give details.

Instead, Chinamasa gave notice in the National Assembly that today he would move a motion in terms of section 310 of the Constitution to discuss the appointment of her successor, Mike Ndudzo.

“I would like to give notice of a motion that tomorrow (today), I will move a motion that the AG is appointed by the President and Mike Ndudzo is appointed as AG in terms of section 310(3) of the Constitution, and proposing that the aforesaid Ndudzo is, hereby, appointed,” he said.

Section 310(3) of the Constitution stipulates that “the term of office of the AG is a period of not more than six years and a person must not be appointed AG after he or she has served for one or more periods, whether continuous or not, amounting to 12 years”.

The Constitution stipulates that the AG is appointed by the President, with the approval of Parliament, and that the AG must be a Zimbabwean citizen chosen for his or her integrity and must be a qualified auditor for 10 years.

Chiri joined the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General as an audit assistant in 1983, rising through the ranks to the position of Comptroller and Auditor-General in February 2004.

During her tenure, she managed to clear a backlog of the annual Comptroller and Auditor-General’s reports, which had lagged behind since the year 2000.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda said he would liaise with Harare City Council to construct humps at the Parliament pedestrian crossing because several MPs had been nearly knocked down by speeding vehicles, as they crossed the road.

This was after Luveve legislator, Ntandoyenkosi Mlilo claimed Norton MP, Temba Mliswa was nearly knocked down by a car, while crossing at the Parliament pedestrian crossing point.

Harare East legislator, Jessie Majome (MDC-T) said MPs should push for motorists throughout the country to respect pedestrian crossings because drivers were flouting road rules.

In an unrelated matter, opposition MPs complained over the continued absence of ministers during question-and-answer sessions in the National Assembly, particularly Health minister David Parirenyatwa and Foreign Affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.

However, Mumbengegwi was yesterday present in Senate, but was not available to take questions from MPs in the National Assembly. Kuwadzana East lawmaker, Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T) demanded that the truant ministers be fined as punishment.

But Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa defended Mumbengegwi, saying, as Foreign Affairs minister, he was often out of the country.

“Parirenyatwa is a Senator and his first port of call is the Senate,” he said.

Harare Central MP, Murisi Zwizwai (MDC-T) said it was surprising that Mnangagwa was defending the two perennially truant ministers, yet Mugabe had ordered that all ministers attend question-and-answer sessions to explain government policies.