…As four available female teachers share two toilets with pupils

Cephas Shava

Mwenezi-The right to access appropriate and proper education for children is a constitutional guarantee which is precisely defined in Section 19 (1) of the national constitution which outlines that in matters relating to children, the State ought to take measures to ensure that their best interests are taken good care of.
However, for about 230 pupils currently enrolled at Chikokoko Primary School in Mwenezi East’s remote ward 13, the right to decent education does not exist as pupils are conducting lessons under unimaginable conditions.
The satellite school which was established in the wake of the Land Reform Programme has since its inception in 2003 been operating without a single classroom block.
During lessons, several pupils sit on the ground under makeshift structures built of wooden poles and dagga with grass thatched roofs.
Local village head, Selina Mandindani who is also the School Development Committee (SDC) member bemoaned the long forgotten innocent pupils’ plight saying several parents are no longer seeing the value of sending their school children to Chikokoko Primary School.
“We are really in dire need of assistance at the school as pupils are learning under one of the worst conditions. Teachers do not stay longer before they transfer due to unbearable conditions here.
“The school’s drop-out rate is very alarming. Currently the grade seven class is composed of a total of eight learners. Grades are combined to cater for the seriously under-staffed school which has a total of only four female teachers. The community here is seeing no value in sending pupils to school.
“We are just grooming cattle herds, domestic workers and child brides. We do not have any single classroom block and teachers and pupils are sharing two toilets, one for male and the other one for females, which are the only ones available for the entire school. There are no any teacher’s houses to talk about except some shabby sub-standard one-roomed structures for each of the four teachers,” said Mandindani.
In an interview, ward 13 Councillor Takura Mudavose who shared the same sentiments with Mundindani concerning the school’s state also shifted the blame to the local community for the messy the school finds itself in.
“At one point in time I visited the school in the middle of the term and I was surprised to find out that only four pupils had paid their school fees. What worries most is that the surrounding community is completely doing nothing to improve their own school. They do not see the value of education as most of the school drop-outs end up being illegal immigrants working in South Africa,” said Mudavose.
On his part, Chief Chitanga born Feleni Chauke who described conditions at Chikokoko as tragic told TellZim News that developments at the school are being hampered by delays in pegging the school to make its site officially permanent.
“Conditions at Chikokoko are not pleasing at all for both teachers and learners. What is compounding the problems is that the Ministry of Lands is yet to peg the school to make its site permanent. We have written some letters to that effect and we are currently pushing to ensure that the issue is given the prominence it deserves.
“Though there are some disputes with regards to the site, I can safely tell you that the said area is under my jurisdiction not Mpapa as claimed by some sections of that society,” said Chief Chitanga.
Mwenezi Rural District Council (RDC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Chivanga who acknowledged the absence of classroom blocks at Chikokoko Primary School told Tellzim News in a telephone interview that the other issue derailing development is that some locals are failing to reach consensus on the school’s site.
The entire Mwenezi district has a total of 172 schools, 102 of which are satellites schools such as Mlilo, Dembe, Nyuni, Vezvi, Muvhoko and Bubi which were established in the wake of the Land Reform Programme.

…As continental body celebrates 60th anniversary

Brighton Chiseva

As Africa celebrated the Africa Union (AU)’s 60th Anniversary, Director of Kenya Law School Professor Patrick Lumumba has called on the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to up its game and fight external forces that control Africa many years after its independence.

Professor Lumumba made the call in a speech virtually on Africa Day Celebrations to the African Parliament in Midrand.

He said Africa was not yet independent from its colonial masters as it was still relying on foreign aid for key developments like the construction of Africa Union Headquarters which was done by outsiders and the African Development Bank (AfDB) which has foreign countries like America and Japan as shareholders.

“60 to 70 percent of the AU is catered for by foreign powers, this means there are invisible channels in which the colonial powers control Africa. If you go to Africa Development Bank (AfDB), you will discover that after Nigeria, the second investor is the United States of America and many others are foreign countries, so it’s just African Bank in name,” said Prof Lumumba.

He said the fact that he who pays the piper dictates the tune means that Africa is   independent only in name hence PAP needed to be empowered so that it may have teeth.

He said PAP needed to be popularised saying a random street search in Africa will show that a number of people do not know PAP and what it does.

“If you go to any street in Africa or South Africa where it is headquartered, you will see that that eight of ten people do not know PAP and what it stands for. So what does this mean, the current parliament should be the beginning of embryotic movement towards a modern representation of Africans, within the African continent.

“Pan Africanism will only be held up if you (PAP) become funded locally. So on this 60th anniversary of Africa, the spirit of Africanism should develop in your heads and minds. If you come from Angola, tell your President that you want more power for power to make sure that PAP will not be described by historians as a toothless bulldog,” added Prof Lumumba.

PAP President Chief Fortune Charumbira said as Africa they were happy to celebrate AU’s 60th anniversary which he said for people in many countries was the retirement age.

He went on to say if they were to evaluate the achievements of the Union, they were not too good but this was just the beginning.

PAP’s 2nd Vice President Dr Ashebiri Gayo said he would like PAP to celebrate next year’s Africa Day having resolved some of the organisation’s stumbling blocks.

“How are we going to celebrate Africa Day in 2024? I would like us to have legislative powers as a continental organisation. I would like us to have free movement in Africa that issue has to be resolved. We also need to have achieved the free trade area matter,” he said.

By Zvikomborero Sibanda

Zimbabwe is expected to hold harmonized elections in August 2023. Major political parties have already concluded or are at the final stages of primary elections to select their candidates. There are over 210 constituency seats and over 1 000 Wards up for grabs for parliamentary and local authorities’ representatives respectively. The government also indicated that preparation for this occasion is now at an advanced stage.
The major aspect of elections is access to public resources through an electoral victory hence the reason they are often the object of fraught competition and conflict. This is more pronounced in developing nations where fiscal transparency is not a big deal despite it being a prerequisite for good governance. In anticipation of increased opaque fiscal activities during the election season, this week’s column is therefore highlighting the importance of fiscal transparency and accountability (T&A) in government.
Fiscal transparency apprises citizens of how tax revenues are used by the government by providing them a window into Treasury budgets and in turn, those citizens will be able to hold their government accountable. Thus, underpinning market confidence and sustainability. In the same vein, fiscal accountability entails compliance with stipulated laws and regulations, consistency with suitable principles of accounting, accuracy, and fairness of financial statements, and enforcement of the legitimacy of fiscal expenditures. In other words, accountability is the acceptance of responsibility for honest and ethical conduct towards others.
According to Zimbabwe’s constitution, financial management must be responsible, fiscal reporting must be clear, and public borrowing and all transactions involving the national debt must be carried out transparently and in the best interests of Zimbabwe. All public funds must be used transparently, prudently, economically, and effectively. There should also be accountability and participation to ensure that the government and all other public institutions are accountable in the exercise of their PFM functions. In addition, there should be formal and increased opportunities for the public including disadvantaged groups and marginalized communities to engage in all national and local budget processes.
The constitution further highlights that all public oversight institutions including the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG), Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), Parliament, and other bodies with oversight functions concerning PFM should be adequately resourced and be independent to provide effective oversight of the executive branch’s financial management processes. This must be buttressed by the responsibility principle which entails that all public bodies and officials assigned to PFM-related processes are expected to regard their responsibility to exercise their functions in the interest of the public.
Furthermore, effective PFM must be sustainable. This means that the government, public bodies, and officials should thrive to contribute to and protect the financial stability of the nation. The burdens and benefits of the use of resources must be shared equitably between present and future generations.
Last but not least, there must be fiscal equity where all PFM systems are directed towards national development, and in particular the burden of taxation is shared fairly; revenue raised nationally is shared equitably between the central government and provincial and local tiers of government; and expenditure is directed towards the development of the nation, and special provision is made for marginalized groups and places.
Generally, fiscal transparency and accountability (T&A) are the major building pillars for governing democratic nations. Fiscal transparency serves to open the government to those it serves, that is, allowing the public to participate and to keep informed of the government’s budgets, spending, and projects. It is also a powerful weapon against corruption because when government processes become transparent, there will be limited scope for public officials to engage in corrupt activities.
More so, a fiscally accountable government is responsive to the needs of the public it serves. As such, it listens to the voices of all citizens and uses citizen feedback to shape and improve its policies and programs. Therefore, fiscal T&A are key in stimulating public engagement, building public trust & confidence in their government, improving government responsiveness & discipline, helping shine the light on leakages, and improving efficiency in public expenditures.
In an ideal world, there is a full implementation of PFM-related legislation which is key in bringing maximum efficiency in all financial management. If this holds, one would expect the presence of all budget (fiscal) transparency indicators. For example, the government would be ensuring that budget documents and data are open, transparent, and accessible through the availability of clear, factual budget reports which should inform the key stages of policy formulation, consideration, and debate, as well as implementation and review.
Also, all the budgets and government spending will be approved only by the Parliament. In the same vein, the Parliament will be awarded adequate time to scrutinize budget proposals and approve them after extensive public parliamentary debates. At the same time, the citizens will be provided with equal opportunities to directly participate in public debates and the design of fiscal policies. This mainly includes budget consultations and the publication of simplified citizens’ budgets.
Furthermore, there will be unlimited access to all public information, adequate resources, and maximum statutory independence of oversight and control institutions such as the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) – the Office of Auditor-General (OAG) in the case of Zimbabwe. There will also be maximum integrity in public sector procurement. This largely entails the opening up of the entire public procurement cycle including openness in the procurement system (procedures, regulations & institutional frameworks), competitive tenders, bidding documents, contract documents as well as evaluation reports.
Nevertheless, the reality shows that there is a lot to be desired in Zimbabwe’s quest for fiscal transparency. For instance, the parliament follows a whipping system where MPs are whipped/coerced to vote according to their party’s given positions rather than according to their ideology or the will of their constituents. This help to explain why over the years Treasury is realizing budget overruns even without parliamentary blessing knowing that the same Parliament will approve the request for condonation without any repercussions whatsoever.
For instance, despite budget surplus rhetoric, Treasury incurred cumulative budget overruns of ZWL100.7 billion during the period of the Transitional Stabilization Programme (TSP) (2019-2020). It also reportedly spent more than what was planned (US$10 billion) during the 2015-18 period. In the upcoming electoral season, Treasury is likely to incur budget overruns again as spending pressure continues to mount. The dismal performance of the ZWL against the US dollar year-to-date attests to excessive spending and increased liquidity.
Also, underfunding of parliamentary businesses like the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) over the years has fuelled the brain drain. The massive exodus of experienced PBO employees is now constraining a more informed engagement between the legislative branch and its executive counterpart. A weak legislature is a free window for Treasury to propose and implement fiscal policies and budgets that are unsustainable. The longevity of Parliamentary underfunding has degenerated into severe capacity issues thereby inhibiting it to perform its crucial oversight function.
The oversight function allows Parliament to assert the system of checks and balances on the Executive branch and acts as the defender of citizens’ interests. Oversight ensures that government policies and actions are both efficient and commensurate with the needs of the public, helps identify misconduct or deficits, and allows for remedial actions against the Executive. In light of the foregoing, oversight is a central means of ensuring good governance and holding the executive to account to prevent or sanction the abuse of authority.
More so, there is a clear disregard for public audit requirements as shown by the continuous late submissions of accounts by public institutions for auditing by the Auditor-General. For instance, the latest 2021 OAG report shows that 71/92 local authorities had not submitted their accounts for auditing as of May 2022. The OAG recommendations are also being ignored as out of 141 findings reported in the 2021 report, only nine (9) were fully addressed.
The nation is also characterized by procurement scandals associated with tenderprenuership deals. These closed deals such as the US$60 million Drax COVID-19 scandal and the over US$300 million Pomona Waste to Energy deal for Harare fail to ensure a fairer and equitable treatment of all potential government suppliers and eliminate competition thus contributing to poor value for money for citizens. In addition, the nation is failing to account for revenues and expenditures in natural resources mostly due to escalating cases of mineral smuggling. For example, government statistics show that forex-strapped Zimbabwe is losing approximately US$100 million of revenue per month (US$1.2 billion per year) to gold smuggling alone. All this is undermining fiscal transparency and accountability and breeding corruption and abuse of public resources.
The foregoing shows that Zimbabwe has weak fiscal transparency and accountability systems, a situation that keeps deteriorating. This, coupled with other election transparency issues such as election procedures, the voters’ roll, and election results counting & tabulation processes poses great risks to the economy and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030.

Zvikomborero Sibanda is an economic analyst and an astute researcher. He writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted via email:

bravosibanda@gmail.com
Twitter: @bravon96