Mthuli Ncube: We are using Finance Bill to disburse Devolution funds

The government has revealed that it is using the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill to disburse devolution funds in the country.

According to the constitution, there is supposed to be a law that will determine how the devolution funds will be disbursed to provincial and local authorities.

However, Zimbabwe has dragged in coming up with the law, although it has been allocating the funds every year.

Various legislators such as Tendai Biti, Temba Mliswa, and Rusty Markham have tried to protest the move to no avail.

The government has continued to dig on, insisting on allocating the funds even without a laid down mechanism.

However, speaking in the Senate during debate on the 2023 budget, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said he is relying on the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill to disburse the funds.

‘’On devolution funds, there is mention of the Bill which needs to be expedited so that it can give us the legal framework to be able to release funding.

‘’For now, we are making use of the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill themselves to say these are also Bills of Parliament. So, they are giving us authority to disburse funds and so forth but I agree with you that this Devolution Bill needs to be finalised and we should be able to do it during 2023,’’ he said.

Currently, Devolution Funds meant for Harare City Council are being used to settle the Pomona Deal which the government entered into on behalf of the council.

Harare canceled the alleged contract, but the Ministry of Local Government insisted on the deal arguing that it had the potential of tarnishing the image of the country. Although Harare City Council own Pomona Dumpsite, under the deal it is required to pay money for it to dump garbage at the site.

Mthuli Ncube: We are using Finance Bill to disburse Devolution funds