Ministers to Repay $200 Million After Unauthorized Borrowing
Harare, Zimbabwe – In a landmark ruling, the High Court has ordered two Zimbabwean Cabinet ministers to repay millions of Zimbabwean dollars to various government funds after they were found to have borrowed money without proper authorization.
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Public Service Minister July Moyo and Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Fredrick Shava have been directed to return a combined total of ZWG206,370,840 to several funds, including the Sustainable Livelihoods Fund, Child Welfare Fund, Older Persons Fund, Industrial Training and Trade Testing Fund, and the Skilled Manpower Trade Testing and Certification Fund.
The ruling, issued by High Court Justice Gladys Mhuri, stems from a lawsuit filed by former opposition lawmaker Marvellous Khumalo.
Ministers to Repay $200 Million After Unauthorized Borrowing
Khumalo argued that the ministers had violated the Public Finance Management (Treasury Instructions) 2019 and constitutional principles by using government funds without Treasury approval.
The Auditor-General's 2023 report highlighted these unauthorized borrowings between 2019 and 2023. The report detailed the ministers' actions as violations of both the Public Finance Management (Treasury Instructions) and constitutional financial management principles.
In her ruling, Justice Mhuri ordered the ministers to repay the funds within 90 days and to seek retrospective Treasury approval for all funds borrowed within 60 days.
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Khumalo stated that his actions were motivated by a commitment to safeguarding public financial integrity and ensuring that principles of accountability and transparency are upheld.
