Former ARDA general manager Erickson Mvududu, who claims he was dismissed from his job after opposing a joint venture deal with a private investor that he claims would have prejudiced the state firm, told the parliamentary portfolio committee on agriculture that corruption and maladministration was rampant at the agricultural utility. I noted rampant looting of equipment by influential people in Zanu (PF) and corruption by senior managers, but I fought hard to stop it leading to my dismissal, Mvududu said.
Narrating some of the corrupt activities at ARDA, Mvududu said Agriculture Minister Joseph Made would often order him to send ARDA workers and equipment to work and plough on farms belonging to the ministers Zanu (PF) colleagues. He said: I was ordered by Minister Made and other senior Zanu PF officials to charge low prices for tillage to their friends in the party. At times we would plough in return for an amount enough to buy a Coke.
Mvududu claimed that thousands of cattle belonging to ARDA were stolen by some of the firms managers and Zanu (PF) officials. At one stage ARDA had 20 000 cattle, but the number had been reduced to 3 000 owing to theft and abuse by managers and influential Zanu (PF) officials, he said. Committee chairman Moses Jiri said they were going to review Mvududus submissions and decide on what take further action to take. We are very concerned with the abuses noted by Mvududu. We are going to have a look on this and work the way forward, said Jiri, a legislator from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC party.
Post published in: News