By KAIKO NAMUSA-
NORTH-Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu irregularly directed the awarding of three contracts for construction of teachers’ houses in Mongu Central Constituency, Auditor General Anna Chifungula has said.
Ms Chifungula said the three contractors engaged by Mr Mubukwanu, who is Patriotic Front Mongu Central Member of Parliament (MP), did not meet the requirements at the preliminary evaluation stage and, therefore, did not qualify for the contracts.
Ms Chifungula said as of January 2014, a total of K452, 184 had been spent and that a physical inspection carried out indicated that the construction works had not been completed.
“The contracts were awarded to the contractors based on a directive from the area Member of Parliament,” she said.
The audit said Mongu Municipal Council awarded four labour contracts to three contractors for the construction of staff houses at four schools namely, Lulambo, Mutalaite, Kama and Ndau basic schools.
The report added that five councils namely, Mongu, Kaoma, Senanga, Kalabo and Lukulu used K346, 706 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) on projects that were not approved by the council, contrary to guideline number seven.
Ms Chifungula’s report on the management of CDF and grants to local authorities indicated that the five councils made 34 transactions in respect of four constituencies.
On the management of grants, the report said that contrary to regulations, K2.7 million processed at 23 local authorities was applied on activities such as payment of subsistence allowances, salaries, repair of motor vehicles, rehabilitation of staff houses and legal fees.
“The funds were not channelled to purposes for which the funds were disbursed, as a result, activities relating to service provisions, payment of retirement benefits, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure among others were adversely affected,” the report said.
The affected local authorities were Milenge, Mwense, Kawambwa, Samfya, Nchelenge, Petauke, Kalomo, Zambezi, Mufumbwe, Kasama, Chilubi, and Luwingu.
Others were Kaputa, Mporokoso, Kalabo, Senanga, Chinsali, Nakonde, Lundazi, Mambwe, Katete, Mazabuka and Livingstone.
Meanwhile, 61 payment vouchers for K899, 796 were processed at six local authorities without authorisation by a responsible officer.
The local authorities involved were Samfya, Mufumbwe, Kasempa, Solwezi, Kalabo, and Mafinga.