Matambo beats Parly on Fengyue probe
Friday, January 30, 2015
Matambo
The report was adopted by Parliament in July 2013. Soon after, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo approached the High Court seeking to declare the adoption of the report unlawful and invalid. He also sought an order to expunge the report or certain sections from the official records of Parliament. Matambo wanted a declaration that the commission’s proceedings were unlawful in so far as they related to him, and that they be set aside. “It is declared and ordered that the proceedings of the committee, its findings and or report that was adopted on 25 July 2013 by the National Assembly in so far as it concerned the applicant, are hereby reviewed and set aside,” Dingake said this week.
Matambo’s lawyers had argued that the proceedings of the committee did not comply with the rules of natural justice, and that they intruded on the functions falling beyond the mandate of Parliament.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...