Court Challenge: Funds Allocated to Defunct NPRC

Human rights defender Jestina Mukoko has filed a lawsuit against Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, challenging the allocation of funds to the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) in the 2024 national budget.

The crux of the lawsuit lies in the expiry of the NPRC’s term. Established in 2013 by the Constitution with a ten-year mandate, the NPRC’s official term concluded in August 2023. Despite this, the Ministry of Finance allocated a significant budget (ZWL$56 billion) to the defunct commission.

Mukoko argues that this allocation is unconstitutional and violates Zimbabwe’s Public Finance and Management Act. She cites Section 251 of the Constitution, which outlines the NPRC’s lifespan, and Section 17 of the Public Finance and Management Act, which prohibits unauthorized public expenditure.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG) by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, argues that the funds allocated to the NPRC could be better directed towards legally authorised entities.