Section 308: Duties of custodians of public funds and property
Constitution of Zimbabwe
(1) In this section—
“public funds” includes any money owned or held by the State or any institution or agency
of government, including provincial and local tiers of government, statutory bodies and
government-controlled entities;
“public property” means any property owned or held by the State or any institution or
agency of government, including provincial and local tiers of government, statutory
bodies and government-controlled entities.
(2) It is the duty of every person who is responsible for the expenditure of public funds to safeguard the funds and ensure that they are spent only on legally authorised purposes and in legally authorised amounts.
(3) It is the duty of every person who has custody or control of public property to safeguard the property and ensure that it is not lost, destroyed, damaged, misapplied or misused.
(4) An Act of Parliament must provide for the speedy detection of breaches of subsections (2) and (3) and the disciplining and punishment of persons responsible for any such breaches and, where appropriate, the recovery of misappropriated funds or property.
PART 5
A UDITOR -G ENERAL
Insight: Accountability in Public Resource Management
This section establishes clear accountability for anyone handling public funds or property in Zimbabwe. It creates a legal framework that:
- Broadly defines what constitutes "public funds" and "public property" to include all government levels and entities
- Places personal responsibility on custodians to protect these resources
- Mandates parliamentary legislation for detecting misuse and enforcing consequences
This provision forms part of Zimbabwe's anti-corruption infrastructure, creating both preventive duties and punitive measures to protect national resources.