Parliament, Wednesday, 23 September 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure has rejected the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s first quarter performance report for 2026/27, describing it as a “cut and paste” of the previous quarter’s report.
The department appeared before the committee to present its performance report and financial statements. Members said the presentation repeated explanations for missed targets without showing what the department had done to improve.
Various committee members described the meeting as a tick-box exercise that did little to support effective oversight and accountability ecosystem.
The committee said it would use its powers under Rule 167(f) of the National Assembly Rules, which allows committees to determine their own working arrangements, to strengthen its scrutiny of the department’s performance.
The committee resolved to call on the department to return with its first and second quarter reports together, so that members can compare performance and assess whether its plans are producing tangible results. The committee also called for a clear account of each unmet target, the steps taken to address it and evidence of progress made.
Committee Chairperson Ms Carol Phiri said the department could not continue to present the same shortcomings quarter after quarter. “It is a fruitless exercise to receive reports that repeat the same problems while targets set by the department remain unmet,” said Ms Phiri.
The committee was alarmed by the number of acting officials in the department’s delegation during the meeting, which it said was indicative of a high vacancy rate in senior management.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, MS CAROL PHIRI.
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