According to State witnesses, ministers may provide policy direction but are not empowered to personally execute the disposal or donation of state property. Further evidence was given by retired Permanent Secretary Thokozile Alice Rosemary Chitepo, who served as accounting officer in the Ministry of Tourism between 2017 and early 2018. She told the court that assets acquired through government funding remain state property and can only be disposed of with approval from the Ministry of Finance. Chitepo added that, in normal practice, it is the Permanent Secretary who issues correspondence authorising donations on behalf of government. However, the testimony from the State’s own witnesses today confirmed:“The TV screens were loaned, not gifted, and remain government property,” Lawrence Mzembi stated.