via Mohadi in dramatic graft agency U-turn 29 July 2014
HOME Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi on Monday made a dramatic somersault when he told journalists that the government acted within its rights when it renewed contracts for the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Last week Mohadi told Parliament that President Robert Mugabe’s re-appointment of commissioners to ZACC was invalid as it contravened a section of the new constitution signed into law last year.
“In reviewing the term of office for the ZACC commissioners, Section 237 of the new Constitution has to be followed. This section sets out the procedure which has to be followed when nominating commissioners,” Mohadi said last week.
But on Monday, Mohadi called a press conference during which he made a swift about-turn on the appointments telling journalists that the “re-appointment was to ensure continuity” until a substantive commission has been appointed.
“Parliament has indicated that it intends to advertise the posts of the commissioners, which I believe ought to have been done when others for the media and human rights commissions were made.”
“Prior to the advent of the new constitution, ZACC was governed by the Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the repealed Constitution. Under these two laws, it was lawful and constitutional to renew the terms of office for the Commissioners once their term expired without any stipulated procedure being followed,” the minister said.
“Section 6 (2) of the Anti-corruption Commission Act states that, ‘a member shall hold office for a period of two years and may be re-appointed for another term of two years but not be eligible for re-appointment thereafter’.
“When the new constitution was ushered in the last year the ZAAC Commissioners were still in office and later their term of office expired. This therefore, meant the new constitution was now the supreme law.”
Mohadi said the process of appointing new commissioners takes a lot of time but the anti-graft work needed to continue hence the temporary arrangement.
It is headed by Denford Chirindo with the other commissioners being Teresa Mugadza, Elita Sakupwanya, Emmanuel Chimwanda, Lakayana Dube, Goodwill Shana, who is the spokesperson, and Shepherd Gwasira.
COMMENTS
Presumably these people are paid to do a job, what results have they had, they surely don’t have to look too far for work!
get external independent people to do this job
You can be sure someone has had a word with Mohadi. Something along the lines of ‘do as you are told or the little black book will come out and you will be on your way’ Yes sir!