via Dingane tipped for Parly post – DailyNews Live 3 DECEMBER 2014
HARARE – Helen Dingani, the former deputy clerk of Parliament, is likely to replace Austin Zvoma who retired last week.
Dingani, 57, is also the deputy clerk of the South Africa-based Pan-African Parliament (Pap).
She served in the Parliament of Zimbabwe for 28 years, having joined the legislature in 1982 as a committee secretary and interpreter from the Attorney General’s office, where she had served as a librarian.
She rose through the ranks to become senior committee secretary, assistant secretary, and assistant clerk, until she was promoted to the position of deputy clerk in 1997.
Jacob Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly, declined to comment on Zvoma’s likely successor.
“The Parliament Standing Rules and Orders Committees (SROC) will invite applications for the post and I don’t want to speculate on the candidate who will be clerk of Parliament as it is not my role to choose the person,” Mudenda told the Daily News.
Just before the tabling of the budget statement, the Speaker and the president of Senate Edna Madzongwe announced that Zvoma would be retiring effective November 30 on reaching the retirement age of 65 years as laid down by the conditions of service applicable to officers of Parliament.
Madzongwe and Mudenda both thanked Zvoma for his “distinguished stewardship in the service of Parliament” and described his 35 years of service, 26 of them as clerk, as “no mean feat”.
Under section 154 of the Constitution, Zvoma’s successor as clerk will be limited to a maximum of 12 years in office, as they will be appointed for one fixed six-year term, renewable for one further term only.
Parliament sources told the Daily News that Dingani was a shoe-in, with her name being touted in government corridors to take over from Zvoma.
The appointment was also said to be in sync with government’s affirmative action policy.
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