Gono proposes successor

via Gono proposes successor November 8, 2013 By Faith Zaba Zimbabwe Independent

RESERVE Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono, who is set to exit the post he has held for 10 years at the end of the month, has tendered two possible candidates to replace him as the central bank chief, senior government sources revealed this week.

It is a decade since Gono, who was affectionately referred to as “Mr Fix it” among some of the ruling elite, took office in December 2003.

According to the government officials, November 29 could be Gono’s last day in office.

Efforts to contact Gono were unsuccessful as his office said he was out of the country on a business trip until November 17.

Gono’s boss, Finance and Economic Development minister Patrick Chinamasa, on Wednesday refused to shed light on the RBZ governor’s fate.

“I refuse to comment on that issue,” he said.

According to senior government officials, Gono has proposed the names of his two deputies, Dr Charity Dhliwayo and Dr Kupukile Mlambo, to the RBZ board.

Dhliwayo is responsible for bank supervision and surveillance and has been deputy governor for nine years. She has been with the central bank for over 25 years and becomes the first female candidate to emerge a strong contender for the post since the RBZ’s inception in 1956.

Mlambo joined the RBZ last year in July from the African Development Bank where he worked as the policy advisor to the regional bank’s president for 10 years. He is currently in charge of the economic portfolio, among other functions.

The RBZ board is expected to forward a list of names to Chinamasa, who in turn will make recommendations to President Robert Mugabe.

However, as of yesterday, it was not clear if Mugabe would ask Gono to stay on at the central bank.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba referred all questions on the matter to Chinamasa.

During the hyper-inflationery era, Gono used what he termed “extraordinary measures to tackle extraordinary economic circumstances”, some of which did not endear him to the general public suffering from the ravages of inflation.

He has been praised for calling for an end to farm invasions and has often criticised the country’s confrontational indigenisation drive in which foreign-owned companies must cede 51% shareholding to locals.

He clashed with former Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere over the ideological thrust of the policy, its conceptual basis, framework and implementation mechanism.

Kasukuwere wanted foreign banks to comply with the controversial 51% empowerment requirement by end of June this year, while Gono always argued that a “one-size-fits-all” approach would not work.

New Indigenisation minister, Francis Nhema, seems to agree with Gono.

“If you are going into sections of the service industry like banks, manufacturing and others where there is no resource to begin with then you cannot say the 51% is mine.”

Nhema believes that the banks can support indigenisation by offering cheap loans to local businesses and farmers.

 

COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 11
  • comment-avatar
    Chivulamapoti 10 years ago

    Gono had destroyed the credibility and function of the RBZ, these past 10 years. Dhliwayo is his lacky and just as useless, so throw the lot out!
    Let Gono take Dis-grace and go and have an affair on Tristan da Cunha, as Mujuru’s guest!

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    vukani madoda 10 years ago

    I predict thay Gono will be going nowhere:he knows too much and as there are no other government post Mugabe can offer him to keep him happy and silent it is better for him to continue licking off the gravy train at the Central bank.His record is so bad that whatever he does now can do no more harm than he has already inflicted on the country.If Gono was asked what his achievement has been as a Governor of the central bank he will immediately think of his honorary degree because there is nothing else to show for it.How sad Zimbos have to put up with this man

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    Gono was good guys.he qwas against the return of zimdallar.he saved zanu pf in 2008, He opposed continuity of famr invasions.he protected foreign banks against SK.He was a savior to zimbz during the fate of 2008 i luv him

  • comment-avatar
    Jrr56 10 years ago

    Back to making tea?

  • comment-avatar
    Tjingababili 10 years ago

    Is he handing himself to prison officials at chikurubi?

  • comment-avatar

    Just close this bogus reserve Bank down. It’s technically bankrupt insolvent broke in liquidation

  • comment-avatar
    Angel 10 years ago

    Go home

  • comment-avatar
    Jenandebvu 10 years ago

    Gono the star,

  • comment-avatar

    let him go and oversee his fleet of buses he bough with the money he stole from poor at roadport

  • comment-avatar
    Bruce 10 years ago

    In the presence of ZANU PF woman can not be trusted with such huge responsibilities. Mutambanengwe resigned after noting the pressure of JOC on elections, shading light that all in not spot on in ZEC, look at Rita, fear nad greedy led her to conduct shameful election. A male commissioner in the just ended election resigned, shading light on the mismanagegement of electro process and super influence of JOC. Rita is still quiet and defending ZANU PF, her clear statement on the credibility of the results is waht we want. But she is so scared . Your Charity will do the same. Get a man for the post, who is free from fear and influence of ZANU PF.