via Media commission snubs Moyo’s IMPI 28 July 2014
In a letter addressed to IMPI chairman, Geoff Nyarota, ZMC chairperson Godfrey Majonga said his organisation will not honour the invitation because the panel was duplicating the functions of the commission as defined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The snub by the ZMC marks the latest set-back for the Moyo-appointed panel which last month came under a barrage of attacks from ZANU PF MPs who accused the body of wasting government resources.
Majonga said under the Constitution the ZMC was empowered to carry out investigations as clearly stipulated in section 50 and 51 of the law.
He said the IMPI appeared to be similar to the ad hoc committee which some MPs wanted to set up to duplicate the functions and tasks of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
The way Parliament dealt with that matter further creates uncertainty for the ZMC about whether or not to appear before IMPI, Majonga said.
“We cite here only the concluding part of the ruling by the Speaker of National Assembly on the resolution to appoint an Ad Hoc Committee on the Restoration of Corporate Governance and to investigate cases of corruption in private and public institutions,” he said.
Majonga said the Speaker ruled that Parliament cannot be seen to be violating the very Constitution it creates by creating an ad hoc committee that competes with and usurps the functions of that organ of the state.
“It is our humble reading that the prohibition against duplicating functions and services already assigned to the national body by the Constitution is meant to compel all public officials, such as those of us in the ZMC, to follow the sense of Parliament in its role as the Legislature and to help enforce the provision of the Constitution in so far as they apply to our work,” he said.
“The constitution goes a long way to define good governance, efficiency and principles of public administration which make it difficult for the ZMC to accept IMPI’s invitation in spite of our wish to co-operate”.
He added that the fact that IMPI did not attach its current operating terms of reference to the ZMC compounded this difficulty.
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