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Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
NO Government employee must contest for political office or assume any position in a political party before resigning from the civil service as that is unconstitutional, Zanu-PF’s secretary for legal affairs Cde Paul Mangwana has said.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an exercise to vet Zanu-PF aspiring candidates at Victoria Junior in Masvingo on Wednesday, Cde Mangwana said civil servants who hold political offices while still serving in Government were acting unlawfully and the party was going to put a lid on such a practice.
Cde Mangwana said the country’s Constitution says civil servants must not be office-bearers in any political party.
“We have received grievances pertaining to the participation of civil servants in Zanu-PF primary elections. The position on civil servants participation is that one should first of all resign from employment, as a civil servant before contesting,” said Cde Mangwana.
He said in the past the party had been reluctant to observe the Constitution regarding the matter but it was high time the supreme law was upheld to avoid civil suits from other political parties.
“We have been having this scenario for a long time but the party was not taking that seriously. I am one of the authors of the Constitution and cannot be seen allowing its violation. Zanu-PF constitution is subordinate to the country’s constitution and members should adhere to that. We do not expect a civil servant, say a teacher to be political and make his affiliation known to the pupils. There is a fear of bias,” he said.
Cde Mangwana however said he has no final say on civil servants who had already submitted their curriculum vitaes for vetting.
He said Zanu-PF’s national directorate has the final say on the matter but the “constitution is clear.”
A number of civil servants in Masvingo have submitted their CVs to contest in the forthcoming ruling party primaries. — @walterbmswazie3
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