Government rolls out new digital system for parastatal board appointments

THE Government has launched a new digital platform to overhaul the appointment of board members across public entities in a move aimed at tightening transparency, accountability and merit-based selection.

The Corporate Governance Unit (CGU) has called on qualified Zimbabwean professionals to submit their Curriculum Vitaes for inclusion in the Corporate Governance Management Information System (CG-MIS) National Board Member Database — a centralised pool from which prospective board members will be drawn.

In a notice, they said the platform, developed to modernise and strengthen corporate governance in State enterprises and public institutions, replaces the previous manual systems.

“All qualified Zimbabwean professionals are invited to submit their CVs for inclusion in the CG-MIS National Board Member Database,” reads part of the notice.

The notice said even those who had previously applied under the old system must re-apply through the new portal, as the database is being built afresh to ensure uniformity and integrity of records.

The CG-MIS is designed to promote ethical and transparent governance, while supporting effective and competence-based board appointments across public entities.

Inclusion in the database forms part of the broader board appointment process, as the Government seeks to enhance oversight, professionalism and performance within parastatals.

The CGU, which operates under the Office of the President and Cabinet, is spearheading the initiative as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen corporate governance standards in State institutions.

Prospective applicants are required to register and submit their credentials online via the CGU portal.
Professionals from diverse fields have been urged to take advantage of the opportunity to serve the nation at board level.

The Corporate Governance Unit (CGU), established under the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act in Zimbabwe, is a specialised department within the Office of the President and Cabinet. It provides centralised advisory and support to line Ministries to ensure strict compliance with corporate governance standards, performance contracts, and ethical leadership in public entities.

The Act also empowers CGU to oversee the discharge by line Ministries of their responsibility to monitor compliance by boards and senior staff members with the performance contracts and to establish and maintain up to date a comprehensive directory or database accessible to all line Ministers and boards that will enable them to identify suitably qualified candidates for appointment to boards of public entities and to advise on the provision by line Ministries of programmes for the professional development of board members and senior staff members of all public entities under their purview, including board induction programmes and corporate governance training for board members, chief executive officers and other senior staff members.

“In the exercise of its functions, the Unit may differentiate between public entities according to whether they are regulatory entities, commercial entities, non-commercial entities or on any other basis determined by the Unit.