adminthe establishment of the coalition government.
A number of factors, ranging from mere personal vendettas to political posturing, have contributed to these controversies. The appointment of Justice Makarau seems to have even silenced most critics.
There is no iota of doubt that Justice Makarau has the necessary credentials, experience and skills to run the Zimbabwe Election Commission. She is a woman of virtue and integrity who commands a good degree of respect at home and abroad. As a judge of the High Court, she dealt with complicated cases that came before her exceedingly well.
To this end, the writer, like all progressive Zimbabweans, joins the nation in congratulating Justice Makarau in her recent appointment. We only pray that the men and women who fall under her command are also imbued with similar skills and virtues to enable her to discharge her mandate with ease.
It is, however, the appointment of certain individuals, with dubious characters into various other important commissions that has prompted the writing of this article. Since corruption seems to be one of the topical issues in Zimbabwe today apart from politics, this article will examine the credibility of some officers who make up the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, [hereinafter referred to as the Commission].
The Anti-Corruption Commission Act [Chapter 9:22] has the following provision:
WHEREAS Section 108A of the Constitution provides as follows:
“108A Anti-Corruption Commission
(1) There shall be an Anti-corruption Commission consisting of at least four and not more than nine members appointed by the President.
(2) Persons appointed to the Anti-Corruption Commission shall be persons of integrity chosen for their knowledge of and experience in administration or the prosecution or investigation of crime or for their general suitability for appointment; and—
The intention of the legislature in setting out the above criteria is abundantly clear. The law giver was conscious and alert to the need of having people of good standing taking up appointments in the Commission.
Appointment into the Commission is an honourable calling that requires men and women of unquestionable repute; those with a proven track record; who do not unnecessarily grandstand whilst producing mediocre work.
The most striking virtue specified in the above provisions is that of integrity. Integrity is earned whilst knowledge and experience are a result of learning. A quick perusal of the Oxford English Dictionary defines integrity as honour, honesty, reliability, uprightness . . .
The requirement of upright men and women to constitute such an important body is obvious. It is to safeguard the nation against moral decadence. Such integrity should clothe the men and women constituting the Commission not only once, but be manifest throughout their stay in the Commission.
It follows therefore that each prospective candidate for appointment into the Commission should go through a rigorous test to determine his or her integrity before appointment or even before nomination for such an appointment. This task appears easy especially for older persons who would have been in employment.
Background checks would include establishing with their previous employer/s the positions held; their performance and more importantly their reasons for leaving. This is crucial since reputation is a vital element of this calling. By its very nature, this duty does not require people who were unceremoniously discharged by their previous employers or those who left in a huff either to avoid being fired or charged.
In Shona, we say “magumo ndiwo anokosha”’ It does not help to say that an individual once occupied a senior position at his or her previous work place which was later tainted by a charge or dismissal due to incompetence. The situation is further worsened if the individual concerned faced a similar predicament in more than one company or organisation.
The current situation where we have some individuals of questionable demeanour in such important institutions should surely be of concern to every right-thinking Zimbabwean. Why would a nation with the highest literacy rate in Africa fail to recruit men and women of virtue into all our Commissions? Persons with dubious backgrounds lack the necessary confidence in their work. They are overwhelmed by work and often tend to be bad-mouthed, quick talkers in order to cover up for their shortcomings.
They appear more intent on settling old scores especially with their previous employers than carrying out the mandate of the Commission; a clear indication of their lack of integrity.
Our selection criteria as laid out in the Anti-Corruption Commission Act are clear. We do not need witch-hunters in such a Commission, but professionals, whose credibility is beyond reproach; people of impeccable integrity with proven abilities and who have the requisite knowledge to investigate and cause the prosecution of offenders.
Dear reader, I am not trying to impute inept conduct on all the officers who currently constitute the Commission; but should the authorities bother to check with both public and private institutions they will surely realise that some of their officers were fired by more than one employer because of incompetence and only to resurrect in the Commission holding senior positions.
If one is sacked by a single company or organisation, it could be a mistake; a second dismissal may amount to carelessness on the employee’s part; a third one incompetence; a forth one smacks of crass incompetence of the highest order.
Let us properly staff all our Commissions with respectable professionals so that they in turn earn the respect and support of the populace.
Chenjerai Shava is a social commentator and writes in his personal capacity.
Online Reporter