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Chronicle Reporters
THE Government has given users of vehicles from the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) up to Saturday to surrender them following the expiry of the organ’s tenure.In a statement yesterday, the Office of the President and Cabinet said the vehicles must be submitted with all the necessary tools to the Central Mechanical and Equipment Department (CMED) depots dotted around the country.
“Following the holding of the recent harmonised elections and the swearing in of the new Government, the role of Jomic ceases.
“Accordingly, all those in possession of Jomic vehicles should surrender them, with all the necessary tools, to CMED depots throughout the country by not later than 20th September 2013. CMED will provide a receipt voucher for the vehicle delivered.”
Jomic was a subcommittee of the signatory parties to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) entered into by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations on 15 September 2008.
It was given the mandate of promoting peace, tolerance, trust and national unity. The organ procured the vehicles during its operations to monitor the implementation measures to foster peaceful co-existence among political parties.
Party liaison officers who were members of the organ in all the 10 provinces were advised of the termination of their contracts last month.
Zanu-PF secretary for administration and Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa yesterday said the party would ensure that the vehicles in possession of its officers were returned.
“The lifespan of Jomic legally came to an end with the demise of the Global Political Agreement, hence all property should be returned to the Government of the day,” he said.
“The inclusive Government is no longer there, there is a Zanu-PF Government, hence all those with Jomic vehicles should return them forthwith with.”
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora indicated that his party would follow the Government directive.
“Everything will be determined by the common practice in Government,” he said.
MDC secretary general Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said her party was surprised by the move.
“We are making steps to engage the Office of the President and Cabinet to ascertain where this is coming from,” she said.
“We are in the process of winding down, we need to do an audit before we can arrive at such decisions.”
The committee had become one of the biggest monitoring bodies in the country with huge materials and monetary resources that some members were now abusing for the benefit of the MDC formations, leading to Zanu-PF threatening to quit the body.
In the run-up to elections, some Jomic officials refused to hand over the vehicles arguing that they were not bought by Government, but were donated to the inclusive Government as part of the GPA.
They argued that the vehicles were needed to be used for monitoring the elections although in the run-up to elections there were reports that some of the vehicles were being used for campaign purposes by some political parties.
Online Reporter