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Karikoga Kaseke yesterday buried the hatchet following squabbles over the status of Miss Zimbabwe Personality Lungile Mathe.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Minister Mzembi and Mr Kaseke said they were now working together to bring the issue to its logical conclusion.
Mr Kaseke said he had “a frank and candid” discussion with Minister Mzembi over the matter.
“I have expressed my regret and apologies to the Minister (Mzembi) over the manner I conducted myself in my engagements with the media in an effort to explain myself and respond to media questions.
“I accept and respect the Minister’s counsel, authority and responsibility over this matter and over ZTA in general. I will henceforth desist from engaging with the media over this issue,” Mr Kaseke said.
He added that he submitted to the authority of Minister Mzembi as the minister also submitted to his authority. He said he would give Minister Mzembi “support, loyalty and cooperation.”
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Minister Mzembi said: “I am pleased that Mr Kaseke has realised the folly of us working at cross purposes by opening ourselves up to manipulation by the media.
“I am satisfied with the stance he has taken. The Ministry and its parastatal will fully focus on the various critical programmes and projects it has to complete in the second half of the year.”
Minister Mzembi said Mr Kaseke had pointed out that the ZTA board chairperson, Mrs Marah Hativagone and others would take up the matter and recommend to the ministry the way forward.
He said the committee’s terms of reference would be looking at what led to the dethronement, the reasons advan-ced, how it was implemented and addressing the aftermath.
Mrs Hativagone said she was pleased that Minister Mzembi and Mr Kaseke had decided to distance themselves from the issue until her board dealt with it. In a statement read on her behalf, by her deputy Mr Genius Maphosa, Mrs Hativagone said they have recommend the way forward to Minister Mzembi.
“In the meanwhile, I would like to implore the media to desist from further speculation on the matter as the concerned principals will no longer entertain any questions on the matter until they are ready to announce the final outcome,” Mrs Hativagone said.
She said her board would expedite the hearing to bring it to its finality. Mr Kaseke stripped Mathe off the Miss Personality Crown for “her uncouth and unbecoming behaviour that has brought the names of this organisation and the national pageant into disrepute.”
However, Minister Mzembi nullified the dethronement saying the issue had not been procedurally done. The Minister immediately ordered a “gender sensitive committee of four women and selected members of ZTA to solve the matter fairly,” saying failure to do so could tarnish the image of Zimbabwe. Mr Kaseke last week threatened to resign if his decision was reversed.
Online Reporter