President extends tribunal tenure

Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
President Mnangagwa has extended by six months the tenure of the tribunal set up last year to inquire into corruption allegations against Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioner Frank Muchengwa.

The tribunal is chaired by retired Justice Nicholas Ndou and includes Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabiza, Dr Tarisai Mutangi and Ms Tecla Mapota.

The extension is contained in a Presidential Proclamation published in Statutory Instrument 228 of 2021.

Commissioner Muchengwa was suspended in September last year on corruption allegations while the tribunal was sworn in in October.

The tribunal was given five months to complete its task with an option for extension of the period.

It was tasked to investigate whether Commissioner Muchengwa interfered with the course of justice during the conduct of his duties; to investigate whether he interfered with investigations, received bribes and passed on confidential information concerning matters that he was investigating and to investigate whether or not he presided over matters that he had a conflict of interest.

The tribunal was also asked to consider all information submitted by the Judicial Services Commission in order to arrive at an appropriate recommendation to the President and investigate any other matter which the Tribunal may deem appropriate and relevant to the inquiry.

Section 237(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that a member of an independent commission may be removed from office only on the ground that the member concerned has been guilty of gross misconduct.

Commissioner Muchengwa was sworn-in in July 2019 after undergoing public interviews by Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee.

Upon completion of its mandate, the tribunal will present its recommendations in writing to the President.

ZACC is chaired by Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo and its commissioners include Ms Jessie Majome, Mr John Makamure, Ms Thandiwe Mlobane, Mr Michael Santi, Mr Kuziva Murapa, Mr Gabriel Chaibva and Ms Mabel Hungwe.