Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday swore in 14 new commissioners appointed to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the Defence Forces Service Commission (DFSC) at a ceremony held at State House in Harare.
The appointments are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional oversight and enhance good governance across key sectors.
The 14 commissioners consisted of eight from ZACC and six from the Defence Forces Service Commission. Both Commissions have been operating with chairpersons and secretariats.
Those sworn in as ZACC Commissioners are former Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister, Mr Kindness Paradza, former Epworth Member of Parliament, Ms Zalerah Makari, Mr Shelton Dube, Mrs Chido Mudiwa, Dr Obson Matunja, Ms Betty Wenjere, Mr Patrick Tendai Mukorera and Mrs Meme Rumbidzai Zvimba.
President Mnangagwa also swore in Mr Charles Murongazvombo, Ms Mevis Gonde, Okay Mabhena, Mr Peddie Mugaba, Ms Patricia Sharah Bwerinofa and Ms Chipo Sheila Mahere as commissioners of the Defence Forces Service Commission.
Speaking after the swearing in ceremony, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said the new commissioners will enable the two commissions to fully carry out their constitutional mandates.
“In terms of our Constitution, ZACC is supposed to be constituted and have a chairman and eight other commissioners,” he said. “So from the beginning of the year, we did not have the full commission. The commission was not fully constituted.
“So what we witnessed today is that the President has appointed eight commissioners so that we have a full complement of our commission. This is to enable the commission to carry out its mandate fully. Work now begins. We only had the chairperson. Now the chairperson can work with a full complement of his commission, constitute his committees and the work is now going to begin in earnest.”
Minister Ziyambi said the newly sworn-in Defence Forces Service Commission will primarily look into the welfare of the Defence Forces.
“We also had the swearing-in of the Defence Service Commission and the Constitution stipulates that we must have six commissioners plus the chairperson, who is also the chairman of the Public Service Commission (Dr Vincent Hungwe),” he said.
“The Defence Service Commission’s role is the employer. So they assist in employment matters.
“You will notice that the chairman of the Defence Service Commission is also the chairman of the Public Services Commission, is the chairman of the police services commission, is the chairman of the prison services commission.
“So the role is to look into the welfare of members of the defence forces, their recruitment and assist in welfare matters.”
ZACC chairperson, Mr Michael Reza, said the swearing-in of the commissioners will enable the commission to fully execute its mandate.
“I have been working alone without the support of commissioners. We have been able to do well, but now that I have a full complement of commissioners, I have faith that we are going to do even better than what we did,” he said.
“You are well aware of our first quarter report where we stated that we exceeded our targets. So we want to use that as a stepping stone now that we are fully complemented.”
Mr Reza said one of the priorities of the Commission was to fill in senior positions.
“What we are going to do for example is filling senior positions, something that I could not do on my own. Now that we have a full complement of commissioners, that is what we are going to do.”
