MISA-Zimbabwe Alert: Speaker speaks on commission interviews

There was no deadlock on Monday. It is normal that people would voice concern if their preferred candidate received low marks. But the matter has been finalised. Parliaments presiding officers (Hon Moyo and President of the Senate Edna Madzongwe) and her deputy Naison Ndlovu met, said the Speaker when contacted by the state-controlled national daily The Herald.

I am happy to say we have fully concluded the matter with 12 names to be sent to His Excellency and six to be sent to the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity anytime from now.

The list of six will be submitted to the President who will in turn appoint three members to serve with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). However, still in contention, of which the public is owed an explanation, relates to how SROC also bundled the ZMC interviews with those for BAZ. The advertisements placed for applications to be submitted for interviews by the Committee were specifically for the ZMC and made no mention of the possibilities of the interviewees being also considered and short listed for BAZ appointments.

On 4 August 2009 The Herald reported that the process hit a snag after Zanu PF officials led by Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana allegedly realised that the interviews were allegedly fraudulent and biased against candidates perceived as sympathisers of Zanu PF.

It was reported that parties to the agreement then resolved that all the names of the 27 candidates interviewed be forwarded to the President without ranking them. It is against that backdrop that MISA-Zimbabwe expressed fear that submitting the list of candidates wholesale to the President would be a serious breach and abdication of responsibility on the part of parliament pertaining to a process that is protected by a constitutional provision.

In terms of Constitutional Amendment No 19 the envisaged Commission shall consist of a chairperson and eight other members appointed by the President from a list of not fewer than twelve nominees submitted by the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders.

It is on the basis of that constitutional provision that the interviews were conducted on 3 August 2009 by the Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC).

Background

A five-member interviewing panel comprising members of SROC on 3 August 2009 interviewed a total of 27 potential candidates who will be short listed for appointment to the ZMC and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). A four-member panel of experts was also in place to determine the final list of candidates that will be short listed for onward appointment by the President.