Maravi

ZANU-PF, MDC in new wrangle

ZANU-PF, MDC in new wrangle
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:13:15 PM

A NEW wrangle that could potentially destabilise Zimbabwe's inclusive government has erupted between ZANU-PF and MDC over which ministry should run telecommunications companies and their regulatory bodies.

The wrangle started last week when media, information and publicity minister Webster Shamu [ZANU-PF] and information and communication technology minister Nelson Chamisa [MDC] "clashed" when the former wanted to address workers at the government owned mobile phone company NetOne, which the latter claimed was under his portfolio.

Following the "clash", the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, wrote to the two ministries outlining their mandates, and the President's decision on the matter.

Dr Sibanda stated that under the new arrangement, the communications department had been moved from the MDC-run information and communications technology ministry to the ZANU-PF-run transport and infrastructure development ministry, which would now be responsible for all the communication parastatals and their regulatory bodies.

But Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai hit back, stating that the decision was a "blatant violation of the political agreement that established the inclusive government in order to suit individuals."

According to Dr Sibanda, the disputed department of communications had been lumped under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.

The Ministry has since had its name changed to become the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development under minister Nicholas Goche [ZANU-PF].

This ministry would now oversee the operations at mobile phone company NetOne, fixed phone line firm TelOne, and postal services company Zimpost, together with their governing body, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.

The Department of Communications would be governed by the Postal and Telecommunications Act, Postal and Telecommunications Services Act and Postal and Telecommunications Corporation Act.

Dr Sibanda also outlined the mandates of the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity and the Ministry of Information Communication Technology.

The media, information and publicity ministry will deal with such media organisations as the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings, Zimbabwe Newspapers, Kingston's and news agency - New ZIANA.

The information and communication technology ministry would focus on, among other issues, developing appropriate policies and strategies of ICT innovations while spearheading the development of regulatory frameworks that facilitate the development of ICT.



The ministry would also champion and promote ICT literacy in the country while formulating laws and regulations that would establish necessary departments.

But Prime Minister Tsvangirai, through his spokesperson James Maridadi, has declared the presidential decision "null and void".

"This does not only fly in the face of the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement but is also an illegality as the political agreement has legal effect, " Prime Minister Tsvangirai said.

The Prime Minister said the allocation of mandates to ministries came into effect via a process of negotiation by the three political parties to the agreement and as such no one party to that negotiating process would unilaterally alter such mandates without affecting the due process of negotiations.

Tsvangirai said such "blatant violations of the political agreement to suit individuals" were a cause for grave concern as they had the effect of taking people off the course of national reconstruction.

Labels: MDC, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 12:11 PM