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(NEWZIMBABWE) Tsvangirai can't fire Maridadi: Charamba

Tsvangirai can't fire Maridadi: Charamba
by Staff Reporter
20/07/2010 00:00:00

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has been told he has NO AUTHORITY to make staff changes in his office -- temporarily scuttling his plans to appoint a new spokesman. President Robert Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba said: "We hear that persons are being dismissed or re-eployed in the Prime Minister’s Office.

"No political party can employ a civil servant to its offices let alone re-deploy them. "The moment you join Government service, you become an employee of the Public Service Commission.

"If a politician or permanent secretary is not happy with an officer, the only thing he or she can do is to surrender the officer to the employer, who is the PSC. These are PSC rules."

It was widely reported last week that Tsvangirai was planning a staff cull in his office that would see Maridadi, among others, either being fired or re-assigned.

Party spokesman, Nelson Chamisa did not deny the changes were planned, telling the state-run Herald newspaper: "This is a process of re-alignment in the PM’s Office, which is meant to strengthen the party and his office.

“(But), discussions are ongoing and no decisions have been made. But the names that are under consideration are that of Mr (William) Bango and Mr (Luke) Tamborinyoka."

Bango is the MDC-T’s director of policy and elections and has served as Tsvangirai’s spokesperson before, while Tamborinyoka is the party’s director of information.

However, the party had changed tackk last night, possibly after being alerted to the procedural hurdles.

Chamisa indicated to NewZimbabwe.com that “no imminent changes” were being planned.

Tsvangirai’s secretary Ian Makone also insisted: “(While) the Prime Minister has the prerogative to make any changes in his office but I am not aware of any changes as of now.”

Meanwhile a PSC official backed Charamba’s position saying: "By virtue of them being civil servants, they can only be re-deployed, dismissed, demo-ted or promoted by the PSC.

"This means that affected civil servants can contest any reassignment with the PSC."

Labels: GEORGE CHARAMBA, JAMES MARIDADI, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 10:06 AM