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(TALKZIMBABWE) Entire Affirmative Action Group board resigns

Entire Affirmative Action Group board resigns
By: Philip Murombedzi
Posted: Monday, April 4, 2011 10:59 pm

THE entire Affirmative Action Group of Zimbabwe board has resigned and is set to form another affirmative action group that is professional and free of control and personalisation by individuals.

The move follows a controversial appointment made by businessman Philip Chiyangwa to unilaterally appoint embattled former Zimbabwe Football Association chair, Henrietta Rushwaya, as vice president of the black empowerment organisation. Chiyangwa is a founder member of the AAG.

“The entire board has resigned following the controversial appointment,” said a source in the executive to the Zimbabwe Guardian on Monday

“We cannot have individuals (Chiyangwa) privatising and personalising an organisation that has a national outlook and whose objects are so important to drive the national economic empowerment and indigenisation process”.

The source continued: “We recognise that Chiyangwa was a founder member of the organisation, but we cannot have individuals arrogating themselves responsibilities that are held by a group of people, the AAG Board. We had to exorcise this demon that was making it difficult for the organisation to move forward.”

Chiyangwa appointed Rushwaya as vice president responsible for international empowerment and corporate affairs and a businesswoman, Jennifer Mhlanga as vice president for gender empowerment without consulting the AAG.

The AAG national executive issued a statement disowning Rushwaya, saying she was not part of AAG and that there were no presidential vacancies in the organisation.

Chiyangwa later gave an interview saying the AAG constitution granted him ‘exclusive powers’ to appoint the presidium by virtue of being the founder president and chairman.

He said he was the sole appointing authority and that no one could challenge the appointments within the AAG ranks.

Our source argued that Chiyangwa’s statement was tantamount to personalisation of the institution and there was no need for them to remain in that group. “For the AAG to be truly broadbased and people-driven, the process has to start from the bottom up, not the other way round.”

“Chiyangwa is free to go ahead with reconstituting the AAG. We will convene on Friday and form a new organisation that will take over the work we have been doing within the AAG,” the source added.

“The entire executive resigned effective today (Friday 4 April)”.

The former AAG executive had Supa Mandiwanzira as its president, three vice presidents, namely Sam Ncube, Themba Mliswa and Advocate Farai Mtamangira. Other members included secretary general Tafadzwa Musarara, Elifas Mashaba treasurer general, national committee member Chamu Chiwanza and the executive director Dr. Davison Gomo.

AAG executive director Dr Davison Gomo has also resigned.

Efforts to reach Chiyangwa proved fruitless at the time of going to press.

Labels: AAG, PHILLIP CHIYANGWA

posted by MrK @ 2:33 AM