Maravi

(ZIMPAPERS) ‘Dirty’ political games at ZEC

‘Dirty’ political games at ZEC
Saturday, 27 August 2011 21:59
Sunday Mail Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is working to predetermine the outcome of the impending national elections through a dodgy human resources exercise that seeks to replace key personnel with Western-sponsored functionaries, it has been established.

It emerged last week that ZEC authorities intend to displace staff that served under the administration of former commission chairman Justice George Chiweshe and to set up structures amenable to the said plan.

Justice Chiweshe’s former private secretary, Miss Felistas Maziriri, has since been summarily transferred from current chairman Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe’s office on flimsy grounds that include “wearing jeans and carrying out duties while barefooted”.

A private consultancy firm — commissioned to conduct a job evaluation — also raised eyebrows after it outlined new structures for the commission way before the conclusion of the exercise.

Sources revealed last week that Miss Maziriri was transferred from Justice Mutambangwe’s Rainbow Towers office in May this year after being classified a “threat to the organisation”.

She was subsequently stationed in a typing pool at ZEC’s Century House offices in central Harare and later transferred to work under commission deputy chairperson Mrs Joyce Kazembe.

The sources said her transfer to Century House violated labour regulations as she was not afforded the opportunity to respond to the charges.

Among the allegations are inappropriate dressing; serving clients barefooted; leaving the office without “serious” reasons; incurring a huge telephone bill and visiting the office of the commission secretary.

Miss Maziriri could not be reached to comment on whether she would take legal action.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Justice Mutambanengwe referred all questions to Mrs Kazembe, who is the acting chair.
She was unreachable.

“She was never afforded disciplinary proceedings, but was summarily removed from her office,” said a source.

“If the senior officers were of the view that she was not fit (to execute her duties) for the given reasons, why did they transfer her from the typing pool to the deputy chair’s office?

“What seems to emerge here is a story behind the story. This is bolstered by reports that they want to ‘eliminate’ all those who were working under the old commission in preference to a new secretariat.

“They want to deal with things clandestinely without anyone knowing so that this regime change agenda finds root.”

The sources said the work of the private consultancy firm conducting the job evaluation raised eyebrows.

They said the company had already come up with new structures centering on job analysis; grading and validation well ahead of the conclusion of the exercise.
It is understood committee members who fall under the structures will be trained, beginning tomorrow.

A labour expert who preferred anonymity said the entire exercise reeked of a hidden agenda.

“It does not make sense. The firm has not even done any investigations and, therefore, not come up with findings. Yet, it is already setting up structures,” said the labour expert.

“Are the findings genuine or self-fulfilling?”

Zimbabwe is due to hold elections soon following the expiry of the lifespan of the inclusive Government.

Zanu-PF maintains the polls should proceed in line with stipulations of the Global Political Agreement while the MDC-T appears to be dragging its feet.

The MDC-T has, in the meantime, also advocated the restructuring of ZEC, raising fears that developments at the commission stem from an over-arching political agenda.

On February 3 2011, MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti wrote what turned out to be a “take note” document to Justice Mutambanengwe outlining his party’s direction and thrust before elections.

In the supposed letter, Mr Biti brought to the attention of the ZEC chairman issues that exceeded the powers of the organisation as a way of trying to create a “psychosis” that the electoral body has too many issues to attend to before elections.

-The Sunday Mail

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), TENDAI BITI, ZEC

posted by MrK @ 3:24 PM