THE main opposition MDC Alliance has expressed displeasure
at the appointment of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s relative, Kudakwashe David
Mnangagwa, to the National Building Society (NBS) board, describing the move as
nepotism.
MDC Alliance national spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the
appointment showed that Mnangagwa’s new dispensation was not different from
that of former President Robert Mugabe, who appointed his daughter, Bona, and
her husband Simba Chikore to very influential positions at State-owned
Enterprises (SoEs).
Bona was appointed to the Censorship Board last year, while
Chikore was appointed chief operating officer of national carrier Air Zimbabwe
in 2016.
Other members of the NBS board include Douglas Zimbango
(board chairperson), Precious Sibiya (board vice-chairperson), Tinotenda
Kambasha, Josephine Ncube, Nimrod Chiminya, Betserei Madzivire, Stanley
Kudenga, Munashe Shava, Theresa Murumbi and Ethel Chitanda.
“The MDC (Alliance) is irked by the decision to appoint
Kudakwashe David Mnangagwa on the NBS board, and just like any other form of
corruption, nepotism has no place in a democratic society,” Mafume said.
“In previous arrangements, we witnessed appointments of
Mugabe’s kith and kin and folk into influential positions, including the
appointment of both Bona and her husband Simba to State institutions,” he said.
Mafume described the move as “corrupt” and a total failure
to break from the past by the new regime.
“We are of the view that the NBS must be concentrating on a
radical housing programme, specifically for development and urbanisation of
rural areas. Appointing ‘a Mnangagwa’ to the board will not help this cause. As
a NSSA-owned [National Social Security Authority] bank, a clear appointment criterion
must be used and appointments must be made public.”
Mafume said the MDC Alliance, in its economic blue print
SMART, suggested that there be public interviews for appointments of people in
SoE boards to ensure transparency.
“We also restate that the NSSA reform is imperative to
ensure the commercial section brings back profits to the core business of
paying out pensions, and we find this kind of corruption to be an impediment.
More importantly institutions meant to combat corruption must investigate these
kinds of decisions.”
He said the roles of independent institutions like the
National Prosecuting Authority, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the
Zimbabwe Republic Police should be strengthened to deal with corruption.
Newsday
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