The Zimbabwe
Independent can exclusively reveal that the rejected candidates not only
exceeded the 62% benchmark required for the high-stakes role, but also passed
rigorous interviews and sensitive security checks.
Documents
showed the highflyers were cast aside in favour of then acting GM Charles
Shava, who was ranked fifth out of the seven final contenders.
The documents
show Shava scored 59,8% following a series of demanding interviews conducted by
a private consultant and the now sacked Emmanuel Fundira-led Nssa board.
Last month,
Shava was confirmed as substantive GM, replacing Arthur Manase, who resigned
while on suspension in September 2023.
The documents
expose troubling muscleflexing in the final selection phase.
The consultant
had recommended two standout candidates — Gilfern Moyo, who topped the list at
67,6%, and Tendai Kapumha, who followed closely with 65,7%. Also ahead of Shava
were Onesimo Musi who scored 61,8% and Henry Chikova, whose mark was 61,5%. All
four exceeded or came close to the 62% benchmark.
“Based on the
results of the assessment centre and the final oral interview ... the
consultant recommends the following top two candidates: Gilfern Moyo and Tendai
Kapumha,” the final report reads.
“The consultant
facilitated the oral interviews, designed the interview assessment guides and
guided the panel on how to administer the interviews. A panel of seven,
excluding the board chair, conducted the assessment centre and oral
interviews,” the report said.
The Independent
understands 10 shortlisted applicants had initially been submitted for
psychometric testing. Nine proceeded to security vetting, after which seven
were cleared for the final interviews. Two candidates withdrew “for personal
reasons”, according to the consultant’s report.
“A total of
seven candidates were assessed by the Nssa board, and the consultant
facilitated the whole process,” the recruitment dossier states.
On Tuesday, a
source close to the process said many in the dismissed Nssa board were shocked
when the government’s final decision came through.
“The report was
submitted three days after completing the interviews and shared with the
top-ranked candidates,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Of the seven
assessed, only two met the 62% baseline required for a position of such
seniority. Those two names were tabled by the then board and recommended for
appointment. What transpired thereafter was quite different. The ministry
consulted its own principals, who came up with a separate recommendation and
instructed the board to implement it.”
As Shava moved
into the top post, insiders said Fundira had already been raising red flags
over governance concerns surrounding the appointment.
Labour and
Social Welfare minister Edgar Moyo said in his letter terminating Fundira’s
chairmanship that the government wanted change at Nssa.
But sources
told the Independent the fallout followed Fundira’s protest over why the
top-performing candidates were sidelined.
This week,
Fundira declined a request for comment. Shava, in an interview last month,
said: “As a candidate myself, I may not be privy to some of these things.”
In a rare move,
Fundira later responded to his dismissal by sending a detailed letter to Moyo,
accusing him of violating the Nssa Act and the Public Entities Corporate Governance
Act. The letter was also copied to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“My appointment
was for four years and expires in May 2028,” Fundira wrote.
“I respectfully
bring to your attention that, upon careful examination of the termination
letter, I noticed that the stated reason is ‘to lay a new foundation for Nssa’.
However, the letter does not cite any section of the Nssa Act or the Public
Entities Corporate Governance Act as the basis for this action.”
A new board,
chaired by Bulawayo town clerk and retired army major Christopher Dube, was
recently announced as the successor. Zimbabwe Independent
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