Decison to sack Lewanika stands: Mavhinga

By Dewa Mavhinga

Zimbabwe is steeped in a crisis of governance and leadership characterised by weak institutions that are swayed by personality cults and protracted succession challenges. 

The chaos in ZANU-PF in the lead up to its Congress next month is reflective of how democracy is in the intensive care unit in Zimbabwe when our doctors are on strike.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, whose vision is to see a democratic Zimbabwe, believes civil society has a critical role to play in nurturing and sustaining a culture of respect for principles and values of good governance, openness and accountability within the Zimbabwean society.

Zimbabwe’s development, that will improve the lives of ordinary people and boost international confidence and investment, is anchored on the pillars of strong democratic institutions.

It is necessary to invest in strong democratic institutions, not in strong individuals, in order to sustainably fight the struggles of ordinary Zimbabweans.

To be effective in holding government and other public or private institutions accountable, we must be strong actors and staunch defenders of the values we subscribe to.

Recalling that a duly constituted Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Board legitimately met on October 10, 2014, and decided not to renew the director’s employment contract based on, among other things, an adverse 2013 External Audit report that the Board reviewed; And regrettably noting the continued defiance and resistance by the affected employee, Mr McDonald Lewanika, working in cahoots with the Spokesperson, Mr Mfundo Mlilo to issue contrary statements to cause chaos and confusion; we state as follows:

• The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition decision not to renew the director’s employment contract stands as made on 10 October 2014.
• The illegal, so-called Special General Meeting improperly called by the Secretariat for the purpose of reversing the Board decision on one employee is null and void and will not take place under current conditions where there is no harmonisation among members and where the outgoing director is driving chaos to address a personal employment contract issue. All Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition members were duly notified that the Board did not authorise the unsigned, anonymous notice for the Special General Meeting and that, should such a meeting be required, proper procedures will be followed to convene the meeting. The Board, will not attend the bogus meeting, but will continue to defend the legitimate interests of the Coalition and ensure that civil society does not set precedence wherein disgruntled employees disregard governance structures and resort to political shenanigans to evade accountability.
• As civil society, we are a national force whose positive values and systems of governance must be above reproach if they are to be reflected at national level, this is why we refuse to be bullied or blackmailed and remain committed, standing on principle to insist that we must adhere to our own internal values of transparency and accountability.
• As leadership, we will not stand aside and let a manifestly corrupt cabal destroy the people’s movement for the sake of their individual stomachs. For us to sustain the cause for democracy, we must refrain from adopting and perfecting ZANU-PF-style non-democractic methods of retaining positions as this makes us no different from those we so often criticize. Our relevance as civil society, and our role in building strong democratic institutions is defined by our capacity to demonstrate leadership of conviction and not of convenience. The moment we abandon our core values of accountability and good governance is the moment our relevance comes into serious question.
• We urge Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition members not to attend the meeting called by Lewanika and Mlilo on the 17^th November 2014 at Wild Geese Lodge as doing so would be to give legitimacy to bogus processes that are of no legal force or effect.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is a strictly non-partisan and independent civil society platform for the coordination, convening, and amplification of voices of civil society organizations concerned with good governance, democracy and human rights issues. Its vision is a democratic Zimbabwe.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Board Chairperson, Dewa Mavhinga