Parly grills nominees for media commission

PARLIAMENT’S Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) on Monday 03 August 2009 interviewed 27 commissioners short-listed to assume posts in the long awaited Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC).

A five-member panel chaired by Senator Obert Gutu including Senator Chief Charumbira, Honourable Tabitha Khumalo, Honourable Edward Mkhosi and Honourable Mabel Chinomona conducted the interviews.

27 candidates attended the interviews which were held in the Senate Chambers at Parliament building from around 11:00 AM and ended at around 16:15 PM. 

The interviews were open to members of the public although they were not allowed to make any contributions besides just following proceedings.

The CSRO will nominate 12 candidates, whose names will be forwarded to President Robert Mugabe who will have the final authority to appoint 9 commissioners to the ZMC. The CSRO will also nominate 6 candidates whom they will forward to President Mugabe, who will appoint three of them onto the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). However, nominees were not asked whether or not they were amenable to joining BAZ.

The 27 interviewees included Dr Millicent Mombeshora, Vambe Jirira, Dr Chada, Susan Makore, G Majonga, Tichaona Zinhumwe, Ropafadzo Mapimhidze, Dr Vimbai Chivaura, Rev Useni Sibanda, Dr Lawton Hikwa, Henry Muradzikwa, Timothy Nyahunzvi, Wabata Munodawafa, Miriam Madziwa, Douglas Dhliwayo, Fidelis Zvomuya, Freddy Samupindu, Dr Tafataona Mahoso, Nqobile Nyathi, Roger Stringer, Kindness Paradza, Dr Rino Zhuwarara, Chris Mhike, Clemence Mabaso, Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa, Mathew Takaona and Benson Ntini. Elizabeth Karonga withdrew her candidature.

The CSRO chairman, Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo and his deputy chair Senate President Edina Madzongwe called the interviewees in, one at a time while panel chairman Senator Gutu gave an outline of the interview while his panel fielded the six structured and identical questions. 

Each interviewee was allocated 15 minutes to answer all the six questions and limited to spend two minutes and thirty seconds on a single question.

In brief the questions posed were; 

1)     What is the significance of the national anthem?

2)     If you were chosen, what would you contribute to the Commission to make it effective?

3)     What are the two key ethical issues in your profession and how have you lived up to them?

4)     What are the three best practices you would bring? 

5)     Give one strategy for the development and use of indigenous languages in the media?

6)     How would you see the relationship between the Commission and civil society? 

Panel chairman Senator Gutu told journalists that the CSROC was expected to shortlist the 12 nominees for the ZMC and the 6 nominees for the board of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Services by last night.

Other CSRO members who included Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, Minister of Constitutional&Parliamentary Affairs Eric Matinenga, ZANU-PF Chief Whip Joram Gumbo, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, MDC MP for Masvingo Urban Tongai Matutu, MDC deputy secretary-general and Hatfield MP Tapiwa Mashakada, ZANU PF Chivi Central MP Paul Mangwana were in attendance together with a four-member panel of human resources experts.

The CSRO is yet to conduct interviews for commissioners of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.