Minister quizzed over Bona, hubby appointments

Chitungwiza North legislator Godfrey Sithole on Wednesday confronted Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Tapiwa Matangaidze over the appointment of the President’s daughter, Bona and her husband Simba Chikore into top government posts.

Speaking during Wednesday’s question and answer session in parliament, Sithole began by citing Section 194(k) of the Constitution, “which clearly states that ‘employment, training and advancement practices must be based on merit, ability, objectivity, fairness, equality of men and women and the inclusion of persons with disabilities”.

“I would want to know the Government policy regarding the appointment of various persons in various boards,” he said in a question he directed at Matangaidze.

“I am saying this on the background of what we recently read in the media which related to nepotism, whereby the daughter of the President was appointed to sit on two boards and the son of the President also appointed as senior official in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.”

Sithole was however denied the opportunity to have his question responded to after the Speaker of the house Jacob Mudenda overruled his question which he said did not arise as it was raised as a supplementary but turned out to be unrelated to the original one.

The appointment of the President’s son-in-law as Air Zimbabwe Chief Operations Officer in October last year was met with strong criticism from the country’s opposition and Zimbabweans in general who felt the trained pilot was not qualified to hold the lofty post.

However, Transport Minister Jorum Gumbo insisted then that the appointment was above board adding that the Chikore was the best man for the job.

Lately, Bona was appointed into the country’s Censorship Board the new state-run Empower Bank.

Youth and indigenisation minister Patrick Zhuwao has also defended the appointment into a board under his ministry, saying the first family’s only daughter was entitled to any employment like any other citizen. Radio VOP