By Loice Dube (Staff Writer)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed a 26-member Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) purportedly going to help to bring in diverse ideas to attain the country’s 2030 vision of becoming a middle income economy.
In a statement issued by Chief Secretary to the Office of President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, “PAC members are appointed by His Excellency the President based on experience, expertise, leadership, contacts and standing in society. They should be non-partisan and will serve at the pleasure of the president.”
This implies that PAC should certainly be non-partisan for it to effectively and efficiently serve its intended purpose. However, the appointing authority being the President defeats the whole idea that members’ tenure of office requires one to be non-partisan.
Some members of PAC are well known of openly siding with the ruling party ZANU PF which more or less translates to clear evidence of political patronage.
One of PAC members who is Sakunda Holding Chief Executive Kudakwashe Tagwirei has for a long time enjoyed privileges associated with the ruling party and has sponsored ZANU PF led government projects like the famous Command Agriculture.
Alpha Media Holding boss Trevor Ncube has also been appointed as PAC member. Having been anti ZANU PF which was then led by former President Robert Mugabe, he became the darling of ZANU PF upon the assumption of power by President Mnangagwa in November 2017.
Posting on his Twitter account, he said, “I get attacked for having faith in @edmnangagwa‘s sincerity in changing Zimbabwe. I perfectly understand why some people are angry with me. I have met the man and am convinced he is committed to durable change. In any case I can’t see anybody else with potential to deliver change.”
“Spending time in my second home SA I get asked: how are things in Zim? Answer: Life is tough. I am not worried. I am confident this is temporary turbulence of reversing 38 years of corruption/autocracy and doing nothing. I see the challenges. I am optimistic about long term progress,” added Ncube.
Being partisan can be a demise to a noble idea of the advisory council as the member can establish monopoly by policy.
