Parliament draws up final list of Zimbabwe media Commissioners
By Tichaona Sibanda
4 August 2009
Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee have drawn up a final list of applicants to sit on the new Zimbabwe Media Commission.
The list contains 12 names, described by the Committee as ‘experts in the media, and highly professionals in the field.’ The speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo will send the list to Robert Mugabe who will whittle it down to nine.
The five-member panel was chaired by MDC-T Senator Obert Gutu, and included ZANU PF Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira, MDC-T MP Tabitha Khumalo, MDC-M MP Edward Mkhosi and ZANU PF MP Mabel Chinomona conducted the interviews.
27 candidates attended the interviews which were held in the Senate Chambers at Parliament building from morning to late afternoon on Monday. The interviews were open to members of the public although they were not allowed to make any contributions besides just following proceedings.
Media lawyer Chris Mhike, impressed most during the interviews and was placed top of the final list of 12. Others who made it were veteran journalist Henry Muradzikwa and media lecturer Rino Zhuwarara, all 2 are also former chief executive officers of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. Robert Stringer also made it.
Former radio 3 disc jockey, Millicent Buzuzi Mombeshora, who is currently the Head of strategic planning and special projects with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe made it, and so did Susan Makore, former Director of Programmes at the ZBC, Nqobile Nyathi, former news editor of the Financial Gazette and former Chronicle senior staffer Miriam Madziwa.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists President Matthew Takaona, a former senior reporter with the Sunday Mail is also on the list, as are Reverend Useni Sibanda, former reporter with the Chronicle in Bulawayo, and Godfrey Majonga, former ZBC TV and radio news anchor.
Media hangman, Tafataona Mahoso failed to make it after he was described by one panellist as ‘hostile and typically arrogant’ during the interview. MISA advocacy officer Tabani Moyo told us Mahoso’s performance was so shocking that instead of answering questions, he spent most of his time redefining the questions.
‘He wasn’t answering the questions. All what he did was challenging the questions, which showed his lacking of appreciation for the process,’ Moyo said.
Moyo said without doubt the top five on the list had the best interest of the media at heart. But Mahoso’s failure to appear on the final list prompted calls by the state media of ‘bias towards candidates favoured by the MDC,’ an allegation that was reportedly ‘rubbished’ by the Standing Rules and Orders Committee.
The Herald alleged that the interviews were ‘mired in controversy,’ because a team of human resources experts, that drafted the questions, and MDC interviewers supposedly failed all candidates perceived to be sympathetic to ZANU PF, while passing pro-MDC applicants.
The Herald also reported that because of the supposed ‘favouritism,’ the interview process had to be eventually abandoned. But a panellist who interviewed the candidates on Monday denied the process was ever abandoned, saying the list that was drawn up on Tuesday morning was final.
‘The speaker has consulted widely with Standing Rules and Orders Committee members, including his deputy, the Senate President Edna Madzongwe. The process was done openly and fair and each candidate was given a maximum of 15 minutes to answer some questions prepared by human resources experts,’ a source told us.
The source added; ‘To say the committee passed pro-MDC applicants is pushing it, really. If the honest truth be told, it contains people who have all worked under ZANU PF. All the people on that list have worked for the state media under the direct control of ZANU PF. I can single out Nqobile Nyathi and Vimbai Chivaura as the only two candidates who have not had direct links with ZANU PF controlled media, otherwise the rest have held senior positions in the state media.’
The parliamentary committee will also draw up nominees to sit on the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) which regulates the operations of the electronic, radio and television industry. Furthermore, based on Monday’s interview, six nominees from the remaining candidates for the ZMC jobs will have their names forwarded o Mugabe who will appoint 3 of them. The other six will come from stakeholders from the electronic media.
The full list of Zimbabwe Media Commissioners and points awarded to them by Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee:
1. Chris Mhike 4,667
2. Rino Zhuwarara 4,583
3. Useni Sibanda 4,417
4. Miriam Sibanda Madziwa 4,347
5. Matthew Takaona 4,25
6. Robert Stringer 4,167
7. K.W. Munodawafa 4,083
8. Henry Muradzikwa 4,042
9. Nqobile Nyathi 3,833
10. Milicent Mombeshora 3,708
11. Mabasa C 3,708
12. Godfrey Majonga 3,667
13. Vimbai Chivaura 3,625
14. D.J Ntini 3,583
15. Susan Makore 3,542
16. Douglas Dhliwayo 3,458
17. Vambe Jirira 3,458
18. Kindness Paradza 3,375
19. Chris Mutsvangwa 3,333
20. Godfrey Chada 3,333
21 Tichaona Zinhumwe 3,331
22. L. Nhikwe 3,25
23. Tim Nyahunzvi 3
24. S. N. Samupingi 2,375
25. Fidelis Zvomuya 2,25
26. Ropafadzo Mapimhidza 2,308
27. Tafataona Mahoso 2,208
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