HARARE - Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo should be applauded for setting the pace by taking immediate and courageous action to reverse an appointment he had made.
Other ministers of lesser mettle would have shirked from remedying the potentially contagious flaw without batting an eyelid.
The immediate withdrawal of Dennis Magaya’s appointment as chairman of the embattled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) board is a blue-chip example that other ministers should emulate if government is serious about tackling the rot that has gnawed most of its institutions to the core.
It gives the public the right cue and raises its confidence in the State leadership to know that among the current crop of ministers, there are some willing to correct their mistakes for national good than wait until indiscretions or imprudence begin to fester.
Obviously, it would profit the country if board appointments in quasi-governmental institutions are made with an unquestionably rigorous process that involves competent members of the Parliamentary Select Committees.
Government could also regulate on the maximum number of boards an individual can sit on for the sake of avoiding concomitant recycling of trite ideas and strategies by the same individuals from one board to the other.
Cumulative loss to individual greed impacts negatively on aspired national progress to prosperity.
Moyo’s commendable decision gives expressive meaning and credence to State’s intention to avoid mistakes it made in the past where integrity credentials or competency were subservient to political consideration as evidenced by George Charamba’s concession regarding suspended ZBC boss, Happison Muchechetere.
And all it requires for other ministers to emulate Moyo’s example is perform their duties in checking references and being conscientious about the due diligence process before making the appointments notwithstanding requisite competency to instil financial probity.
Due diligence typifies itself when Moyo belatedly interrogates his appointee’s credentials thus: “... of great concern to the ministry, it has since transpired that after designing a $25 million new strategy for Powertel, the recently dissolved Powertel board proceeded to hire Magaya to implement his own design despite the fact that the State Procurement Board had specifically disqualified his company from participating in the tender on grounds that he was conflicted as the designer of the strategy which was the subject of the tender...”
We hope Moyo’s decisiveness sets an enduring benchmark on which all future appointments are made to ensure the best out of the hybrid human resources available at the nation’s disposal is made good use of.
It merits all accolades one can think of.
A man’s mettle and acumen is judged by the ability to see his mistakes and instantly take necessary corrective measures.