Addressing thousands of people at four 10th MDC Anniversary rallies in Matebeleland North over the weekend, Tsvangirai said the Constitution-making process would bring in a free and democratic Zimbabwe.

“The new people-driven Constitution will do away with repressive laws such as the AIPPA (Access to Information and Public Protection Act) and POSA (Public Order and Security Act),” he said. The rallies were held at Manjolo Business Centre, Tinde Business Centre in Binga on Saturday, Sipepa Business Centre and Tsholotsho Growth Point on Sunday.

Thousands of people attended all the four marathon rallies that marked the celebration of MDC’s 10 years since its formation. President Tsvangirai also said he was happy that the people of Zimbabwe had realised that it was only the MDC that could bring real change to the country. “I am grateful that the people of Zimbabwe have realised that the MDC is the party that can bring real change.

“Ten years after the formation of the party, we have moved from being an opposition to the majority party. We have moved from being leaders of the opposition to leaders of government,” he said. He also dispelled reports that the MDC had been swallowed by Zanu PF since it formed the inclusive government with the Zanu PF.

“The MDC is not going to be swallowed by Zanu PF because there is no way that a majority party can be swallowed by a minority party,” he said. The MDC enjoys a majority share in parliament after it defeated Zanu PF in the March 2008 harmonised elections. However, President Tsvangirai bemoaned the lack of paradigm shift on the part of Zanu PF.

“Zanu PF does not want to see progress and this is shown by the continued disregard of the rule of law and the refusal to resolve outstanding issues.

“However, despite these challenges, the past seven months have seen incremental progress. There is stabilisation of the economy. Schools and hospitals have reopened. It is our hope to increase liquidity on the market,” he said. He said the government would see to it that all farmers had access to agricultural inputs in order to increase food production.

“This is only a transitional arrangement but it will give food security to the country. However, this programme will enable you to be self sustainable and bring the country to its former state as the breadbasket of southern Africa,” he said.

Tsvangirai was accompanied by several senior MDC officials, who included, the deputy national organising secretary, Senator Morgen Komichi, national youth chairman, Thamsanqa Mahlangu,  Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and Minister Gorden Moyo. Also present at the rallies were parliamentarians, provincial and district members.

(ZLHR) is pleased to advise that on Monday 24 August 2009, Mr. Andrew Makoni was duly and unanimously elected the new Chairperson of ZLHR.

He will be deputized by Ms. Sarudzayi Njerere, whilst Mr. Selby Hwacha takes over as the Chair of ZLHR’s Finance and Administration Committee.

Upon assuming the leadership of the organisation, Mr. Makoni said in a statement: “I follow in a line of remarkable and exemplary leaders who have guided this dynamic organisation since its formative stages in 1996 through to today.

In particular, my predecessor Josephat Tshuma astutely guided this ship through very difficult and trying times… We have to confront many challenges if ZLHR is to remain relevant to our society. We should continue our calls for reforms in the security sector and other key institutions.

 We should not stop our demand for a new people-driven constitution, an independent judiciary, and an independent prosecuting authority.

We must demand democracy and good governance and the respect of human rights and human dignity. Our advantage is having a voice which the society trusts and listens to.

Let us take advantage of that opportunity.” ZLHR Board, Staff and Members wish to congratulate the incoming leadership, and acknowledge the sterling work done by the previous office-bearers and the entire Board.

We look forward to continuing with tenacity our mandate to promote and protect human rights in Zimbabwe under the guidance of our new executive. ENDS

Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Diplomatic correspondent and propagandist, Judith Makwanya and ZBC’s Chief Executive Officer and war veteran, Happison Muchechetere, as well as Herald Newspaper’s assistant editor, Ceaser Zvayi, had their visa applications to enter the USA denied by the embassy in Harare.

A US embassy official said the trio had applied for visas to cover the United Nations General assembly which takes place in New York next month, but their applications were turned down on the grounds that they were on the US and European Union sanctions lists.

‘These so called state journalists have taken part in activities which undermine press freedom in Zimbabwe. They have aided the Mugabe regime to promote violence, intimidation and murder of innocent civilians in Zimbabwe and we have no business in welcoming them to the USA,’ said the official.

A senior official in the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity confirmed that the state journalists have been denied visas, although several government ministers currently on the EU and USA sanctions lists, including Mugabe, were given visas.

‘We reward state journalists loyal to Zanu PF by giving them such foreign trips. They stand to lose thousands of dollars if they fail to take part in the UN General Assembly trip because it is the most rewarding in terms of travel and subsistence allowances,’ said the official.

Makwanya, who has been travelling to the USA for the past five years, is accused of propping up the Mugabe regime by portraying Zanu PF in a positive manner despite the party’s gross violations of human rights which saw over 500 opposition supporters being murdered in the run-up to last year’s discredited presidential run-off, where Mugabe was the sole candidate.

Muchechetere also stands accused of victimising several broadcasters on allegations that they were sympathetic to the opposition following Zanu Pf’s loss to the MDC in the March 29 harmonised elections.

At least seven journalists and senior managers with the state media were in February added to the European Union’s (EU) targeted sanctions lists for whipping up a government orchestrated terror campaign before and during the June 2008 presidential runoff.

On the list is Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) chief correspondent, Reuben Barwe; diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya; current affairs producer Musorowegomo Mukosi; ZBC acting chief executive officer (CEO) Happison Muchechetere, Zimbabwe Newspapers (CEO) Justin Mutasa, Pikirai Deketeke
editor of The Herald, senior assistant editor Caesar Zvayi and The Sunday Mail political editor Munyaradzi Huni.

Professional journalists at the state media are being left out on international trips, as those viewed loyal to the regime are rewarded with international trips where they are paid thousands of dollars in allowances.
Meanwhile, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has written to the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Webster Shamu requesting for a response and update on progress towards implementation of envisaged media reforms.

MISA’s letter comes on the backdrop of submissions made to the Ministry by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) and the recommendations of the media stakeholders conference held in Kariba in May this year.

“MISA Zimbabwe is of the well considered view that as a follow up to the Kariba Media Stakeholders Conference, and given the lack of acknowledgement of the written input of those that were unable to attend it, there should be a mechanism through which your good office can facilitate further debate on various issues about democratic media reform in the country before considering these resolutions final,” said MISA chairperson, Loughty Dube.
Noting that haphazard reforms were inimical to the advancement of freedom of expression, access to information as well as press freedom, he said a review process was therefore of critical importance.

 This would assist in determining whether the MAZ submissions, Kariba recommendations and the current parliamentary legislative process pertaining to the establishment of the statutory Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe were complementary or contradictory.

“The request for a mechanism to dialogue further on the proposed recommendations is made in the spirit and letter of the principle of a consultative follow up on the recommendations before they are considered to be final.

“It is best practice, the world over and especially in democratic societies, that where a policy reform conference has occurred, the final report and recommendation of such said conference, be considered by the relevant stakeholders. This is in order to maintain the spirit of inclusiveness and participatory decision making in as pragmatic a manner possible,” said Dube.

The letter was also copied to the Deputy Minister Jameson Timba, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technologies Gift Chimanikire and the Permanent Secretary for Media Information and Publicity George Charamba.

AROUND ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) wishes to voice its deepest concerns around recent developments in relation to the establishment of various national commissions as provided for in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Interparty Political Agreement (IPA), and the manner in which the process has been reported in the public media.

ZLHR notes the continued biased, inaccurate and sometimes very misleading reporting in the state-controlled print or electronic media respectively. Their continued and unchanged monopoly and unrepentant propensity to publish biased and false “news” has the potential to be conveyed to a large section of the general public, and this “news” can have severe and negative intended or unintended consequences. It is therefore necessary that the issues raised be clarified and put in the correct perspective.

On a number of occasions in the past 3 weeks, “news” reports focusing on the appointment procedure for members of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) have stated, through the unethical and unprofessional use of unnamed and unidentifiable sources, that the selection process has purportedly been suspended, and that a system of “proportional representation” of the three political parties which are signatories of the IPA will be used to establish this commission, as well as the three other commissions (namely the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission). The reason advanced by various government sources, named and unnamed, is that there must be acceptance that all appointments now will be “partisan” as it is “not yet time” for such bodies to be “professional”.

Such a position would not only defy logic, but it would also clearly violate the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, as amended by Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No.19) Act.

The Constitution stipulates a clear process for the establishing, independence and effectiveness of these commissions. Media practitioners from the Herald, Sunday Mail and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation cannot wish away clear provisions of the Constitution, as much as they – or those on whose behalf they continue to churn out false and misleading stories – would like to believe that they can.

It would be unfortunate if the Standing Rules and Order Committee or any other authority reasonably and impartially applying his/her/its mind to this issue were to be misled into unlawful action on the basis of the false stories emanating from the partisan state-controlled media.

All parties to the IPA, including those in the executive and the legislature have bound themselves to the provisions therein, particularly Article 11.1(a) which states that: “it is the duty of all political parties and individuals to respect and uphold the Constitution and other laws of the land”. This provision is consistent with principles and tenets expected of any democratic society which abide by the doctrine of Rule of Law. Attempts to vary the Constitution through varying the provisions of the IPA, or by agreement of the principals, are illegal.

Independent commissions are not there to serve the narrow and partisan interests of politicians from select political parties, but all the people of a country who rely on such institutions for protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms. If Zimbabwe is to move towards a new era of democratic and transparent governance where all politicians and state institutions are accountable to, and serve, the people such commissions must be properly and timeously established, and their independence guaranteed and respected.

The unfortunate developments in relation to this statutory commission also highlight why self-regulation of the media would have been the better option, consistent with regional and international best practices.

ZLHR therefore calls for:

1.       An immediate cessation of the publication of falsehoods and claims by unnamed sources by the state-controlled print and electronic media.

2.       A public retraction of the false information which has been published through these communication channels.

3.       An immediate public inquiry into the editorial policy and actions of the state-controlled media in relation to the reportage around the Zimbabwe Media Commission by the Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Technology.

4.       An immediate public clarification by the Chairperson of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders of developments in relation to the establishment of the Zimbabwe Media Commission.

5.       An immediate public commitment by the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders to abide by the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe in relation to the establishment of the Zimbabwe Media Commission, and the establishment of the other independent commissions as prescribed in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, more specifically the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Any attempts to subvert the provisions of the Constitution will be strongly resisted by ZLHR in the public interest and corrective legal action will inevitably be taken. Any violations of the Constitution of Zimbabwe will also be brought to the attention of the SADC Chairperson in his representative capacity as SADC guarantor of the IPA.

Politicians must not be allowed to unlawfully vary the provisions of the Constitution to suit their own political agendas with continued impunity, and attempts to use the public media to corruptly manipulate the systems of governance should be condemned in the strongest manner possible. Such conduct will not be allowed to go unchallenged.

Magistrate Jarabini acquitted Shonhe at the close of the State’s case on Monday, stating that it was improper to put Shonhe on his defence in the absence of evidence by the State to find a prima facie suspicion of an offence having been committed.

He said the State had ruined its case by bringing to court two investigating officers, Detective Henry Dowa and Chief Superintendent Peter Magwenzi, who were treated as State witnesses, rather than bringing the alleged abductees Fanny Tembo, Lloyd Tarumbwa and Terry Musona .

The state is using the alleged abductees as witnesses in the prosecution of several other MDC and human rights campaigners.

The Magistrate stated that the evidence tendered in court by Dowa and Magwenzi amounted to hearsay and was inadmissible in court, hence there was no evidence to prove the essential elements of the offence as alleged by the State.

‘It is therefore improper to place Shonhe on his defence and therefore he is entitled to an acquittal,’ ruled Jarabini Shonhe had been on trial for perjury since last month for allegedly swearing in an affidavit that state security agents had once again abducted Tembo, Musona and Tarumbwa from their Banket homes in Mashonaland West after they were taken from their homes by Magwenzi to the Attorney General (AG)’s office.

The acquittal follows several other similar acquittals involving MDC activists and other human rights defenders in the recent past.

Doctors at major referral hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo began boycotting work this week pressing the government for more pay.

The doctor’s strike quickly brought back memories of last year when striking doctors and nurses deserted public hospitals as an unprecedented cholera epidemic ravaged Zimbabwe, infecting more than 90 000 people and killing more than 4 000 others before it was brought under control in February with help from international relief agencies. 

Since then Minister Madzorera has been spearheading government efforts to restore the health system after last year’s disturbances.

“Definitely the strike action will have an effect on efforts to revive the health sector. Doctors remain at the centre of the recovery process and any strike action is likely to have a negative effect.

“We are appealing to the health workers to bear with us while the negotiations are taking place, the Health Services Board is dealing with the matter and has made a request to the Ministry of Finance but it’s not a secret that the government is hamstrung by financial problems at the moment.”

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association is demanding that doctors should be paid salaries of US$1 000 per month plus $500 allowance compared to the US$170 that they earn now.

The association has promised to extend the job boycott to all government hospitals across the country that are the source of health service for more than 90 percent of Zimbabweans.

 Although doctors are at the centre of the health recovery process and any strike action is likely to have a negative effect, the MDC calls on the government to give a living wage considering the amount of work and sacrifice they put in saving the lives of the people. The MDC fully understands and supports the cause of the doctors and other civil servants.

We urge the government through the Health Services Board, which is involved in the recruitment and welfare of doctors, to look into the plight of the doctors before the strike spreads to other government district hospitals.

Swift action is needed considering that the strike by the doctors comes exactly a year after the first national cholera outbreak was recorded in Harare last August.

The MDC notes that problems in the financing of health and health services are evident throughout the sector and therefore calls on the inclusive government to put in place measures to prioritise issues of health, which is a basic human right.

There is need for increased finances and health-care resources for both drugs and staff. The MDC is a party of excellence and we believe in, and take serious cognisance of, the importance of health and its centrality to national development, noting that no prospects for development will be realised if the population suffers from ill health, if visitors and investors are not assured of access to quality health care.

The MDC urges the government to ensure the realisation of the people’s right to health, as enshrined in the Constitution, by fulfilling, progressively, the government’s obligation to ensure accessible, affordable, acceptable quality health services.

It gives us great pleasure and it is indeed an honour to be here with you today in Chicago. It is very humbling for our organization – Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights – to have been considered for, let alone now have received, the 2009 ABA Rule of Law Award.
Ladies and Gentlemen, human rights lawyers in Zimbabwe have contributed – and continue to contribute – immensely to the struggle for democratization and observance of the Rule of Law in our country. They are professionals who could well have left the country for greener pastures at the first signs of trouble. They could have turned a blind eye to the abuses which went on – and continue to go on – around them, as a minority of them still, in fact, regrettably do to this day. They could have chosen to view the law as something which is black and white, not something which must be used creatively to claim rights for those vulnerable to attack by the state, or something that must be challenged to prevent persecution and the covering up of abuses.
Instead, human rights lawyers in Zimbabwe have stood steadfast in protecting and promoting the rights of their fellow Zimbabweans and the independence of the legal profession. For their efforts, some have been subjected to character assassination in the state-controlled media, or assaulted by police in peaceful protests against the harassment of the profession. Others have been abducted by youth militias from their offices, beaten and tortured in bases, only to reappear bruised and battered after several days of incommunicado detention. Lawyers have had to deal with threats to their own lives and safety, as well as that of their families and colleagues. Some have been forced into self-imposed exile; others have chosen to remain in Zimbabwe and continue representing their clients whilst moving from one safe house to another. Yet others have been arrested and subjected to malicious prosecutions on spurious charges by state agents who want to silence the voices of those who insist on accountability, transparency, and the right to criticize state policies and actions which impact negatively on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of Zimbabwe.
In March 2008, the people of Zimbabwe voted overwhelmingly in presidential and parliamentary elections for change and renewal. Unfortunately our state institutions were unable to protect the vote and ensure that the will of the people was heard and respected. As a result of political intervention, we now have an inclusive government comprising the three political parties with representation in Parliament in those 2008 elections.
In the Interparty Political Agreement which led to the formation of this inclusive government in February 2009, our leaders undertook to work for an immediate stabilization of the crashing economy and the overwhelming humanitarian crisis. They also undertook to bring an end to the violations of the rights of ordinary Zimbabweans and to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms. They promised that there would be an immediate return to the Rule of Law and a guarantee of the security of all persons. The agreement also acknowledged the need for urgent reform of key institutions such as the electoral commission and institutions of justice delivery (such as the police and the judiciary), and legislative reform, commencing with the drafting of a new constitution and the repeal of repressive media and security legislation.
As Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, we could have sat back, and said that such promises indicate that our work has ended and our services are no longer required. But as all lawyers know, the devil is in the detail of a contract, and words mean nothing without the will to implement the provisions. So, whilst we have seen measurable improvement in relation to economic stabilization, democratization continues to prove a challenge.
Almost 6 months after the agreement came into effect:
• no repressive laws have been repealed or even amended, and they continue to be used selectively to stifle the work of human rights defenders and legitimate political activists;
• these human rights defenders continue to be arrested, detained and persecuted merely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association, or where it is felt that their criticism of state policies and their calls for reform are unpalatable;
• the Zimbabwe Republic Police continues to be abused for the purposes of power retention;
• the office of the Attorney General continues to be manned by an avowed supporter of ZANU-PF and a small group of law officers whose legal ethics and professionalism are subject to scrutiny and who continue to show unwillingness to work in a reformed office which subscribes to accountability, transparency professionalism and justice for all, without fear or favour;
• whilst many magistrates throughout the country have put their lives and safety on the line and delivered professional and considered judgments, a few continue to abuse their office to persecute human rights defenders – the most recent example being the persecution of Members of Parliament belonging to the Movement for Democratic Change to ensure convictions on spurious charges, in efforts to reverse the MDC majority in Parliament
Ladies and Gentlemen, as you can see, the road ahead remains long and difficult. It is not easy to change overnight an entire system which has been so abused, personalized and ravaged over the years. However, the legal profession in Zimbabwe is well aware of its responsibility and obligation to utilize every available opportunity and opening to work towards meaningful and deep-rooted reform and so contribute to a swift return to the Rule of Law and democratization.
For this reason, our organization is leading efforts to advocate for a comprehensive legislative reform agenda. Work is well underway on audits and needs assessments of all the institutions of justice delivery, including the police, the Attorney General’s office, the judiciary and the prisons service. Training programmes are being developed for possible engagement with the Justice and Home Affairs Ministries in order to contribute positively to an improvement of the administration of justice and to infuse a renewed culture of respect for human rights in those individuals whose mandate and obligation is to ensure the safety and freedoms of all the people of Zimbabwe.
These institutions ideally exist to serve the people, and reform will be futile if it does not benefit wider society. Whilst reform is ongoing, we remain mindful as an organization of our obligation to ensure that the voices of all the victims we have represented over the years are heard and respected.
Those who have been – and continue to be – victims of, and who have survived, grave human rights violations must be recognized and they must be assisted to meaningfully achieve redress and contribute to a new era of constitutionalism and accountability in Zimbabwe. We are mindful of our responsibility as a legal profession to ensure that all people can meaningfully participate in a truly people-driven national constitution-making process in an informed manner and in a conducive operating environment, and that their participation and views are not glossed over by politicians who may have their own party-political motivations for engaging in this process.
Likewise, when it comes to discussions on the establishment of a national healing mechanism, we believe that our role is not to ascribe solutions which may not be relevant, but to provide a platform for, and amplify the voices of victims and survivors and ensure that their will is heard and respected, whether the calls are for justice, compensation, vetting of state institutions, memorialization or truth-telling. This is the only way to fight impunity and to ensure non-repetition of the violations which have destroyed our country since pre-Independence.
We are well aware of our responsibilities in these areas, and we will remain as tenacious as we have been thus far in our history so as to ensure that the people of Zimbabwe remain at the centre of all transitional and nation-building processes and are their true beneficiaries. We will continue to speak out and hold accountable any person or state institution which fails to recognize the importance of the will of the people in such processes. We will do this without fear or favour, and across the political divide, because our job is not to make friends and ingratiate ourselves with anyone or any political or national office, but to ensure a respect for the Rule of Law and Zimbabwe’s national and international legal obligations to its citizens. And if it is our fate to be subjected to the same attacks on the legal profession under a new government, then at least we will remain assured that we are continuing to perform our professional functions and mandate correctly and according to our long-held principles.
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the huge sacrifices and great efforts of a very dedicated team at ZLHR – the staff, the Board and the general membership. We would also like to acknowledge that without our clients and other beneficiaries, we would never have been in the public eye in the first place. We will continue to do all we can to protect and promote their rights whether in a new era, or in the unfortunate event of a return to outright repression.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to end by reiterating our sincere gratitude for the honour bestowed upon us by the American Bar Association. It encourages us to see that our efforts do not go in vain, and that people are watching, and our peers in the profession are standing with us during these testing times for the legal profession in Zimbabwe. The hopes and plans we have to contribute to reform of the justice delivery system and wider democratization cannot be undertaken alone or in a vacuum, and we appreciate and acknowledge the solidarity and support from the region and internationally. We sincerely hope that our partnerships continue and are strengthened in the future so that we can work together as part of the global legal profession in our endeavours to build a better Zimbabwe for all.
Thank you for your attention.

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

A total of 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 Monday  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.