ZANU-PF and MDC-T unite to force Chinamasa to reconsider appointment of Ndudzo as auditor-general

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order.  I hope the Hon. Minister has responded adequately to the clarification of the issue of removal of the Auditor General. I was trying to avoid the Minister going into the Motion.  I am sure he will have the opportunity to do that.  My ruling is as follows, the Auditor-General has not been removed and that is supported by Section 310(3) of the Constitution, which reads as follows; “The term of office of the Auditor General is a period of and not more than six years and a person must not be appointed as Auditor General after he or she has served for one or more periods, whether continuously or not, amounting to 12 years.”  Auditor General Chiri has served for 12 years plus the other 18 months or so.  In fact, she has gone beyond the constitutional provision – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order.

Secondly, if you read the Constitution in terms of Schedule 6, officers who served in their current offices before the enactment of this Constitution continue to serve without loss of any benefits and position.  So, read the Constitution not in terms of just one section but read it in a composite manner.

Thirdly, as the Hon. Minister has confirmed, the Auditor General was given an opportunity to state her case and she stated her case.  According to the Hon. Minister, she continues to serve Government still in the Audit department, perhaps on a more elevated area in terms of the responsibilities that are being assigned to her. So, there is no question of removal as such. I will therefore rule accordingly and ask the Hon. Minister to move his motion accordingly.

HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. We really appreciate your ruling, but I was suggesting that we have heard the Hon. Minister’s side of the story and we have not heard from Ms. Chiri. We do not know whether what the Minister is telling us is actually what transpired. I think it will be prudent enough for us as Parliament just to hear the other side of the story from Ms. Chiri because the Minister is talking about message texting and again Ms. Chiri accepting another post, but at the same time refusing another post. It becomes difficult even from this other side of Parliament for us to know what actually happened. I am just suggesting that if it is possible, maybe we can also hear from her side of the story for us to have an informed decision through the Public Accounts Committee and not through the Minister. Thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. If you listened carefully to the Hon. Minister, the reason of coming to Parliament is for the approval of the appointment, and that is a fundamental issue with the approval of Parliament. That is what the Hon. Minister is doing and you are free to debate thereafter when he has moved his motion.

 Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga having stood up to debate.

I will not allow any further debate. If you want any debate, you will debate the motion. –[HON. TSHUMA: Inaudible interjections]-Hon. Tshuma, please hold your cool.  Hon. Member, you are going to debate the motion and say everything that you want to say. Thank you.

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