ZwNews Chief Correspondent
Zimbabweans have responded with mixed feelings, to the recent declining by Zimbabwe Churches Council secretary general Kenneth Mtata, to join President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC)
In his letter declining the offer Mtata said while he is humbled by the appointment, and willing to give his hand to nation building, his current job would compromise his full support and ability to serve.
“I feel really flattered to serve the nation and the President in such a role in a moment as this. My current position will however limit the effective functioning in such a huge role.
“I have therefore humbly withdrawn my name. The President will be fully briefed on my commitment to the nation building agenda and I will support his efforts in other ways within my capabilities,” wrote Mtata.
Some of the big names to be included in the PAC are renowned businessman Shingi Munyeza, publisher Trevor Ncube, CZI president Busisa Moyo, Securico CEO Devine Ndlukula, queen bee Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and many more others.
Meanwhile, Zimbabweans from several walks of life, have received Mtata’s decline with mixed reactions with some saying he should have opted to abandon his post in church and commit himself to the new role in the highest office of the land. Yet others are of the opinion that joining the council serving under a President whose government is obsessed with human rights abuse is a betrayal to the divine cause.
James Njikizane, a Breaside resident says the President’s office is the highest chambers in the land, and as such the clergyman should have instead surrendered his church post and join the council. “Given the supremacy of the office, when one is faced with option to serve; it could have been ideal to accept the offer,” he says.
However, another resident begs to differ totally, with that school of thought, saying the divine calling is much greater than any other calling one can ever get. Chamunorwa Jumbe of Mandara, says Mtata’s objection is a worthwhile cause.
“To me his declination is justified there is no office world over that is more important than serving your lord. If I were in his shoes, I would have acted as he did.
“It has been said one cannot serve two masters, and it also depends with you belief, as to who do you value much between the Almighty and man. Remember Mtata is a man of cloth, and joining an office whose top administrators’ hand are tainted with citizens’ blood would be against his beliefs,” he says.
He added that the other thing is that once one joins such a team, would end up behaving like them. He gave example of how the technocrats who were appointed into cabinet posts have been faring.
“We praised Mnangagwa when he appointed Mthuli Ncube, a renowned technocrat as the Minister of Finance. Ncube has a rich curriculum vitae, and many believed his appointment was going to shape the country’s financial position, but that was not to be.
“He is now talking the same language as anybody else. Joining a wrong team has potential to overshadow individual brilliance. The other thing is will Mnangagwa listen to their advice anyway,” he says.
In the same light, most of those who spoke to this publication were of divided opinion over the matter, with others saying there is nothing wrong declining an offer when one feels his beliefs and capabilities would be compromised. They say it would be too hard to politicise the decline as some would like to.
However, prominent political analyst Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya, adds his voice to the debate saying it is better to disassociate ones’ self from serving right under the armpit of an abusive regime, or its leader. He also twitted; “Better. Why join an advisory group of a norm-violating regime. What do you advise on in the midst of rampant, colossal and rights violations including rape!”
Be that as it may, when Mnangagwa named his current cabinet, he roped in some of the top technocrats into his administration, whom most of them are yet to make a mark, while others have since joined the bandwagon of kicking the can down the same road.
As if that was not enough, Mnangagwa assigned the so-called dead wood to key positions at the shake-shake (ZANU PF HQ) building where they are said to be calling the shorts from. These re-assigned old horses are said to be supervising the current crop of cabinet ministers.
zwnews
