Press Statement from Hon. Senator Lilian Timveos, Alternative Minister and MDC-T Spokesperson for Home Affairs.
Zimbabwe – The Movement for Democratic Change is deeply concerned about the violation of Civil Service appointment and retirement regulations by the Zanu PF government.
In particular, we are disturbed by the continued presence in government of Tobaiwa Mudede as Registrar-General.
Official records show that Mudede was born on 22 December 1942. This means he is now 72 years old. We are shocked that Zanu PF has chosen to keep him in office way past the general Civil Service retirement age of 65.
However, we are not surprised by this. Many other elderly Zanu PF war veterans and party members are enjoying the benefits of high office through patronage, although they are no longer fit to discharge their duties.
Apart from being too old for this important office, Mudede has clearly failed to perform his stated duties. In 2013, he prevented millions of Zimbabweans from registering as voters. Up to now, Mudede has refused to provide copies of the voters roll to all political contestants as required by the country’s electoral laws. Millions of Zimbabweans living outside the country remain undocumented because of inefficiency in the R-G’s Office.
Corruption is rampant in the R-G’s Office, to the extent that suffering Zimbabweans are required to pay hefty bribes to get official documents which the State must provide at little or no cost.
Mudede was also responsible for paying $10.6 million to Nikuv International Projects to help rig the Zimbabwean vote in July 2013.
As a result of all these actions, Mudede was placed under United States government sanctions for “undermining Zimbabwe’s democratic processes and institutions or facilitating public corruption”.
The U.S. government also says he “oversaw critical elements of Zimbabwe’s flawed July 2013 presidential and parliamentary elections”.
The MDC therefore calls for the immediate resignation or retirement of Mudede and the appointment of a more suitable candidate to this important office.
Thank you.
To contact Senator Timveos, send e-mail to: lilimikoro@gmail.com
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