PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara have settled for Judicial Service Commission (JSC) chairperson Rita Makarau to take over as the new chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).
Though the principals are yet to make an official announcement of the new Zec boss, impeccable government sources yesterday said Makarau, a former High Court Judge President and Supreme Court judge, would take over following consensus among GPA Principals.
On Monday, Tsvangirai declined to name the new Zec boss saying he/she was yet to be notified of the proposal and it would not be fair for the person to learn of the appointment through the Press.
The hunt for a new Zec boss followed last week’s retirement of Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe — reportedly on medical grounds. Several names have been peddled as probable successors, among them former Supreme Court judge, Justice Wilson Sandura and former Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission chairman Reginald Austin.
“Makarau is the new chairperson agreed to by the principals,” a highly placed government source said, adding that unless something drastic came up, Makarau was soon to take up the hot seat at the electoral commission.
Another source also confirmed Makarau as the new Zec chairperson, but said one political party was pushing for High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu to take over.
Sources from Zanu PF and the MDC-T, however, said they were comfortable with Makarau as a “politically correct” choice to take over Zec.
Born on 7 December 1960, Makarau is a former law lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe. In 2006, she was appointed Judge President before moving to the Supreme Court.
