THE recently appointed Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) board chair Michael Madana‘s eight month long stint has been riddled with discord between board, management and employees amid allegations of his excessive interference in operations and flawed recruitment process among other corporate governance violations, Zim Morning Post can reveal.
Upon his appointment in January this year, his primary task was to ensure that the management of Zinara is properly structured and exorcise the ghost of the 2016 Grant Thornton audit which exposed massive anomalies and corruption that bled the authority of millions of dollars.
However, in a communique seen by this publication this week addressed to Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza, staffers registered displeasure, loss of motivation and morale following his fashion of leadership.
The anonymous author alleged that there was too much interference in operations therefore usurping the power and mandate of appointed managers.
“There is too much involvement in operations by board chairperson Engineer Michael Madana and it is killing morale of Zinara staff,” reads part of the communique.
It is further alleged that there were flaws in the recruitment exercise of the current acting chief executive.
“First and Foremost let me draw your attention to the appointment of the acting CEO.
“The Public Entities Corporate Governance Act (Chapter 10.31) Part 4 is very clear on the procedure for nominating an Acting Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) .
“The act states that an ACEO should be appointed from the senior managers but this was not followed by the Madana led board.
“They chose a director from the ministry whose department does not deal with roads orv anything inline with Zinara mandate,” it read.
It is alleged that the outgoing ACEO Mathleen Mujokoro disputed this procedure and was frustrated by Madana until she resigned as a result of the toxic environment.
The current ACEO is Saston Muzenda and is alleged to be Madana’s ‘blue eyed boy’.
The interview process for three directors and two managers to be filled next month was said to be flawed as it was superintendent by human resources manager Juliana Maposa against corporate governance tenets that bars her from doing such for managers above her.
“As an HR managers he cannot superintendent recruitment of positions above her as this is the preserve of the board and HR consultants.
“Maposa was also fingered in the Grant Thornton report for being unprocedurally recruited,” it was noted.
The damning dossier also implicates the new corporate secretary Violet Mutize who is alleged to have failed the interview and never practiced as a lawyer after graduating from the University of Zimbabwe in 2008.
The litany of allegations against Madana also including meddling in politics and capturing Zinara to fund factionalism within the ruling party Zanu PF.
“Madana intends to capture the organisation to fund factionalism campaigns against Tino Machakaite who unseated him in Wedza South and has so far withdrawn more than 12 00 litres of diesel to fund his factional operations and if not stopped he will divide the party by determining road construction projects to be fronted nationwide,” it was alleged.
When contacted for comment, Madana could neither confirm nor deny the allegations.
He was evasive and after three successive phone calls, one of which he claimed to be driving , the last call was answered by a person who said he (Madana) had left his phone in his custody.
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