ZACC boss' appointment raises stink

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has been forced to defend the appointment of its top official amid claims that he did not fit the bill.

Silas Pondo was confirmed as the substantive secretary for the corruption-busting body by the Office of the President, despite claims that he did not do well in the interviews and that he was once a target of Zacc investigations.

Pondo was the Zacc acting secretary before receiving the unexpected appointment letter from chief secretary to cabinet Misheck Sibanda, a development that is said to have raised eyebrows in government corridors.

Zacc spokesperson Phyllis Chikundura insisted yesterday that Pondo excelled in the interviews and was appointed by President Robert Mugabe after a security vetting.

"Zacc conducted interviews for its substantive secretary, among them the then acting secretary Mr Silence Pondo," Chikundura said when asked about claims that Pondo's appointment was not above board.

"A list of six candidates who had passed the interviews was sent for security vetting.

"The names of top six candidates with all their vetting and interview results were submitted to the Office of the President and Cabinet.

"Mr Silence Pondo was then approved as the substantive secretary and as Zacc, we can authoritatively say Mr. Pondo passed the security vetting and we have documents to prove it."

However, sources claimed Pondo was appointed ahead of five candidates that had performed better than him in the interviews.
There were also doubts that he passed the security vetting owing to issues surrounding his stint as the boss of the police's Minerals Section.

Pondo, according to sources, once caused friction within the anti-graft body when he was appointed on an acting capacity at a time the then Stanford Chirindo-led commission was allegedly investigating him for alleged abuse of authority, bribery and theft.

A Zacc commissioner responsible for public education and publicity, Farai Mashonganyika became abusive when asked about the alleged investigations against the anti-graft body's boss.

"I know who sent you," Mashonganyika yelled.

"Due process was followed when Mr Pondo was appointed. If you write the story, I am going to sue you.

"We have two letters that cleared him, one from the Central Intelligence Organisation and the other from the police."

A report compiled by Zacc investigators said Pondo was investigated for alleged abuse of office and theft and bribery.

"The accused person is Silas Pondo who is senior assistant commissioner in the Zimbabwe Republic Police and was officer commanding CID Minerals Section," part of the report by Zacc investigators read.

"The accused person is facing allegations of contravention of Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act that is criminal abuse of duty as a Republic officer, contravention of section 170 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act that is bribery and contravention of section 113 (2) of the Criminal law (Codification and Reform) Act that is theft of trust property."
According to a summary of the allegations, in February 2013, Zacc received several reports of alleged corruption in the diamonds sector that implicated senior government officials and senior police officers, including Pondo.

The slew of allegations included that Pondo had been bribed for facilitating the theft of diamonds worth over $5 million and that he built a mansion in Borrowdale.

Pondo also faced charges of allegedly protecting directors of a Kwekwe-based gold mine from arrest.