Mugabe swears in Makarau

Supreme Court judge, Justice Rita Makarau has been sworn-in as substantive Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson and Mr Jacob Mudenda is the new chairman of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.

The two took their oaths of allegiance and of office before the President Mugabe at State House this Friday.

Justice Makarau replaces Retired Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe as Chairperson of ZEC. Mutambanengwe resigned from the post last month citing ill health.

Besides this latest appointment, Justice Makarau will continue to sit on the Supreme Court bench to which she was appointed in May 2010.

She holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Zimbabwe where she graduated from in 1984.

She started her law career as a public prosecutor at the Harare magistrate court the same year and later joined private practice and worked there until 1987.

She bounced back into government in 1987 when she was appointed Under Secretary for Legal Affairs in the Parastatals Commission where she served until 1990.

She also worked as lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe between 1995 and 2000 and as a Constitutional Commissioner from 1998 to 2000.

She was also a non-constituent member of parliament and became High Court judge in December 2000.
 
Mr Mudenda the new Human Rights Commission Chairman takes over from Professor Reginald Austin who resigned 2 months ago.

He holds a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Africa where he majored in English and Education.

Mr Mudenda said a challenging task lies ahead of him and he will be impartial in executing his duties.

"We are guided by the Paris Principle. There is no way my background would affect me. We work as a collective and by consensus," he said.

Mr Mudenda is a former Senator and Governor for Matabeleland North Province.

He is also a former principal lecturer of English at the United College of Education.

Meanwhile, Justice Makarau says all is set for the constitution voting process set for this Saturday with 99% of all polling stations ready to receive voters.

Addressing a media briefing on the eve of the referendum, Justice Makarau said all logistics and polling stations are in place throughout the country with polling officers having completed and conducted polling rehearsals by the end of the day today (Friday).

She said in areas that are not accessible by road, the organisation used helicopters to send all the requirements and necessities to polling stations.

"Deployment to polling stations is now at 99% complete. Some polling stations which are not accessible by road we use helicopters... we will be open from 7am to 7 pm," said Justice Makarau.

Justice Makarau appealed to the more than 1 500 observers accredited for the process to be at the polling stations by 6.30am so that they witness the official opening ceremony of the referendum.

"ZEC printed 12 million ballot papers which were distributed around the country though 11 000 were spoilt. All ZEC officers were trained over a period of 8 days," she said.

A total of 9 456 polling stations have been set up throughout the country and will be manned by 70 000 polling officers.

Harare has 830 polling stations, Bulawayo 325, Manicaland 1 297, Masvingo 1 205 and Midlands 1 341 among other places.