Minister Masuka Blocking TIMB CEO Appointment, Rugeje Tells Parliament
Former ZANU PF political commissar and Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) board member, Lieutenant General (retired) Engelbert Rugeje, has accused the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development of persistently obstructing the appointment of a permanent chief executive officer for the board.
Emmanuel Matsvaire has been serving as the acting CEO since September 2022, following the dismissal of Meanwell Gudu.
Rugeje made these claims while giving oral evidence before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development on Tuesday, where TIMB directors were questioned about the prolonged delay in appointing a substantive CEO. He said:
The absence of a substantive CEO has caused significant toxicity. But we thought, as a committee that oversees our industry, you could assist in resolving this issue. The situation is far from ideal—there are numerous challenges.
Some of the issues being raised are directly related to the absence of a permanent CEO. If we had one, many of these problems would be alleviated. We are handicapped as a board without leadership…
The industry is in a good place, but there is toxicity. There is too much interference—not just within management, but also from external pressures.
There are vested interests, including politicians, businesspeople, and traders, who want to know what is happening at TIMB.
If we do not resolve the CEO issue soon, the “elephant in the room” will continue to linger.
TIMB board chairman, Patrick Devenish, said that the board is in the final stages of compiling a shortlist, which will soon be submitted to the Minister of Lands, Anxious Masuka.
More: ZimLive
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