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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
TREASURY has given the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) the green light to recruit 32 people before the end of the year and has opened an office in Harare as it gears to fully begin its operations.

The Commission, which was gazetted into law in February, requires a staff establishment of 103 and recently launched its five-year strategic plan for the period 2018 to 2023.

In an interview yesterday, the Commission’s media liaison officer, Commissioner Reverend Charles Masunungure, said Treasury gave its nod earlier this month and they had already begun recruiting.

“Treasury approved the recruitment of staff for the Commission earlier this month, in fact it approved the organogram because in terms of the NPRC Act, the Commission is an independent body that must recruit its own people and funding of the Commission is done by Government,” he said.

Comm Masunungure said they are already hunting for an Executive Secretary for the Commission who is required in the recruitment of other staff members.

“We have advertised the post of Executive Secretary and we are hoping that before mid-month we would have completed the selection of the Executive Secretary, and then the rest of the posts will be advertised so that the Executive Secretary is part of the selection process because they will be working under him or her.

“We will do the adverts very soon so that everyone who believes that they are competent and they are Zimbabwean can participate. Some of the posts that are in the 32 are financing, administration, legal, audit and a few are in programmes,” he said.

“And a person who fits in those categories would be better placed to apply. Altogether the establishment will be 103 but the 32 we are recruiting before year end and the rest will be coming later as we go on but everything we do, we will be advertising publicly.”

Comm Masunungure said the selection would be rigorous as they are looking at getting people who are apolitical.

“For example, in administration we would want a person who has an understanding of dealing with civil society and donors, someone who is balanced because it’s an organisation that cuts in between.

“It’s an independent Commission funded by Government, civil society and donors; so you have to do things in a way that shows that every person that you employ is not an extremist whether left or right because we don’t want a person who says I’m an activist in civil society or that I’m a zealot in Government.
We want a person who is balanced. So, the process will be very rigorous as we want to be acceptable to both sides” he said.

Comm Masunungure said the Commission has now found an office in Harare but was faced with a number of challenges like furniture and looking for resources to tile the new premises.

“We are setting up an office at 99 Jason Moyo, 7th floor, First Mutual Building. So we have been paying rentals for the last two months. The place needs to be tiled and the contract says we are supposed to do our own tiling or carpeting. We are still looking for resources for tiling and we also need resources like furniture for the offices.

“We are moving to the office on November 1 despite the floors not being tiled. We don’t have much furniture and the phones have not been connected. We are actually looking for partners and support to tile the offices,” he said.

Comm Masunungure said the European Union donated 25 chairs and a 10-seater table which would be used for the boardroom.—@AuxiliaK