THERE was drama at the NetOne head office in Harare yesterday when Minister of Information and Communication Technology Nelson Chamisa and Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Webster Shamu clashed at a meeting meant to address workers at the parastatal.
Shamu was scheduled to address the meeting at NetOne, a department that falls under Chamisa’s ministry.One of the agendas of the meeting was to address the grievances of the workers.
However, the meeting had to be cancelled after Chamisa, who also attended the meeting, approached Shamu asking him in what capacity he was attending a meeting without his knowledge. Â
When the Zimbabwe Independent arrived workers were told to wait in a separate room while NetOne managing director Reward Kangai left the two ministers to solve their differences.
Workers curiously watched the ministers argue through a transparent door in the corridor. After a heated dispute the meeting was abandoned.
Both ministers said they could not comment on the incident.
Sources said Chamisa was given the mandate to take charge of telecoms and recently there was a handover between him and former Minister of Transport and Communications Chris Mushohwe.
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A source said: “Chamisa was given everything by Mushohwe from communications acts to documents about the running of the parastatals. However, Zanu PF realised they had made a blunder by giving telecommunications to the MDC but it was too late.”
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai this week said he was aware of disputes over mandates of various ministries and that issues of overlap and duplication would be resolved by his office.
He said: “With respect to the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity and the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, the functions of the former Department of Communication within the Ministry of Transport and Communications shall be the responsibility of the new Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. For avoidance of doubt, Telecommunications falls under this ministry.”
BY WONGAI ZHANGAZHAÂ
