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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Parliament’s presiding officers, Cdes Jacob Mudenda and Edna Madzongwe, yesterday announced in the National Assembly and the Senate respectively the retirement of long-serving Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma.

This was despite Mr Zvoma’s earlier efforts resisting to leave based on the new Constitution which he said gave him a fresh six-year-term.

Making the announcement in both houses, Cde Mudenda and Cde Madzongwe told legislators that the Standing Rules and Orders Committee resolved to retire Mr Zvoma in its meeting held last week following his attainment of 65 years of age on November 30, 2014.

“The SROC unanimously endorsed the retirement of Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Muranganwa Zvoma from the service of Parliament with effect from 30 November 2014 in terms of the conditions of service for officers of Parliament and by operation of the law,” said Cde Mudenda in the National Assembly.

“Accordingly, I have to formally announce his retirement from the service of Parliament as the Clerk of Parliament effective 30 November 2014 on reaching 65 years retirement age.”

Cde Mudenda lauded Mr Zvoma for his commitment to Parliament and outlined his working history where he worked as a teacher before joining the August House in 1979 as a Committee Secretary.

“Since then, Mr Zvoma has served Parliament for a continuous period of 35 years, 26 of which he served as Clerk of Parliament,” said Cde Mudenda.

Mr Zvoma served as Clerk under several Speakers of Parliament starting with Cde Didymus Mutasa, Cde Nolan Makombe, Cde Cyril Ndebele, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, Cde John Landa Nkomo, Mr Lovemore Moyo and now Cde Mudenda.

“The milestone achievement of his stewardship was the attainment of the ISO Certification in public administration sector by the Parliament of Zimbabwe in 2012,” said Cde Mudenda.

“To date, it is the only such administration to be certified in the world.”

Deputy Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda has been appointed to act as the Clerk of Parliament while the institution was hunting for a replacement.