Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT John Magufuli on Wednesday appointed Judge Sivangilwa Mwagesi of Court of Appeal new Commissioner of Ethics Secretariat.
Judge Mwagesi has been appointed to replace the former Ethics Commissioner retired Judge of the Court of Appeal, Harold Nsekela who died on December 6 this year in Dodoma, after a short illness.
A statement issued by the director of the presidential communications, Mr Gerson Msigwa on Wednesday said the appointment of Justice Mwagesi became effective on December 23, this year.
“He will take oath of the office tomorrow (today) December 24th, 2020 at the Chamwino Statehouse in Dodoma,” read part of the statement.
In its quick reaction, the Court of Tanzania commended Justice Mwagesi for being appointed to the secretariat that has a mission of ensuring public leaders’ ethical standards are adhered to and promoting and monitoring public leaders’ ethical conduct, in order to instill confidence in the public and enhance national development.
Judge Mwangesi took an oath in July 2009 before the fourth phase government of President Jakaya Kikwete to be the High Court Judge after serving for several years at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court as magistrate.
Others who took oath after being appointed included Hamisa Kalombola, Fatuma Massengi, Pelaggia Khaday, Frederica Mgaya, Ferdinand Wambali, Eliamani Mbise, Sekela Moshi, Moses Mzuna and former Court of Appeal Registrar Francis Mutungi.
On December 23, 2016, Judge Mwangesi was sworn in by President Magufuli to become the Court of Appeal Judge, a day after his appointment.
Others who took oath as Court of Appeal judges were Rehema Mkuye, Dr Gerald Ndika and Jackobs Mwambegele, as well as retired Court of Appeal Judge Semistocles Kaijage and Judge (rtd) Hamid Mahmoud Hamid as the National Electoral Commission (NEC) chairman and vice chairman respectively.
It was during this event that the former Public Secretariat Commissioner, the late Judge Nsekela took oath of office.
The ethics secretariat is an independent department under the President’s Office entrusted with powers to administer the ethical conduct of public leaders.
It was established under Article 132 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 with the mandate to implement the public leadership code of ethics Act number 13 of 1995 as amended by the Act No. 5 of 2001.
The Act came into operation on July 01, 1995 and is applicable in Zanzibar, as well as Mainland Tanzania to public officers holding offices under the Union Government. Currently, the secretariat is operating through its headquarters in Dodoma and zonal offices across the country.
List of zonal offices include the Southern Highlands of Mbeya, Iringa, Katavi, Rukwa and Njombe Region Southern Zones of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma Regions.
The Central zone covers Dodoma and Singida regions while the Northern part includes Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara, while the Western administers Tabora, Kigoma, Simiyu and Shinyanga regions.
The secretariat also has Lake Zone offices catering for Mwanza, Mara, Geita and Kagera Regions and Eastern oversees Tanga and Morogoro regions, while Dar es Salaam and Coast regions are placed in a Specail Zone.
