Abigail Millicent Mohadi Ambrose

Career

Ambrose started her career as a junior accountant in a foreign country where out of 3 000 interviewees, she made it into the top 12 at KPMG. ^[3]

She progressed through the ranks at KPMG and Biggio Kingdom in Australia and from there, she did voluntary work in other countries in India and in Malaysia.

When she returned to Zimbabwe, Ambrose ran Vitafoam, a furniture-making firm located in Bulawayo.

Events

In July 2022, Ambrose was appointed as a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) commissioner together with Catherine Mpofu, Shepherd Manhivi, Janet Mbetu Nzvenga, Kudzai Shava and Rosewita Marutare.

The new commissioners replaced Joyce Kazembe, Daniel Chigaru, Sibongile Ndlovu, Netsai Mushonga, Ngoni Kundidzora and Faith Sebata whose terms of office ended on 6 July 2022.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at State House in Harare and was presided over by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Controversies

Ambrose's appointment as a ZEC commissioner raised questions about ZEC's impartiality as her father Kembo Mohadi is ZANU-PF deputy leader while her mother, Tambudzani Mohadi, is a ZANU PF Member of Parliament.

It also emerged that Ambrose struggled with answering job-interview questions when she appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders.

She was among the 32 shortlisted candidates who were interviewed for possible appointments to serve as commissioners.

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said Ambrose’s appointment was “unacceptable.” Mahere said:

This raises serious conflict of interest issues and goes to the root of the constitutional imperative for ZEC to be independent and non-partisan. The unacceptable appearance of Zanu PF bias is impossible to shake off in the circumstances. Rest assured, we will challenge this as we continue to fight for electoral reforms ahead of the landmark elections in 2023.

Further Reading