A cabinet reshuffle on 10 February 2004 which saw only one minister being dismissed was viewed by United States embassy officials as an “anti-climatic disappointment” which suggested “immobility and paralysis to the extreme”.
According to a cable released by Wikileaks the reshuffle suggested “continuing hard-liner influence and military presence in political circles” but was not likely to signal a significant shift in the direction or quality of government policy.
In the reshuffle President Robert Mugabe only dismissed Mines Minister Edward Chindori-Chininga but appointed two former members of the military- Josiah Tungamirai and Ambrose Mutinhiri as ministers.
According to the US cable:”Many expected a more significant house-cleaning by a ruling party intent on projecting seriousness on corruption. With just one minister left seatless after the music stopped, the reshuffle probably was an anti-climactic disappointment to many in the party; others are breathing a sigh of relief — for now.
“The appointment of three people from Manicaland–Mutasa, Chipanga, and Mushowe– reinforces the continuing influence of the Mutasa/Chinamasa hard-liner faction, which figured prominently in the November appointments. The appointment of Retired Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirai and retired Brigadier Ambrose Mutinhiri conforms to the trend of a growing military presence in political circles.”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 04HARARE249, RESHUFFLING THE OLD GUARD
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000249
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, TEITELBAUM
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY
PARIS FOR C. NEARY
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2014
SUBJECT: RESHUFFLING THE OLD GUARD
Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER KIMBERLY JEMISON FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D
¶1. SUMMARY: (C) On February 10, President Robert Mugabe
announced a new cabinet that looks very similar to the old
one. Only one minister was removed from cabinet, the rest
either retaining their posts or being moved to other
positions. The absence of significant change in a ZANU-PF
government faced with unpopularity, a succession crisis, and
rampant and acknowledged corruption, instead suggests
immobility and paralsis to the extreme. The changes suggest
continuing hard-liner influence and military presence in
political circles and most likely will not signal a
significant shift in the direction or quality of government
policy. END SUMMARY.
———————————–
THE CABINET RESTRUCTURE THAT WASN’T
———————————–
¶2. (C) On February 10, President Robert Mugabe reshuffled the
Cabinet, resulting in new heads of eight Ministries, three
new ministerial positions, two new provincial governorships,
and one minister losing his job. Noticeably absent from the
list of Cabinet members is a replacement for Vice President
Muzenda. Like the appointments of four provincial governors
in early November, the cabinet change suggests an increasing
hard-liner influence and military presence in political
circles.
¶3. (U) Mugabe moved five ministers from one ministry to
another and appointed three new ones, although none of this
signals a change in policy direction. The reshuffled
ministers include Elliot Manyika from Youth Development,
Gender and Employment Creation to a ministerial position
without a portfolio, July Moyo from Public Service, Labor,
and Social Welfare to Energy and Power Development, Amos
Midzi from Energy to Mines and Mining Development, Herbert
Murerwa from Finance to Tertiary Education, and Paul Mangwana
from Minster of State for State Enterprises and Parastatals
to Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare. New ministers
include Chris Kuruneri who was promoted from Deputy Finance
Minister to Finance Minister; retired Brigadier Ambrose
Mutinhiri who is the new Minister for Youth Development,
Gender and Employment Creation; and Chris Mushowe who was
promoted from Deputy to Minister of Transport and
Communication.
————-
NEW POSITIONS
————-
¶4. (U) Mugabe created three new cabinet positions and two
provincial governor positions. The responsibilities for the
three cabinet positions–Minister of State for Indigenization
and Empowerment Retired Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai,
Minister of State for Policy Implementation Webster Shamu,
and Minister of Special Affairs in the President,s Office in
charge of Anti-corruption and Anti-monopolies Didymus
Mutasa–have yet to be defined. The appointment of the two
gubernatorial positions, Witness Mangwende as Governor of
Harare and Cain Mathema as Governor of Bulawayo, comes more
than a year after a presidential proclamation declaring the
two cities provinces and therefore eligible to have governors.
———————–
CHINDORI-CHININGA FIRED
———————–
¶5. (U) Edward Chindori-Chininga was the only cabinet
minister to be dismissed, perhaps in connection with a highly
publicized court battle over a farm in northwest Zimbabwe,
but he is hardly the only offender. In September 2003, the
Daily News reported that Mugabe might dismiss ministers who
grabbed more than one property during the land redistribution
exercise. Another possible cause is the substantial leakage
of gold outside official channels with suspected insider
compliance.
————————
PARTY LOYALISTS REWARDED
————————
¶6. (U) Party loyalists, including hard-liners aligned with
the Manicaland Mutasa/Chinamasa faction, were rewarded for
their loyalty. They included Andrew Langa, who won the hotly
contested and violent by-election in Insiza, Matabeleland
South in 2002, and becomes the Deputy Minister for Transport
and Communications; Shadreck Chipanga, MP for Makoni East in
Manicaland, who was once the head of the Central Intelligence
Organization and is now the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs;
Paul Mangwana, the former Minister of State for State
Enterprises and Parastatals who becomes now Minister of
Public Service, a much more high profile position; and David
Chapfika, the MP for Mutoko North and Chair of the
parliamentary budget committee who becomes Deputy Minister of
Finance and Development.
¶7. (U) Bios on new cabinet members to follow in separate
cable.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶8. COMMENT:(C) The changes among the cabinet members follow
personnel shifts begun in November 2003 with the provincial
gubernatorial appointments. Many expected a more significant
house-cleaning by a ruling party intent on projecting
seriousness on corruption. With just one minister left
seatless after the music stopped, the reshuffle probably was
an anti-climactic disappointment to many in the party; others
are breathing a sigh of relief — for now. The appointment
of three people from Manicaland–Mutasa, Chipanga, and
Mushowe– reinforces the continuing influence of the
Mutasa/Chinamasa hard-liner faction, which figured
prominently in the November appointments. The appointment of
Retired Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirai and retired Brigadier
Ambrose Mutinhiri conforms to the trend of a growing military
presence in political circles.
¶9. (C) None of this suggests a shift in policies or factional
balances of power. Similarly, it is not likely to have
significant impact on prospects for inter-party talks. The
absence of significant change in a ZANU-PF government faced
with unpopularity, a succession crisis, and rampant and
acknowledged corruption, instead suggests immobility and
paralsis to the extreme. How the change in the Ministry of
Public Service, Social Welfare, and Labor will affect
humanitarian assistance is uncertain. Donors had a
reasonably good relationship with July Moyo but have had
little experience with Mangwana, who is regarded as polished
but unimaginative. END COMMENT.
¶10. (U) The Cabinet —
President: Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Minister of State for Security: Nicholas Goche
Minister of State for Information and Publicity: Jonathan Moyo
Minister of State for Science and Technology: Olivia Muchena
Minister of State for State Enterprises and parastatals:
vacant
Minister of State for Policy Implementation Webster Shamu
Minster of State for Indiginization and Empowerment: Josiah
Tungamirai
Minister of State for Land Reform Program: Flora Buka
Vice President: Vacant
Vice President: Joseph Msika
Minister for Special Affairs in President,s Office
–In charge of Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement: John Nkomo
–In charge of Anti-corruption and anti-monopolies: Didymus
Mutasa
Minister of Defense: Sidney Sekeramayi
Minister of Education, Sports, and Culture: Anneas Chigwedere
Deputy: Isaiah Shumba
Minister of Energy and Power Development: July Moyo
Deputy: Rueben Marumahoko
Minister of Environment and Tourism: Francis Nhema
Minister of Finance and Economic Development: Christopher
Kuruneri
Deputy: David Chapfika
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Stanislaus Mudenge
Deputy: Abedinico Ncube
Minister of Health and Child Welfare: David Parirenyatwa
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education: Herbert Murerwa
Minister of Home Affairs: Kembo Mohadi
Deputy: Shadreck Chipanga
Minister of Industry and International Trade: Samuel
Mumbengegwi
Deputy: Kenneth Manyonda (status not confirmed)
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs: Patrick
Chinamasa
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Resettlement: Joseph Made
Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National
Housing: Ignatius Chombo
Deputy: Fortune Charumbira
Minister of Mines and mining Development: Amos Midzi
Deputy: Jason Machaya (status not confirmed)
Minister of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare: Paul
Mangwana
Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development:
Joyce Mujuru
Deputy: Tinos Rusere (status not confirmed)
Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development:
Sitembiso Nyoni
Deputy: Kenneth Mutiwekuziva
Minister of Transport and Communications: Chris Mushowe
Deputy: Andrew Langa
Minister of Youth Development, Gender and Employment
Creation: Ambrose Mutinhiri
Deputy: Shuvai Mahofa
Minister without Portfolio: Elliot Manyika
Provincial Governors
——————–
Manicaland: Michael Nyambuya
Mashonaland East: David Karimanzira
Mashonaland West: Nelson Samkange
Mashonaland Central: Ephraim Masawi
Masvingo: Josaya Hungwe
Matabeleland North: Obert Mpofu
Matabeleland South: Angeline Masuku
Midlands: Cephas Msipa
Harare: Witness Mangwende
Bulawayo: Cain Mathema
SULLIVAN
(47 VIEWS)
