Cabinet reshuffle showed power of hardliners and military

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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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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

TAGS: PGOV ZI ZANU PF

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

(46 VIEWS)