Mnangagwa assures Zimbabweans tomorrow is brighter than yesterday

Zimbabwe’s second executive president Emmerson Mnangagwa has assured Zimbabweans that their future will be brighter than yesterday.

Mnangagwa who was sworn in today to serve a five-year term, said on his twitter handle: “Let us look forward to the journey ahead. We will walk as one people, a united people. A journey of development, progress & prosperity.”

Mnangagwa won the 30 July elections but his victory was disputed by Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance who took him to court but lost the case.

Chamisa insists he won the elections and has rejected the Constitutional Court ruling.

Mnangagwa’s disputed, narrow victory will spur him to prove his critics wrong and to show the people that he meant what he promised when he took over from Robert Mugabe in November last year and also what he promised in his election campaign.

His first test though will be in his choice of cabinet as it will show whether he is genuinely for reform or not.

While in November he had to take on those people who had backed him in his fight with Mugabe, Mnangagwa has no such obligation now.

He now has the mandate to select people who will fulfil his pledge to turn Zimbabwe into a middle income country by 2030.

He will also have ready workhorses especially those who tried “bhora musango” as they will also have to prove to Mnangagwa that they are fully behind him now.

Mnangagwa’s biggest headache though seems to be on deciding who will be the next finance minister.

Whispers say Mnangagwa has told his colleagues that he will only appoint people elected by the voters into his cabinet but it might be difficult to exclude Chinamasa because of the groundwork he has done so far.

By law he is allowed to appoint five-non-elected candidates to cabinet.

Although his lieutenants have ruled out a government of national unity, Mnangagwa has always favoured appointing competent people regardless of their party affiliation.

This could mean that he might appoint one or two people from the opposition but this will be based on their expertise and commitment to hard work.

They will, however, be invited in their personal capacity rather than as representatives of their political parties.

People like Nkosana Moyo, for example, could be real work horses.

With the new government delayed by almost three weeks, whispers say Mnangagwa could name his cabinet this week probably on Tuesday.

(219 VIEWS)