President Emmerson Mnangagwa today expanded his cabinet to 21 by appointing Owen Ncube as the Minister of State for National Security.
He appointed 18 permanent secretaries, re-assigned another 18 and retired nine senior civil servants including Tobaiwa Mudede who has been registrar-general since 1980.
Parliament last year asked why Mudede continued to be employed when he was over the retirement age.
Sources said Mnangagwa needed someone he could trust to supervise the intelligence service because it was deeply divided following the fall of former President Robert Mugabe.
Former opposition legislator for Tafara/Mabvuku James Maridadai told Parliament early this year that Owen Ncube was the only Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front legislator who stood by Mnangagwa when he was being humiliated left right and centre by former First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Maridadi blasted Members of Parliament for being hypocrites when they moved a motion to congratulate Mnangagwa on his appointment as Zimbabwe President because they had all ditched him when it appeared that his political career was ending.
“What I know is that I was invited to a function three four days before Hon. Mnangagwa was dismissed as Vice President of this country. Most Members of Parliament sitting in this House were also invited. I was invited by a special invitation card because the owner of the company, I am friends with him,” he told the House.
“When I went to that function, despite the fact that more than 50 Members of Parliament of this House had been invited, there were only two Members of Parliament and I was only one of them from the Opposition. I stood there and looked around, there was not a single Minister to support the Vice President. There was not a single Member of Parliament. The only Member of Parliament who was there was Hon. Owen Ncube, I am going to mention him by name. Only Hon. Owen Ncube was the Member of Parliament there.
“As I was walking out, I said to one of them, aaah, ko vanhu hamusi kuzo supporter Vice President sei? Zvikanzi aaah, tovasuporterei? Vane chiikowo ivava?”
Among those appointed permanent secretaries was former managing director of Barclays Bank Zimbabwe George Guvamatanga.
The Ministry of Finance is now run by people that “know” money, Guvamatanga and Mthuli Ncube, both former bankers.
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