The appointment of Simbarashe Mumbengegwi as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2005, raised eyebrows especially with the West as he was viewed as one of those with a softer public edge.
Mumbengegwi, who had been Zimbabwe’s High Commissioner to London, was appointed at the same time as another former diplomat Tichaona Jokonya who became Minister of Information.
Mumbengegwi and Jokonya were both taking over from hardliners, Stan Mudenge and Jonathan Moyo.
Commenting on their appointments, the United States embassy said: “Mumbengegwi and Jokonya may present a softer public edge, especially to the West and especially in comparison to their voluble predecessors, but neither is expected to pursue any new initiatives in their domains.”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 05HARARE604, MORE OF THE SAME IN NEW GOZ CABINET
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
211458Z Apr 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000604
SIPDIS
AF FOR DAS T. WOODS
AF/S FOR B. NEULING
OVP FOR NULAND
NSC FOR DNSA ABRAMS, SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2010
SUBJECT: MORE OF THE SAME IN NEW GOZ CABINET
REF: HARARE 575
Classified By: Charge d’Affaires a.i. Eric T. Schultz under Section 1.4
b/d
——-
Summary
——-
¶1. (C) President Mugabe on April 15 announced a new, expanded
cabinet, which he said was geared to &turn around8
Zimbabwe,s economy. However, most members of the new
Cabinet are holdovers from the previous one, including on the
economic front, although some Ministers have shifted
portfolios. The few new faces previously held other
positions in the GOZ. We do not expect to see any new policy
initiatives, either foreign or domestic, from this cabinet,
most of whom appear to have been chosen for their lock-step
loyalty to Mugabe. End Summary.
——————————
Priority on Patronage, Loyalty
——————————
¶2. (SBU) The addition of four new ministries and eight new
deputy minister slots represents an expansion of Mugabe’s
patronage system, this despite severe budget constraints.
Some of the new ministries will exist mostly on paper; the
Ministry of Anti-Monopolies and Anti-Corruption and the
Ministry of Policy Implementation created in last year’s
cabinet reshuffle, for example, still have no substantial
staff or budget. Many appointees are non-constituency MPS
who had lost recent parliamentary races ) an apparent
violation of Mugabe’s pledge last year that only elected MPs
could “earn” cabinet slots.
¶3. (C) The new appointments reinforce the view that lock-step
loyalty to Mugabe remains the principal criterion for job
security and advancement in the GOZ. Like the recently named
governors and non-constituency MPs (reftel), the “new”
ministers are drawn largely from the ZANU-PF “Old Guard” or
Mugabe,s Zezuru ethnic group; new faces among the deputy
ministers are not independent minded. The Young Turks and
the Karanga ethnic group, the losers in last December,s
ZANU-PF power struggle, were handed few bones in the
appointments and their disaffection will likely continue.
——————————————— ——-
Some &New8 Appointments; But Policy Changes Unlikely
——————————————— ——-
¶4. (C) Among the more worrisome appointments is Nicholas
Goche, former Minister of State for National Security, who
takes over as Minister of Public Service, a position from
which he is expected to increase pressure on Zimbabwe,s
civil society and especially its independent labor union,
ZCTU. Less clear is the impact of Simbarashe Mumbengegwi,
former Ambassador to the U.K., as the new Minister of Foreign
Affairs and former UN Permrep Tichaona Jokonya as the new
Minister of Information and Publicity. Mumbengegwi and
Jokonya may present a softer public edge, especially to the
West and especially in comparison to their voluble
predecessors, but neither is expected to pursue any new
initiatives in their domains.
¶5. (C) The expanded economic “team” is a particularly
disappointing lot. Acting Minister of Finance (and former
Minister of Education) Herbert Murerwa was finally,
officially (and unfortunately) appointed to the Finance post.
The academic Murerwa has never exhibited any initiative or
creativity in his earlier stints as Finance Minister and will
clearly continue to play second fiddle to Reserve Bank
Governor Gideon Gono. Controversial Agricultural Minister
Made (a principal architect of land reform) held his position
despite rumors that he would be sacked. We do not expect to
see any liberalization of the economy in the short-term.
(N.B. Gono had scheduled a press conference for today to
announce a devaluation of the Zim dollar, but postponed the
announcement, reportedly because he is having trouble getting
agreement from Mugabe on the extent of the devaluation.)
¶6. (C) Among the other more notable appointments was
sidelined former Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa as
Minister for Rural Housing and Social Amenities, one of four
new cabinet ministerial positions. The appointment appears
to be further evidence of Mnangagwa,s fall from grace. It
is a very small consolation prize for someone considered
Mugabe,s likely heir apparent up until December.
————
Cabinet List
————
¶7. (U) The following is the full list of the new cabinet:
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Simbarashe Mumbengwgwi
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education ) Stan Mudenge
Minister of Information and Publicity ) Tichaona Jokonya
Minister of Energy and Power Development ) Michael Nyambuya
Minister of Industry and International Trade ) Obert Mpofu
Minister of State for Water Resources and Infrastructural
Development ) Munacho Mutezo
Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities (New Ministry)
) Emmerson Mnangagwa
Minister of Women Affairs, Gender, and Community Development
) Oppah Muchinguri
Minister of State for National Security ) Didymus Mutasa
Minister of Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare )
Nicholas Goche
Minister of State Enterprises, Anti-Monopolies, and
Anti-Corruption ) Paul Mangwana
Minister of Economic Development (New Ministry) ) Rugare
Gumbo
Minister of Finance ) Herbert Murerwa
Minister of State for Special Affairs Responsible for Land
and Resettlement Program ) Flora Bhuka
Minister of Defense ) Sydney Sekeramayi
Minister of Education, Sports, and Culture ) Aeneas
Chigwedere
Minister of Agriculture ) Joseph Made
Minister of Home Affairs ) Kembo Mohadi
Minister of Environment and Tourism ) Francis Nhema
Minister of Local Government, Public Works, and Urban
Development ) Ignatius Chombo
Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs )
Patrick Chinamasa
Minister of Transport and Communications ) Chris Mushohwe
Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development )
Sithembiso Nyoni
Minister without Portfolio ) Elliot Manyika
Minister of Youth Development and Employment Creation )
Ambrose Mutinhiri
Minister of Health and Child Welfare ) David Parirenyatwa
Minister of Science and Technology ) Olivia Muchena
Minister of Policy Implementation ) Webster Shamu
Minister of Indigenization and Empowerment ) Josiah
Tungamirai
Deputy Minister of Information & Publicity – Bright Matonga
Deputy Minister of Agriculture – Sylvester Nguni
Deputy Minister Rural Housing & Social Amenities – Joel
Biggie Matiza
Deputy Minister of Industry & International Trade – Phineas
Chihota
Deputy Minister of Health & Child Welfare – Dr Edwin Muguti
Deputy Minister of Economic Development – Dr Samuel Undenge
Deputy Minister of Finance – David Chapfika
Deputy Minister of Education, Sports & Culture – Isaiah Shumba
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs – Rueben Marumahoko
Deputy Minister of Environment & Tourism – Andrew Langa
Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works & Urban
Development – Morris Sakabuya
Deputy Minister of Transport & Communications -Hubert
Nyanhongo
Deputy Minister of Small & Medium Enterprises Development –
Kenneth Mutiwekuziva
Deputy Minister of Youth Development & Employment Creation –
Saviour Kasukuwere
Deputy Minister of Mines & Mining – Tinos Rusere
Deputy Minister of Science & Technology – Patrick Zhuwao
Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender & Community
Development – Abigail Damasane
SCHULTZ
(61 VIEWS)
