Mumbengegwi bounces back as Minister of Foreign Affairs

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:

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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

TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI

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)