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President Mugabe's new cabinet is another sad joke for Zimbabwe
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
February 08, 2007

There is absolutely nothing new to expect from President Mugabe’s newly appointed cabinet which is comprised of deadwood handpicked from his endless list of loyalists. As NCA we condemn in strongest terms the continuous abuse of constitutional provisions by the president that allows him to single handedly appoint cabinet ministers on the basis of patronage and bootlicking.

As NCA we are also concerned with the president’s narrow-minded selection of cabinet ministers that excludes the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).Irregardless of the fact that the opposition is significantly represented in parliament the president continues to turn a blind eye when it comes to cabinet appointments and he resorts to recycling of his cronies to cabinet posts. President Mugabe is stretching the patients of peace loving Zimbabweans and his newly appointment cabinet is a clear sign of a regime that is desperately clinging to power at all costs.

The government is bankrupt of ideas and its pitiable that the head of state believes that change can only come through shuffling of old politicians who lost in elections. The appointment of people like Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, someone who was rejected by the people in parliamentary elections, is a clear arrogant stance by the president and its clear that his new appointments does not consider the wishes of the people of Zimbabwe.

NCA believes that the government is desperately trying to confuse the populace of Zimbabwe to believe that the problems that we are facing as a country can only be solved by appointing new ministers. As far as the NCA is concerned the issue is not about the leaders in offices but it goes back to the aspect of bad systems and structures that are being used to govern the country. We urge President Mugabe and his government to seriously consider the issue of constitutional reform as a way of resolving the crisis of governance in the country.

The previously reshuffled cabinet failed under the supervision of President Mugabe and its a miracle to believe that the newly appointed cabinet will perform well under the same system and management by the same failed head of state. If President Mugabe believes that changing faces in offices will help to solve our problems then the fact that he is still willing to continue as the president of this country is a clear contrast to the same initiative.

We are tired of the continuous experiments by President Mugabe and the only honorable thing that we expect from him is to resign and listen to the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans who are languishing in dire poverty.

NCA urges all Zimbabweans to join protests against a government that has lost its mandate of protecting the wishes and interest of its own people. Its now time to fight for our freedom as we can not continue to observe President Mugabe running Zimbabwe like his own personal tuckshop.Lets join hands and resist the continuous dictatorship by President Mugabe and his cronies. The time for dictatorship is over and the present government is buying time refusing to give in to constitutional reforms that will give birth to a democratic nation.

The NCA will not rest until it realize a new Zimbabwe where leaders are democratically elected and not handpicked like what we witness in the newly appointed cabinet.

A new democratic people driven constitution is the only starting point for building a foundation for democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe.

Madock Chivasa
NCA Spokesperson

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