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New
cabinet a disaster: Analysts
Thelma Chikwanha, Daily News
September 11, 2013
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2013/09/11/new-cabinet-a-disaster-analysts
President Robert
Mugabe’s new huge Cabinet
is a disaster, analysts said yesterday, as the veteran leader retained
most of his loyalists who have been blamed for bringing the economy
down over the past three decades.
Ibbo Mandaza, a respected
academic and political scientist, said Mugabe’s new Cabinet
did not bring any new surprises. He however, said it was too early
to predict its effectiveness.
“What is clear
is there is a provincial balance of three per province but I do
not see the gender balance as there are only eight women in cabinet,”
Mandaza said.
He said the fact that
few young Turks including Supa Mandiwanzira who was appointed deputy
minister of Information, and Paul Chimedza, who was made deputy
minister of health, showed that a political establishment was not
easy to split.
Philip Pasirayi, a political
analyst said the new cabinet was nothing short of “jobs for
the boys” rather than a team appointed based on merit.
“Instead of change,
there is going to be continuity of the same policies that have hurt
our politics and our economy,” Pasirayi said. “Most
of the people who have been brought back to Cabinet like Jonathan
Moyo, Savior Kasukuwere, Ignatius Chombo and others have nothing
new to offer to the people. It is a huge disappointment.”
The director of Centre
for Community Development said the only positive thing about the
new administration was the demotion of former Transport minister
Nicholas Goche and former Mines minister Obert Mpofu and Kasukuwere.
“But the president
should have sent a clear signal that corruption will not be tolerated
in the new government by excluding some of his ministers who were
fingered in corruption in the mining sector, lands, local government
and parastatals,” Pasirayi said.
University
of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Shakespear Hamauswa said
it is simply a reshuffling of the old guard.
“Another explanation
is that Zanu-PF’s primary focus is on consolidation of power.
This explains why the old guard came back. These are the people
who are Zanu-PF to the core, so economic development is actually
secondary,” Hamauswa said.
Sydney Chisi, a human
rights activist, said the new government was an attempt by Mugabe
to mix reformists and hardliners.
“The movement of
people like Francis Nhema is an indication that Mugabe wants someone
who is ‘soft’ at sight to deal with issues of indigenisation
and allow foreigners to see the programme with a different lens,”
Chisi said.
“The opposite
is for people like Jonathan Moyo, Sydney Sekeramai and Mnangagwa
who retain the hard militant stance around the discourse of sovereignty
and independence, a reminder of the pre-GNU
war cabinet.”
He added: “The
deputy ministers who are generally young are not of much influence
in a government where deputy ministers are as good as non-existent,
but good for grooming.
“What shocks me
is the bouncing back of Dzikamai Mavhaire into the fold and for
him to hold such a critical portfolio, which is a national asset.”
“The thinking in
that appointment is not far from thinking that Mugabe wanted to
deal with factions, remember Mavhaire was appointed the most senior
in Masvingo province, the balance was to give Josiah Hungwe some
funny ministry.”
Chisi said the role of
extractive minerals in Zimbabwe’s economy will be quite academic
especially in the advent of the West’s position and the Kimberly
Process, hence a good legal mind is required to ensure that the
economy is set to challenge any legal provisions from the international
community.
“The bouncing back
of Muchinguri, the non-moving of Sithembiso Nyoni and the move of
Olivia Muchena to an Education ministry for a former lecturer shows
that Zimbabwe is driving whilst looking in the rear view mirror,”
he said.
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