New Cabinet: President Mnangagwa's Non-Constituency Ministers
President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed six non-constituency Ministers into his Cabinet, out of a possible seven from outside parliament. Some of the Ministers had lost their seats prior to the election.
In 2018, the non-constituency Ministers included individuals like Professor Mthuli Ncube (Finance), Professor Amon Murwira (Higher Education), Kirsty Coventry (Sports), Dr. Obadiah Moyo (Health), and July Moyo (Local Government).
The non-constituency Ministers for the period of 2023-2028 are Kirsty Coventry, Mangaliso Ndlovu, Mthuli Ncube, Ziyambi Ziyambi, Amon Murwira, and Anxious Masuka.
Mangaliso Ndlovu:
Mangaliso Ndlovu, former Tourism Minister, lost his seat as his previous constituency, Bulilima East, merged into a new constituency called Bulilima. The seat was won by Dingumuzi Phuti, who was the Member of Parliament for Bulilima West. However, Ndlovu has been given a new role. To accommodate him, President Mnangagwa split the old Ministry, appointing Barbara Rwodzi as the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, while retaining Ndlovu as the Minister of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife. Tongai Mnangagwa, the President’s nephew and MP for Harare South, was named as Ndlovu’s deputy.
Dr Anxious Masuka:
President Mnangagwa exempted Minister Anxious Masuka from constituency politics to focus on reviving the agriculture sector. Masuka and John Basera were recognised as top performers in the 2022 evaluation. Masuka will serve as a non-constituency legislator, according to Mnangagwa’s column in The Sunday Mail and Sunday News. He wrote:
I have released Minister Anxious Masuka from the distractions of constituency politics so his sole focus and sole politics relate to this one goal of transforming our agriculture for a food-secure Nation for all times.
He will be a non-constituency Member of Parliament, so he has enough time to live, think and dream of agriculture only.
In 2022, Zimbabwe achieved a record wheat harvest as farmers delivered over 375 000 tonnes to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).Before last year’s output, the highest-ever wheat output since commercial production began in the 1960s was 325 000 tonnes realised in 1990.
Ziyambi Ziyambi
Ziyambi Ziyambi was reappointed as the non-constituency Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs. Despite losing in the ZANU PF primary elections, attempts to save him through a rerun indicated his continued favour. Ziyambi’s history of pushing legislation to strengthen President Mnangagwa’s power is not surprising. He demonstrated his loyalty by criticizing observer reports. His deputy is lawyer Norbert Mazungunye, who won against Fortune Chasi in the ZANU PF primaries.
Mthuli Ncube
Ncube retains the Ministry of Finance, now called Finance and Investment Promotion. He lost his constituency seat but was reappointed as a non-constituency Minister. Despite development initiatives, criticism remains for austerity measures, currency issues, and economic instability. Public scepticism lingers regarding his ability to address these concerns. Ncube’s experience and qualifications:
– Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank.
– Expertise in finance, economics, investment, and public policy.
– Entrepreneur and academic.
– Professor at the University of Oxford, teaching economic development, public policy, and business in Africa.
– HSBC Distinguished Professor of Banking and Financial Markets at the University of the Witwatersrand.
– Founder and former CEO of Barbican Bank.
– Lecturer in Finance at the London School of Economics.
– Dean and Professor of Finance at Wits Business School.
– Board member of the South African Financial Services Board.
– Chairman of the National Small Business Advisory Council.
– Chairman of the Board of the African Economic Research Consortium.
– Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion in Zimbabwe since 2023.
Amon Murwira
Amon Murwira is another non-constituency Minister who was appointed by President Mnangagwa. He is an academic and was retained as Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Development. He holds a PhD in Geo-Information Science and has expertise in GIS and Remote Sensing. Murwira worked as an ecologist in Zimbabwe’s Department of Natural Resources and is a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences.
