Peter Haritatos
| Peter Haritatos | |
|---|---|
 Peter Haritatos image credit: NewsDay | |
| Born | Peter Haritatos |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Occupation |
|
| Spouse(s) | Angela Haritatos |
Peter Haritatos was a Zimbabwean politician and member of the ZANU PF party. Haritatos seved as the member of parliament for Muzvezve, a constituency 150km SW of Harare. [1]
Personal Details
Born: Greece.
Peter Haritatos moved to Zimbabwe as a boy in the 1950s. [1] Haritatos was born in Greece. His father was a master baker who settled in Kadoma. Peter Haritatos ran Central Bakery and Confectionery, continuing the family tradition. [2]
Death: 10 July 2021. He succumbed to COVID-19 related complications at St Anne’s Hospital in Harare. He was accorded a State-assisted funeral. [3]
School / Education
No information was found on his Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.
Service/Career
In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Muzvezve returned to Parliament:
- Peter Haritatos of Zanu PF with 18 832 votes or 83.96 percent,
- Patrick Musevenzo of MDC–T with 3 029 votes or 13.50 percent,
- Modock Mashongandoro of MDC–N with 569 votes or 2.54 percent,
Total 22 430 votes
Haritatos is also a member of Zanu PF's central committee, the party's powerful decision making body. He was nominated into the Zanu PF central committee at the Zanu PF party congress in December 2014 without being subjected to an election. [4]
Peter Haritatos was not the only white member of Zanu PF. Other members include Joshua Sacco, Stuart Comberbach, Timothy Stamps and Denis Norman. Haritatos was reported to be the financier of the Ignatius Chombo faction during the period of factional fights to succeed Robert Mugabe from about 2013. He was accused by party members of abusing his wealth to fan factionalism[4] . Reports in January 2015 said that Zanu PF Kadoma district chairpersons, in a petition to Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Women’s League boss Grace Mugabe, had alleged that Haritatos had links to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and was plotting Mnangagwa’s downfall.
Resignation
In April 2018, Peter Haritatos said he would not contest for the parliamentary seat in the coming elections. [2]
Businesses
Peter Haritatos owns a gold mine and a commercial bakery in Zimbabwe. [1]
Events
Farm Mechanisation Scheme
In July 2020, Peter Haritatos was listed, in the BSR of 18 July 2020, as a beneficiary in the 2007 RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme, as a result of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.
The data is analysed by recipients origin:.
- Mashonaland provinces had the most beneficiaries, both in terms of numbers and value.
Mashonaland East got US$47,5 million,
Mashonaland West US$44,7 million
Mashonaland Central had US$34,2 million.
- Two Matebeleland provinces had a combined total of US$13,9 million.
- Masvingo US$26,4 million,
- Manicaland US$18 million
- Midlands US$14 million.
Peter Haritatos was listed under the thematic group “Politicians”. According to the list, he got a loan of US$38,000. [5]
Pictures
Peter Haritatos sits next to his wife at a Walter Magaya sermon in Harare in 2015.
Campaign poster for 2013 elections
Election posters in Muzvezve, 150km SW of Harare, show Zanu PF candidate Peter Haritatos (left) alongside the winning presidential candidate Robert Mugabe, August 3, 2013.
Trivia
- Haritatos was also accused by some Zanu PF members of being racist. [4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jerome Starky, The only white Zanu PF candidate, Flickr, Published: 3 Aug 2013, Retrieved: 11 Nov 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Blessings Mashaya, Haritatos calls time on politics, Nehanda Radio, Published: April 5, 2018, Retrieved: july 10, 2021
- ↑ Justin Mahlahla, State-assisted funeral for Cde Peter Haritatos, ZBC, Published: July 13, 2021, Retrieved: July 13, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Knives out for Zanu PF MP, NewsDay, Published:6 Jan 2015, Retrieved: 11 Nov 2015
- ↑ https://www.bigsr.co.uk/single-post/2020/07/18/BSR-EXCLUSIVE-Beneficiaries-of-the-RBZ loan of US$325,368.00-Farm-Mechanisation-Scheme BSR EXCLUSIVE: Beneficiaries of the RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme], Big Saturday Read, Published: 18 July 2020 Retrieved: 18 July 2020
