Harare – Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa has reshuffled and reassigned his cabinet ministers effective 8 November 2019, an official statement from his office has confirmed. This is the second time Mnangagwa has reshuffled his cabinet in his two year reign.
This reshuffle comes at a time the economy is at a tipping point, with industry bodies attributing the prevailing economic crisis to policy flip-flopping by the Zimbabwe finance ministry. International finance institution IMF and global investors continue to point to corruption and the absence of the rule of law as key disablers of Zimbabwe’s economic recovery efforts.
Ironically, Mnangagwa’s cabinet reshuffle did not affect the key ministries of finance, mines , energy, agriculture and health which are at the centre of the country’s deepening economic crisis, save for a deputy minister appointment in the ministry of finance. Former minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Sekesai Nzenza has been thrown to the deep end as she will now lead the ministry of Industry and Commerce ,whose industries are on the brink of collapse. Sekesai Nzenza was recently at the centre of a NSSA audit storm whose disputed findings led to the arrest of former tourism minister Prisca Mupfumira and the suspension of several NSSA executives.
The national health crisis, a cash crisis, electricity blackouts, fuel shortages and water shortages and acute foreign currency shortages are threatening to collapse the country’s remaining companies. The question to ask president Mnangagwa after this reshuffle is , will it work? Does the new cabinet inspire business confidence? Read full statement on the reshuffle here.
