Mugabe appoints new RBZ governor

President Mugabe has appointed respected economist and Deposit Protection Corporation chairperson Dr Jesimen Tarisai Chipika as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

The appointment is effective from April 1 2017, and runs up to 2022. Dr Chipika replaces Dr Charity Dhliwayo whose second and final term expired on March 31 2017.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa told The Sunday Mail, "His Excellency, the President, R.G Mugabe, has appointed Dr Jesimen Tarisai Chipika as the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with effect from the 1st of April for a period of five years.

"As the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, we congratulate Dr Chipika and wish her well in her tenure."

RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said Dr Chipika would help strengthen the bank's contribution to "re-industrialisation and export growth".

"Dr Chipika is a well-renowned economist and researcher, and she is going to bring her wealthy of experience to the bank. She is passionate about financial inclusion and is going to positively contribute to the development of the country.

"We are excited about her appointment and grateful to the President for appointing her because her experience will add value to the bank."

A former technical advisor in the Finance Ministry, Dr Chipika holds Bachelor of Science Honours; Master of Science; and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics degrees from the University of Zimbabwe.

She also had a stint as an economics lecturer at the university from 1985 and 1998.

From 1999 to 2001, she was the International Labour Organisation and United Nations Development Programme national coordinator.

She held the same post in the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry's Jobs for Africa Programme. Dr Chipika was also a senior national economist and programme manager for the UNDP from 2001 to 2005.

In 2016, she was the lead consultant in the production of the Zimbabwe Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

Dr Chipika has published 27 books and more than 40 research papers in economics, broad-based economic empowerment, poverty, Millennium Development Goals and pro-poor policy making, among other areas.

She was a member of the RBZ Monetary Policy Committee from 2013 to 2015.