News / National
9 ministers, their deputies, perm secs and directors face the boot
14 Dec 2014 at 12:06hrs | Views
At least nine more Government ministers, their deputies, permanent secretaries and ministry directors face the boot as part of a realignment process aimed at ridding the public service of rogue characters linked to a plot to topple President Mugabe.
Last week, then Vice-President Joice Mujuru and eight ministers fell by the wayside in a Cabinet reshuffle that saw Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko being elevated to the posts of First and Second VP, respectively.
Information gathered by The Sunday Mail indicates that ministers who lost Zanu-PF Central Committee positions and have been fingered as members of the cabal seeking to oust and/or assassinate President Mugabe will be cut off. And Minister Oppah Muchinguri's previous portfolio of Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development is yet to be filled after she was shifted to head the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development portfolio, feeding speculation that the Head of State and Government could soon swear-in the new minister along with replacements for those facing imminent dismissal.
Among those believed to be on their way out are Lazarus Dokora (Primary and Secondary Education), Andrew Langa (Arts, Sports and Culture), Sylvester Nguni (Minister of State in the First VP's Office), Flora Buka (Minister of State in the President's Office), Tendai Savanhu (Deputy Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement), Jason Machaya (Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs), Kudakwashe Bhasikiti (Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs) and Mirriam Chikukwa (Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs).
The permanent secretaries facing the sack are Mr Munesushe Munodawafa (Transport and Infrastructural Development), Mrs Sophia Tsvakwi (Lands and Rural Resettlement), Mr Partson Mbiriri (Energy and Power Development) and Mr Ringson Chitsiko (Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development).
A well-placed source said: "Further realignment is looming because there are still a number of ministers and senior officials like permanent secretaries and directors who had close links with Mai Mujuru and were complicit in the plot (to remove President Mugabe).
"Some of these people failed to secure seats in the Central Committee. Therefore, they cannot continue serving in Government under the leadership of President Mugabe whom they wanted out of office.
"How does Minister Nguni, for instance, expect to work with VP Mnangagwa when he is clearly Mai Mujuru's blue-eyed boy?"
The implicated officials are believed to have been working towards toppling President Mugabe and replacing him with Mujuru. If they failed through a vote of no confidence in Parliament and springing a surprise on the President at Zanu-PF's 6th National People's Congress, then the cabal would assassinate the Head of State and Government, it is alleged.
Former Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa told a lover that President Mugabe would be shot if he did not make way for Mujuru. Ex-Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo features in a recording in which he says President Muagbe would be assassinated.
Nicholas Goche (fromer Public Service, Labour and Social Services Minister) is also reported to have said "war" was coming ahead of Zanu-PF's December 2014 Congress. Some ministers, permanent secretaries and directors allegedly sourced funding from hostile Western governments to leverage the plan. They also allegedly looted money from parastatals and State enterprises under their watch to finance the plot.
They reportedly organised several meetings with the private sector where Mujuru was presented as an unacceptable leader to business and Westerners, some of which were held at churches.
One of those meetings at a church in Harare reportedly prompted President Mugabe to ask rhetorically if Zanu-PF's headquarters had been relocated to those premises.
Apart from Mujuru, ministers Mutasa, Goche, Francis Nhema (Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment), Webster Shamu (ICT, Posts and Courier Services), Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development), Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs), Dzikamai Mavhaire (Energy and Power Development) and his deputy, Munacho Mutezo were last week kicked out of Government.
President Mugabe subsequently swore into office VP Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will double as Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and Phelekezela Mphoko, who also heads National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation.
Supa Mandiwanzira (former Information Deputy Minister) replaced Shamu while Samuel Undenge took over from Mavhaire. Nhema was booted out to make way for Christopher Mushohwe.
Mudarikwa was replaced by Joel Biggie Matiza while Priscah Mupfumira took over from Goche. Christopher Mutsvangwa was appointed to the new brief in charge of War Veterans Affairs. The Cabinet shake-up comes at a time when the Office of the President and Cabinet is drafting a Bill to guide the conduct of VPs, ministers and deputy ministers as provided for under Section 106(3) of the Constitution.
Last week, then Vice-President Joice Mujuru and eight ministers fell by the wayside in a Cabinet reshuffle that saw Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko being elevated to the posts of First and Second VP, respectively.
Information gathered by The Sunday Mail indicates that ministers who lost Zanu-PF Central Committee positions and have been fingered as members of the cabal seeking to oust and/or assassinate President Mugabe will be cut off. And Minister Oppah Muchinguri's previous portfolio of Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development is yet to be filled after she was shifted to head the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development portfolio, feeding speculation that the Head of State and Government could soon swear-in the new minister along with replacements for those facing imminent dismissal.
Among those believed to be on their way out are Lazarus Dokora (Primary and Secondary Education), Andrew Langa (Arts, Sports and Culture), Sylvester Nguni (Minister of State in the First VP's Office), Flora Buka (Minister of State in the President's Office), Tendai Savanhu (Deputy Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement), Jason Machaya (Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs), Kudakwashe Bhasikiti (Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs) and Mirriam Chikukwa (Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs).
The permanent secretaries facing the sack are Mr Munesushe Munodawafa (Transport and Infrastructural Development), Mrs Sophia Tsvakwi (Lands and Rural Resettlement), Mr Partson Mbiriri (Energy and Power Development) and Mr Ringson Chitsiko (Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development).
A well-placed source said: "Further realignment is looming because there are still a number of ministers and senior officials like permanent secretaries and directors who had close links with Mai Mujuru and were complicit in the plot (to remove President Mugabe).
"Some of these people failed to secure seats in the Central Committee. Therefore, they cannot continue serving in Government under the leadership of President Mugabe whom they wanted out of office.
"How does Minister Nguni, for instance, expect to work with VP Mnangagwa when he is clearly Mai Mujuru's blue-eyed boy?"
Former Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa told a lover that President Mugabe would be shot if he did not make way for Mujuru. Ex-Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo features in a recording in which he says President Muagbe would be assassinated.
Nicholas Goche (fromer Public Service, Labour and Social Services Minister) is also reported to have said "war" was coming ahead of Zanu-PF's December 2014 Congress. Some ministers, permanent secretaries and directors allegedly sourced funding from hostile Western governments to leverage the plan. They also allegedly looted money from parastatals and State enterprises under their watch to finance the plot.
They reportedly organised several meetings with the private sector where Mujuru was presented as an unacceptable leader to business and Westerners, some of which were held at churches.
One of those meetings at a church in Harare reportedly prompted President Mugabe to ask rhetorically if Zanu-PF's headquarters had been relocated to those premises.
Apart from Mujuru, ministers Mutasa, Goche, Francis Nhema (Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment), Webster Shamu (ICT, Posts and Courier Services), Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development), Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs), Dzikamai Mavhaire (Energy and Power Development) and his deputy, Munacho Mutezo were last week kicked out of Government.
President Mugabe subsequently swore into office VP Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will double as Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and Phelekezela Mphoko, who also heads National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation.
Supa Mandiwanzira (former Information Deputy Minister) replaced Shamu while Samuel Undenge took over from Mavhaire. Nhema was booted out to make way for Christopher Mushohwe.
Mudarikwa was replaced by Joel Biggie Matiza while Priscah Mupfumira took over from Goche. Christopher Mutsvangwa was appointed to the new brief in charge of War Veterans Affairs. The Cabinet shake-up comes at a time when the Office of the President and Cabinet is drafting a Bill to guide the conduct of VPs, ministers and deputy ministers as provided for under Section 106(3) of the Constitution.
Source - Sunday Mail
