Mnangagwa okays key appointments

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has approved the appointment of 10 provincial development co-ordinators (PDC) who will assist Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs with "technical and administrative support" needed to promote economic growth, create jobs and uplift people's living standards.

The appointments are effective from September 1.

In a statement yesterday, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said key deliverables associated with growing the economy "lie at the heart of the national decentralisation and devolution agenda, which is to be achieved through coordinated planning, development and maintenance of requisite infrastructure, and the effective exploitation" of resource endowments in the various provinces.

"The PDCs are therefore, critical technical actors in the formulation of provincial growth and transformation strategies that are aligned to National Development Plans and will enable Zimbabwe to realise its vision to become an upper middle-income economy and society in 2030."

Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Judith Ncube will be assisted by Mr Paul Nyoni, who has extensive experience from both the public and private sector.

He joined Government in 1990 as an administrative officer in the then Ministry of National Affairs, Employment Creation and Cooperatives, before joining the then Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications as research and planning officer in 1993.

Mr Nyoni, who holds a Masters in Social Science (Development Administration) and a Masters of Business Administration in Public Management, joined the private sector in 2014 as director of Momentum Insurance Brokers.

In Harare, Mr Tafadzwa Muguti, an Information Technology and investment specialist, will be assisting Minister Oliver Chidau.

He has extensive experience in the private sector where he held various executive posts, including being managing director of VSN Zimbabwe and CEO of E-Secure Zimbabwe.

A holder of a Masters of Business Administration in Leadership and Sustainability, Mr Muguti has been ZANU-PF director (Investment and Economic Affairs) since 2019.

Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Larry Mavima will be assisted by Mr Abiot Marongwe, who has been a career civil servant since 1999 when he joined the Ministry of Local Government.

He rose through the ranks and was promoted to District Administrator in 2004.

In 2017, he rose to Provincial Administrator in the same ministry.

Similarly, in Mashonaland East, another career civil servant, Mr Tavabarira Kutamahufa, will be assisting Minister Apollonia Munzverengwi.

Before joining the Ministry of Local Government in 2002, he was a teacher.

Minister Monica Mavhunga will be  assisted by Mr Timothy Tigere in Mashonaland Central.

Before his latest appointment as PDC, he had been chief town planner and director (housing and community services) for Chinhoyi Municipality.

Mr Josphat Jaji, Dr Jefter Sakupwanya, Ms Sithandiwe Ncube and Ms Latiso Dhlamini would be assisting Ministers Mary Mliswa-Chikoka (Mashonaland West), Ezra Chadzamira (Masvingo), Richard Moyo (Matabeleland North) and Abednico Ncube (Matabeleland South), respectively.