MORE OF THE SAME IN NEW GOZ CABINET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000604 SIPDIS AF FOR DAS T. WOODS AF/S FOR B. NEULING OVP FOR NULAND NSC FOR DNSA ABRAMS, SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2010 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI SUBJECT: MORE OF THE SAME IN NEW GOZ CABINET REF: HARARE 575 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Eric T. Schultz under Section 1.4 b/d -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) President Mugabe on April 15 announced a new, expanded cabinet, which he said was geared to &turn around8 Zimbabwe,s economy. However, most members of the new Cabinet are holdovers from the previous one, including on the economic front, although some Ministers have shifted portfolios. The few new faces previously held other positions in the GOZ. We do not expect to see any new policy initiatives, either foreign or domestic, from this cabinet, most of whom appear to have been chosen for their lock-step loyalty to Mugabe. End Summary. -------------- Priority on Patronage, Loyalty -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The addition of four new ministries and eight new deputy minister slots represents an expansion of Mugabe's patronage system, this despite severe budget constraints. Some of the new ministries will exist mostly on paper; the Ministry of Anti-Monopolies and Anti-Corruption and the Ministry of Policy Implementation created in last year's cabinet reshuffle, for example, still have no substantial staff or budget. Many appointees are non-constituency MPS who had lost recent parliamentary races ) an apparent violation of Mugabe's pledge last year that only elected MPs could "earn" cabinet slots. ¶3. (C) The new appointments reinforce the view that lock-step loyalty to Mugabe remains the principal criterion for job security and advancement in the GOZ. Like the recently named governors and non-constituency MPs (reftel),the "new" ministers are drawn largely from the ZANU-PF "Old Guard" or Mugabe,s Zezuru ethnic group; new faces among the deputy ministers are not independent minded. The Young Turks and the Karanga ethnic group, the losers in last December,s ZANU-PF power struggle, were handed few bones in the appointments and their disaffection will likely continue. -------------- -------------- Some &New8 Appointments; But Policy Changes Unlikely -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Among the more worrisome appointments is Nicholas Goche, former Minister of State for National Security, who ;takes over as Minister of Public Service, a position from which he is expected to increase pressure on Zimbabwe,s civil society and especially its independent labor union, ZCTU. Less clear is the impact of Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, former Ambassador to the U.K., as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and former UN Permrep Tichaona Jokonya as the new Minister of Information and Publicity. Mumbengegwi and Jokonya may present a softer public edge, especially to the West and especially in comparison to their voluble predecessors, but neither is expected to pursue any new initiatives in their domains. ¶5. (C) The expanded economic "team" is a particularly disappointing lot. Acting Minister of Finance (and former Minister of Education) Herbert Murerwa was finally, officially (and unfortunately) appointed to the Finance post. The academic Murerwa has never exhibited any initiative or creativity in his earlier stints as Finance Minister and will clearly continue to play second fiddle to Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono. Controversial Agricultural Minister Made (a principal architect of land reform) held his position despite rumors that he would be sacked. We do not expect to see any liberalization of the economy in the short-term. (N.B. Gono had scheduled a press conference for today to announce a devaluation of the Zim dollar, but postponed the announcement, reportedly because he is having trouble getting agreement from Mugabe on the extent of the devaluation.) ¶6. (C) Among the other more notable appointments was sidelined former Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa as Minister for Rural Housing and Social Amenities, one of four new cabinet ministerial positions. The appointment appears to be further evidence of Mnangagwa,s fall from grace. It is a very small consolation prize for someone considered Mugabe,s likely heir apparent up until December. -------------- Cabinet List -------------- ¶7. (U) The following is the full list of the new cabinet: Minister of Foreign Affairs - Simbarashe Mumbengwgwi Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education ) Stan Mudenge Minister of Information and Publicity ) Tichaona Jokonya Minister of Energy and Power Development ) Michael Nyambuya Minister of Industry and International Trade ) Obert Mpofu Minister of State for Water Resources and Infrastructural Development ) Munacho Mutezo Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities (New Ministry) ) Emmerson Mnangagwa Minister of Women Affairs, Gender, and Community Development ) Oppah Muchinguri Minister of State for National Security ) Didymus Mutasa Minister of Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare ) Nicholas Goche Minister of State Enterprises, Anti-Monopolies, and Anti-Corruption ) Paul Mangwana Minister of Economic Development (New Ministry) ) Rugare Gumbo Minister of Finance ) Herbert Murerwa Minister of State for Special Affairs Responsible for Land and Resettlement Program ) Flora Bhuka Minister of Defense ) Sydney Sekeramayi Minister of Education, Sports, and Culture ) Aeneas Chigwedere Minister of Agriculture ) Joseph Made Minister of Home Affairs ) Kembo Mohadi Minister of Environment and Tourism ) Francis Nhema Minister of Local Government, Public Works, and Urban Development ) Ignatius Chombo Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs ) Patrick Chinamasa Minister of Transport and Communications ) Chris Mushohwe Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development ) Sithembiso Nyoni Minister without Portfolio ) Elliot Manyika Minister of Youth Development and Employment Creation ) Ambrose Mutinhiri Minister of Health and Child Welfare ) David Parirenyatwa Minister of Science and Technology ) Olivia Muchena Minister of Policy Implementation ) Webster Shamu Minister of Indigenization and Empowerment ) Josiah Tungamirai Deputy Minister of Information & Publicity - Bright Matonga Deputy Minister of Agriculture - Sylvester Nguni Deputy Minister Rural Housing & Social Amenities - Joel Biggie Matiza Deputy Minister of Industry & International Trade - Phineas Chihota Deputy Minister of Health & Child Welfare - Dr Edwin Muguti Deputy Minister of Economic Development - Dr Samuel Undenge Deputy Minister of Finance - David Chapfika Deputy Minister of Education, Sports & Culture - Isaiah Shumba Deputy Minister of Home Affairs - Rueben Marumahoko Deputy Minister of Environment & Tourism - Andrew Langa Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works & Urban Development - Morris Sakabuya Deputy Minister of Transport & Communications -Hubert Nyanhongo Deputy Minister of Small & Medium Enterprises Development - Kenneth Mutiwekuziva Deputy Minister of Youth Development & Employment Creation - Saviour Kasukuwere Deputy Minister of Mines & Mining - Tinos Rusere Deputy Minister of Science & Technology - Patrick Zhuwao Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs, Gender & Community Development - Abigail Damasane SCHULTZ