US embassy cable - 04HARARE249

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, TEITELBAUM 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, ZI, ZANU-PF 
SUBJECT: RESHUFFLING THE OLD GUARD 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER KIMBERLY JEMISON FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D 
 
1. SUMMARY: (C) On February 10, President Robert Mugabe 
announced a new cabinet that looks very similar to the old 
one.  Only one minister was removed from cabinet, the rest 
either retaining their posts or being moved to other 
positions.  The absence of significant change in a ZANU-PF 
government faced with unpopularity, a succession crisis, and 
rampant and acknowledged corruption, instead suggests 
immobility and paralsis to the extreme.  The changes suggest 
continuing hard-liner influence and military presence in 
political circles and most likely will not signal a 
significant shift in the direction or quality of government 
policy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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THE CABINET RESTRUCTURE THAT WASN'T 
----------------------------------- 
2. (C) On February 10, President Robert Mugabe reshuffled the 
Cabinet, resulting in new heads of eight Ministries, three 
new ministerial positions, two new provincial governorships, 
and one minister losing his job. Noticeably absent from the 
list of Cabinet members is a replacement for Vice President 
Muzenda.  Like the appointments of four provincial governors 
in early November, the cabinet change suggests an increasing 
hard-liner influence and military presence in political 
circles. 
 
3.  (U) Mugabe moved five ministers from one ministry to 
another and appointed three new ones, although none of this 
signals a change in policy direction.  The reshuffled 
ministers include Elliot Manyika from Youth Development, 
Gender and Employment Creation to a ministerial position 
without a portfolio, July Moyo from Public Service, Labor, 
and Social Welfare to Energy and Power Development, Amos 
Midzi from Energy to Mines and Mining Development, Herbert 
Murerwa from Finance to Tertiary Education, and Paul Mangwana 
from Minster of State for State Enterprises and Parastatals 
to Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare.  New ministers 
include Chris Kuruneri who was promoted from Deputy Finance 
Minister to Finance Minister; retired Brigadier Ambrose 
Mutinhiri who is the new Minister for Youth Development, 
Gender and Employment Creation; and Chris Mushowe who was 
promoted from Deputy to Minister of Transport and 
Communication. 
 
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NEW POSITIONS 
------------- 
4. (U) Mugabe created three new cabinet positions and two 
provincial governor positions.  The responsibilities for the 
three cabinet positions--Minister of State for Indigenization 
and Empowerment Retired Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai, 
Minister of State for Policy Implementation Webster Shamu, 
and Minister of Special Affairs in the President,s Office in 
charge of Anti-corruption and Anti-monopolies Didymus 
Mutasa--have yet to be defined. The appointment of the two 
gubernatorial positions, Witness Mangwende as Governor of 
Harare and Cain Mathema as Governor of Bulawayo, comes more 
than a year after a presidential proclamation declaring the 
two cities provinces and therefore eligible to have governors. 
 
----------------------- 
CHINDORI-CHININGA FIRED 
----------------------- 
5.  (U) Edward Chindori-Chininga was the only cabinet 
minister to be dismissed, perhaps in connection with a highly 
publicized court battle over a farm in northwest Zimbabwe, 
but he is hardly the only offender.  In September 2003, the 
Daily News reported that Mugabe might dismiss ministers who 
grabbed more than one property during the land redistribution 
exercise. Another possible cause is the substantial leakage 
of gold outside official channels with suspected insider 
compliance. 
 
------------------------ 
PARTY LOYALISTS REWARDED 
------------------------ 
6. (U) Party loyalists, including hard-liners aligned with 
the Manicaland Mutasa/Chinamasa faction, were rewarded for 
their loyalty.  They included Andrew Langa, who won the hotly 
contested and violent by-election in Insiza, Matabeleland 
South in 2002, and becomes the Deputy Minister for Transport 
and Communications; Shadreck Chipanga, MP for Makoni East in 
Manicaland, who was once the head of the Central Intelligence 
Organization and is now the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs; 
Paul Mangwana, the former Minister of State for State 
Enterprises and Parastatals who becomes now Minister of 
Public Service, a much more high profile position; and David 
Chapfika, the MP for Mutoko North and Chair of the 
parliamentary budget committee who becomes Deputy Minister of 
Finance and Development. 
 
7. (U) Bios on new cabinet members to follow in separate 
cable. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
8. COMMENT:(C) The changes among the cabinet members follow 
personnel shifts begun in November 2003 with the provincial 
gubernatorial appointments.  Many expected a more significant 
house-cleaning by a ruling party intent on projecting 
seriousness on corruption.  With just one minister left 
seatless after the music stopped, the reshuffle probably was 
an anti-climactic disappointment to many in the party; others 
are breathing a sigh of relief -- for now.  The appointment 
of three people from Manicaland--Mutasa, Chipanga, and 
Mushowe-- reinforces the continuing influence of the 
Mutasa/Chinamasa hard-liner faction, which figured 
prominently in the November appointments.  The appointment of 
Retired Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirai and retired Brigadier 
Ambrose Mutinhiri conforms to the trend of a growing military 
presence in political circles. 
 
9. (C) None of this suggests a shift in policies or factional 
balances of power.  Similarly, it is not likely to have 
significant impact on prospects for inter-party talks.  The 
absence of significant change in a ZANU-PF government faced 
with unpopularity, a succession crisis, and rampant and 
acknowledged corruption, instead suggests immobility and 
paralsis to the extreme.  How the change in the Ministry of 
Public Service, Social Welfare, and Labor will affect 
humanitarian assistance is uncertain.  Donors had a 
reasonably good relationship with July Moyo but have had 
little experience with Mangwana, who is regarded as polished 
but unimaginative.  END COMMENT. 
 
10. (U) The Cabinet -- 
 
President: Robert Gabriel Mugabe 
 
Minister of State for Security: Nicholas Goche 
Minister of State for Information and Publicity: Jonathan Moyo 
Minister of State for Science and Technology: Olivia Muchena 
Minister of State for State Enterprises and parastatals: 
vacant 
Minister of State for Policy Implementation Webster Shamu 
Minster of State for Indiginization and Empowerment: Josiah 
Tungamirai 
Minister of State for Land Reform Program: Flora Buka 
 
Vice President: Vacant 
Vice President: Joseph Msika 
 
Minister for Special Affairs in President,s Office 
--In charge of Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement: John Nkomo 
--In charge of Anti-corruption and anti-monopolies: Didymus 
Mutasa 
 
Minister of Defense: Sidney Sekeramayi 
 
Minister of Education, Sports, and Culture: Anneas Chigwedere 
Deputy: Isaiah Shumba 
 
Minister of Energy and Power Development: July Moyo 
Deputy: Rueben Marumahoko 
 
Minister of Environment and Tourism: Francis Nhema 
 
Minister of Finance and Economic Development: Christopher 
Kuruneri 
Deputy: David Chapfika 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Stanislaus Mudenge 
Deputy: Abedinico Ncube 
 
Minister of Health and Child Welfare: David Parirenyatwa 
 
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education: Herbert Murerwa 
 
Minister of Home Affairs: Kembo Mohadi 
Deputy: Shadreck Chipanga 
Minister of Industry and International Trade: Samuel 
Mumbengegwi 
Deputy: Kenneth Manyonda (status not confirmed) 
 
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs: Patrick 
Chinamasa 
 
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Resettlement: Joseph Made 
 
Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National 
Housing: Ignatius Chombo 
Deputy: Fortune Charumbira 
Minister of Mines and mining Development: Amos Midzi 
Deputy: Jason Machaya (status not confirmed) 
 
Minister of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare: Paul 
Mangwana 
 
Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development: 
Joyce Mujuru 
Deputy: Tinos Rusere (status not confirmed) 
 
Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development: 
Sitembiso Nyoni 
Deputy: Kenneth Mutiwekuziva 
 
Minister of Transport and Communications: Chris Mushowe 
Deputy: Andrew Langa 
 
Minister of Youth Development, Gender and Employment 
Creation: Ambrose Mutinhiri 
Deputy: Shuvai Mahofa 
 
Minister without Portfolio: Elliot Manyika 
 
Provincial Governors 
-------------------- 
Manicaland: Michael Nyambuya 
Mashonaland East: David Karimanzira 
Mashonaland West: Nelson Samkange 
Mashonaland Central: Ephraim Masawi 
Masvingo: Josaya Hungwe 
Matabeleland North: Obert Mpofu 
Matabeleland South: Angeline Masuku 
Midlands: Cephas Msipa 
Harare: Witness Mangwende 
Bulawayo: Cain Mathema 
 
SULLIVAN