President Emmerson Mnangagwa may announce his new cabinet today or tomorrow after his recent hotly disputed re-election victory.
Mnangagwa hinted this to ZANU PF provincial party officials who had gone to congratulate him on his return to office during a meeting at State House at the weekend.
The President indicated he is now finalising drafting his new cabinet ahead of its possible announcement today or tomorrow.
“We met the President to congratulate him on his victory in the recent elections at State House during the weekend and he indicated that he is finalising his new cabinet list,” a senior Zanu PF official said.
“We are expecting a fresh team which will be a mixture of the old guard and young turks given that the elections introduced new blood in parliament. The President now has a lot of options to appoint from.”
Insiders say Mnangagwa has huge room and latitude this time around to field his own preferred team since he has shaken off the shackles of control from his deputy Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga who had big influence on him and his appointments during his first term.
Chiwenga had influence as had installed Mnangagwa in power through a November 2017 coup, but the President has now become his own man after winning the recent elections through his own initiative using Forever Associates Zimbabwe, a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)-controlled outfit which took over the running of elections behind the scenes from the military.
In 2018 after the coup, Mnangagwa was put in power via a disputed election by the army which had ousted the late former president Robert Mugabe the year.
There is anticipation from some sections of society on how Mnangagwa will line up his new cabinet, especially economic ministries as the economy takes centre stage in the post-election period.
Most business executives and decision-makers are anxious to know who is likely to be the new Finance minister, although indications show Mthuli Ncube will be retained at the portfolio.
Besides Finance, other key ministries in cabinet include Industry and Commerce, Mines, Transport, Education, Health, Public Service, which controls the National Social Security Authority, Energy, Justice, Home Affairs, Defence, State Security, Local Government, Foreign Affairs and Information.
There was a speculative cabinet list released on social media – which was basically an agenda-setting bid – with new names like Angeline Gata, Tinoda Machakaire, Joshua Sacco, Ngonidzashe Mudekunye, Tatenda Mavetera, Kindness Paradza, Barbara Rwodzi and Tafadzwa Mugwadi.
The new cabinet is likely to be informed by Mnangagwa’s bid to consolidate power further after retaining it through a smash-and-grab election.
Newshawks
