Political Reporter
The ruling ZANU-PF party has finally constituted the newly formed Council of Elders with three members out of the possible ten being appointed to the Council yesterday.
The idea of setting up a Council of Elders was mulled since 2010 but it only came to reality yesterday when President Mnangagwa appointed some members to the Council.
Addressing delegates at the 7th National People’s Congress in Harare, President Mnangagwa said that he was still making consultations on who should be in the Council of Elders but announced three members of the Council.
The appointed three members of the Council of Elders are Cdes Josiah Hungwe, Angeline Masuku and Ambassador Aaron Mabhoyi. These members will have a duty to advise the President on political matters and settle disputes especially among senior members.
The choice of the members of the Council was careful as all the three members have a proven track record as they once served at the highest positions in both the Party and Government.
In the case of Ambassador Mabhoyi, he once served as Deputy Town Clerk of Bulawayo from 1984 to 1988 and went on to serve as Principal of Bulawayo Polytechnic from 1988 to 1996. He also served as Beitbridge Town CEO from 1996 to 1999.
Cde Mabhoyi also served as ambassador to Egypt for 14 years from the year 2000 to 2014. He once again briefly served as Minister of State for Matabeleland South province in 2017.
Cde Josiah Hungwe is a long time Politburo member who once served as Provincial Governor for Masvingo province for some time. He also served in Government as the country's first Minister for Liaising on Psychomotor Activities in Education.
Cde Masuku was part of the high powered committee which was tasked to oversee the integration exercise of Zanu and Zapu after the 1987 Unity Accord between the two parties. She participated in the negotiations that led to the signing of the Unity Accord between Zanu (PF) and PF-Zapu.
Cde Masuku served as Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province and has been a long time member of the Senate. She also served as Governor of Matabeleland South.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF is not the only Party to have a Council of Elders as ANC of South Africa and New Patriotic Party of Ghana, among other parties have councils of elders.
