by Tawanda Musariri
This morning, President Emmerson Mnangagwa swore in Zimbabwe's leanest cabinet ever, made up of 20 ministers from diverse backgrounds.
The grand ceremony unfolded at State House where family and friends accompanied the twenty. The President brought the First Lady Mrs Auxilia Mnangagwa, and his two deputies on tow.
The cabinet, which boasts of six women, has seen eight brand new cabinet entrants among them. These include swimming sensation, Kirsty Coventry who comes to superintend the Ministry of Youths and Sport, Arts and Recreation.
Noteworthy about today's cabinet is that only eight of the twenty are members of the Zanu PF supreme decision maker, the Politburo. This could be interpreted as a new governance trajectory where Government and party are run separately without the two seemingly stampeding each other for influence. Also, only twelve of the twenty retained cabinet positions from previous cabinet though only eight retained their original ministries. Of the four, Honourable Oppah Muchinguri moved from the reconstituted Ministry of Water, Climate and Environment to the Ministry of Defence, a first for women.
Meanwhile, Ministers Paul Mavhima and Amon Murwira retained their ministries. Notably, Minister Murwira comes in as a technocrat, his original cabinet entry qualification after his attempt into politics failed during the Zanu PF primary elections. His retention shows the amount of faith the President has in Professor Murwira in driving the Higher Education, Science and Technology Development Ministry. Previously, the ministry had been under the defrocked Professor Jonathan Moyo under the eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Also to retain his Ministry of Mines is Honourable Winston Chitando who qualified cabinet on his deep understanding of the extractive sector. This time he is coming backed with a second hat as a Member of Parliament, a position he won in the July elections.
Last to retain his ministry is Minister of Justice Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi.
President Mnangagwa shone his light on women after appointing five women for the nine provincial ministerial positions concluded. Harare province is still vacant.
So balanced was President Mnangagwa's national selection that no province was left without a minister in its midst.
Today's ceremony saw the taking of oath of office by 45 ministers which included twenty ministers, 14 deputies from 13 ministries and nine ministers of State for provincial affairs.
The appointments included three non blacks in sync with the party and Government's multiracialism and national convergence drive.
During the ceremony, the First Lady took time to mix and mingle, extending unexpected handshakes to friends and relatives who came to witness the conferment of national responsibility among their kinsmen.
Also in attendance was retired politician and former National Healing and Reconciliation Minister Mrs Sekai Holland.
