by Rudo Saungweme
Citizens from different walks of life have welcomed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ministerial reshuffles (permanent secretaries and principal directors) saying they reflect positively on the new administration’s drive to stir economic growth.
The owner of Alpha Media Holdings Trevor Ncube, commented on twitter saying, “Impressive decisiveness by President Mnangagwa in cleaning out senior civil servants including permanent secretaries. We have not seen anything like this over the past 40 years. Now most ministers have people that will support and not undermine them.”
President Mnangagwa retired longest serving Government official Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede. The following Government officials were also retired; Ngoni Masoka, Partson Mbiriri, Joey Bimha, Boniface Chidyausiku, Ambassador Kelebert Nkomani, Ethel Mlalazi, Anne Knuth and Valentine Vera. Some of the nineteen Government officials were reassigned to other duties. One of the Directors who were reassigned was Director of State residences, Innocent Tizora who was replaced by Douglas Tapfuma. George Charamba was reassigned to be Deputy Chief Secretary Presidential Communications.
The citizens expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for choosing technocrats who are hardworking. Speaking at the opening of his first cabinet meeting he said, “Since the advent of the New Dispensation on the 24th of November 2017, we adopted a new methodology of ensuring that Government Ministries and agencies, deliver quality services to the people, through the Integrated Results Based Management System, with its accompanying Rapid Results Approach.”
President Mnangagwa has appointed George Guvamatanga to be the new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Guvamatanga is a senior Banker who worked as Barclays Bank`s managing director for 28 years and resigned in November 2017. He served as the President of the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe from 2008 to 2014. “With his background in the banking sector, Guvamatanga can deliver,” said one of the Barclays bank tellers who refused to be named.
