Zimbabweans who looked forward to seeing new faces in government seem to have been disappointed. Why? The new cabinet appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not made the expected break with the past. Most people woke up to news last Friday that the cabinet not only included veterans of Robert Mugabe’s previous cabinets, but prominent members of the military.
Air Force Commander, Perrance Shiri is now the new Agriculture minister. Brigadier-General Sibusiso Moyo – who Zimbabweans got to know on November 15 when he took to the state TV to announce a military takeover – is the new Foreign minister.
“Is this a Cabinet or a Regiment?” Zimbabwean comedian, Carl Ncube asked on Twitter. Across Zimbabwe’s vibrant social media community, the mood was glum. Tweeted @SiphoMalunga: “This looks like the unexpected reality I spoke about. And the Zimbabwe dream has turned into a nightmare so that it’s awful to be asleep and equally terrible to be awake.”
Many had anticipated that President Mnangagwa, sworn in amid great hopes last forth-night, would use the new Cabinet to build bridges in politically polarized Zimbabwe and reinforce the message that the country was changing direction after years of crisis and uncertainty under Mugabe’s rule.
There were even suggestions that Mr. Mnangagwa would include members from opposition parties in his new government. But that was not to be. “Most of the people in this new Cabinet don’t possess any new and refreshing ideas to breathe life into the failed economy,” said Obert Gutu, spokesman for the main opposition party, the MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai. Mr. Gutu said the new cabinet showed there would be “absolutely no fundamental change in the government’s approach to working for the people.”
But presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, has replied the critics. He said calls for another unity government now were impractical, with elections just round the corner. “If you look at the schedule for elections we are about plus or minus six months before they are held and certainly it would not make sense to talk about government of national unity for those remaining months,” he argued before newsmen in Harare.
