Recycled Cabinet No Surprise

via Zimbabwe:The Recycled Cabinet Was No Surprise |OPINION | ZimEye By Chris Tongogara Published: September 11, 2013

While I take this opportunity to wish all the newly-appointed Ministers the best in the next five years, I must quickly add that the cabinet was not a surprise at all. It merely served as the only way to thank and appreciate loyalists in the party most of whom who have buoyed Mugabe to rule to this day. Some are even shocked to be on the list because they do not even know their purpose and functions to this day.

I was still awestruck to realize that old habits die hard. Why in the world we would have resident Ministers and a Minister without portfolio just left me wondering. What would a Minister without portfolio do? As he would prepare to head to office what would be his day like? What exactly would he be paid to do? I wondered? Why all the unnecessary expenses blowing tax payer funds on a Minister without portfolio in this day and age?

I was then slightly happy that the cabinet was shrunk from 33 to 26. I am sure some reality knocked on the door. Then the reshuffle was awesome too. Those weak in brain power saw themselves heading to lesser challenging zones as those considered more powerful were assigned to challenging roles. It was interesting to analyze the shift of positions as the new cabinet would be expected to deliver miracles under such inhibitive conditions.

That there were few women ministers was not a surprise as well. ZANU PF has always played a chauvinistic approach when appointing women. Not even a single woman got a powerful role in the cabinet. They were simply invited to the table to see men take the fatherly “head of household roles”.

The other aspect was that the cabinet resembled the same ole same ole recycled people who have created some controversial issues before. There were no new brains in the top ranks. Most of them would simply trade seats and continue the same old song. In the same example we saw Mnangagwa heading back to the Justice Ministry that he once led in the nineties as Patrick Chinamasa was the Attorney General. Then we saw Chombo retaining the local government seat. We will see how he will work with the new mayor of Harare who is from the MDC-T. I then wondered the authenticity of such a cabinet that had seen so much happen on its clock and yet failed to deliver.

Then the very fact that a lawyer, Chinamasa would be the head of finance seemed interesting. That was because many had believed Biti as a lawyer had done well in that category. So the persuasion to get another lawyer into the hot finance seat came as not a surprise. Many will be interested to see how things will change.

Be that as it may, we will have to see how these men and women so full of hope and promise will live to deliver to the electorate. There had been so much blame on the GNU as being an impediment to progress. So many peope pointed fingers at each other. Corruption was the main subject as leaders traded brickbats. Now the ball is in your court ZANU PF. We will be watching you closely as you make decisions that will impact the nation.

I would kindly appeal to you to stop the blame game now, tie your boots and start delivering. There is so much to be done and please stop some make-believe ideas like a Disneyworld in Zimbabwe when people do not even have enough clean water, medical drugs and books. I would kindly ask that you know the basic needs of your people first. Good luck bringing change!