by Staff Reporter
HARARE-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa —one of the key centres of power in Zimbabwe politics has emerged as the biggest loser in Robert Mugabe’s latest major cabinet reshuffle, thezimbabwenewslive can reveal.
Mnangagwa has been lobbying for six portfolios, Finance,Tourism,Energy,Arts and Sports, Foreign affairs and media.
On Finance, he wanted Dr Munyaradzi Kereke, for Tourism , he had earmarked it for his wife Auxillia ,July Moyo (Energy), Joram Gumbo(Arts and Sports),Chris Mutsvangwa(Media) and Makhosini Hlongwane(Foreign Affairs).
The reshuffle was timed to take place at the time Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on a five-day visit to China.
President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace—who is now considered the country’s de facto president is believed to have stamped her authority by putting people of her choice in key positions.
Mnangagwa and Grace are at loggerheads on a number of issues, key among who should take which Cabinet portfolio.
Only last week Grace publicly demanded that under fire Prosecutor General Johannes Tomana be fired, only for Mnangagwa to tell Parliament the following day that Tomana is going nowhere.
It was previously speculated that Grace and Mnangagwa were at loggerheads over who, between former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono and his former advisor Munyaradzi Kereke, should replace Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa. Grace wanted Gono, while Mnangagwa was pushing for Kereke.
One of the casualties of the reshuffle was Jonathan Moyo who has been reassigned to a less influential Higher Education Ministry from Information.
