Zimbabwe’s new leader drops two ministers

ZIMBABWE’S President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday dropped two ministers he had appointed to his new cabinet just a day earlier, a move widely seen as a response to a public uproar over the nominations.

Mnangagwa, 75, named his cabinet overnight on Thursday, and is expected to appoint two vice presidents following a special ZANU-PF congress in midDecember.

But he quickly replaced Education Minister Lazarus Dokora with Paul Mavima, a professor and also a lawmaker in the governing ZANU-PF party.

Professor Clever Nyathi was dropped as labour minister in favour of Petronella Kagonye, also a ZANU-PF lawmaker, though Nyathi will remain as special adviser on national peace and reconciliation.

Mnangagwa has come under fire for recycling officials from the era of ousted president Robert Mugabe, and for naming two military allies to top positions in his new cabinet.

Dokora, who had served in Mugabe’s government since 2013, has faced criticism for introducing changes to the education curriculum which were widely seen as threatening the once-revered school system.

Sibusiso Moyo, a major general who on November 15 went on TV to announce the military’s takeover – a power grab which led to the 93-year-old Mugabe quitting the presidency – is the new foreign affairs minister.

Mnangagwa is set to swear in his cabinet today.