ZIMBABWE’S new president has appointed a new Cabinet that includes ruling party loyalists as well as figures linked to the military, whose takeover helped oust former leader Robert Mugabe.
No opposition politicians are included in the list, which has been seen as the first test of whether Emmerson Mnangagwa, a longtime Mugabe ally, would move out of his shadow.
The 22-member Cabinet announced on Thursday includes Major General Sibusiso Moyo as foreign minister, Air Marshal Perence Shiri as agriculture minister and Chris Mutsvangwa, leader of Zimbabwe’s war veterans, as information minister.
Air Marshal Shiri is directly linked to the Matabeleland massacre of thousands of people by a North Korea-trained military brigade in the 1980s when Mugabe moved against a political rival.
Maj Gen Moyo, on November 15, announced the military takeover that put Mugabe under house arrest and set in motion a national clamour leading to the former president’s resignation after 37 years in power.
Mugabe quit on November 21 amid impeachment proceedings. The ruling Zanu-PF party replaced him with Mnangagwa, who was fired weeks ago as one of the country’s vice presidents as Mugabe’s wife, Grace, positioned herself to succeed him.
The list of Cabinet appointments does not mention vice presidents.
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