PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa should appoint a
corruption-free, younger, skilled and experienced Cabinet to take the country
out of its current pitiful economic state within the shortest possible time,
analysts and opposition parties have advised.
MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said Mnangagwa, having been
in government for 37 years, should assemble a team different from his
predecessor, Robert Mugabe, who seemed to reward patronage ahead of skills and
ability.
“The new Cabinet should be lean and efficient. It must
deliver on government policies and be able to urgently turn around the comatose
national economy,” he said.
“In fact, President Mnangagwa should give the new Cabinet
performance-related targets.
“Cabinet ministers must operate on a results-based system. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms should also be put in
place.
“In the first 100 days, the crippling liquidity crunch
should be sorted out and the skyrocketing prices of basic goods and commodities
should just stop.”
Political analyst, Alexander Rusero said ordinary
Zimbabweans expect Mnangagwa’s appointments to be based on merit ahead of
region, political status and tribe.
“What the ordinary folk out there want is a Cabinet which
will ensure they eat from the table of rulers,” he said.
“He must appoint a Cabinet of technocrats, people, who know
how the job is done, not those who want to know if the job was done. He must
appoint doers.
“He has to balance political acumen and businesspeople.
“If you look at the Mugabe regime, appointments were based
on regions and political nepotism.
“It was an elite club, which, in the process, alienated
itself from the people. ED (Mnangagwa) should appoint people, who will share
the cake and not eat alone like what we saw under Mugabe’s rule.”
However, according to the Constitution, any appointments
must ensure there is a fair regional representation.
Academic and researcher, Mandivamba Rukuni said Mnangagwa
should not appoint anyone, who worked for years under Mugabe, as people were
“fed up” with the old regime, which has been blamed for the country’s economic
collapse.
“His selection must be guided because people are fed up
with Zanu PF and he needs to appoint people with no links to the old Mugabe
regime,” he said.
“People really don’t want any reminder whatsoever of the
past regime.”
The MDC said Mnangagwa should set up a government that
would ensure the military respects civilian rule.
Party spokesperson, Kurauone Chihwayi said Mnangagwa has
the task of ensuring that his government guarantees free and fair elections
without the involvement of the military.
Harare Residents’ Trust co-ordinator, Precious Shumba said
the new Cabinet should be reflective of Zimbabwe’s demographic state by having
at least 50% young people.
“No to failed ministers, who have failed as government’s
policymakers. We want a Cabinet that is representative of Zimbabwe’s society,”
he said.
“This Cabinet must have people, men and women, who have
people at heart and they must engage all stakeholders in a non-discriminatory
manner and with a hands-on practical approach.”
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions western region chairman,
Ambrose Sibindi said they expected Mnangagwa to appoint a Labour minister, who
is knowledgeable about workers’ issues.
“In the Labour ministry, we expect the President to appoint
someone who knows labour issues,” he said.
“We have had problems with some of the ministers appointed
to this portfolio, who were very ignorant about labour issues.”
A Bulawayo resident, Anele Mhlanga (64), said the new
Cabinet should ensure the issue of liquidity is urgently addressed.
“As old as I am, I cannot keep waking up at 4am daily to
queue for money at the bank as if it is a crime to have money in the bank.
“The Cabinet has to see to it that we get our money swiftly
like we used to some years back,” he said.
Thembinkosi Ndebele (42) expected a leaner Cabinet.
“We do not want a situation where ministries are just
created for the sake of accommodating friends,” he said.
“We need to be realistic as a country and have relevant
ministries.
“Some ministries can even be combined and be headed by one
minister as a way of cutting costs because in the end, it is us the ordinary
taxpayers who meet these expenses.”
Tinashe Chideme, a university student, said they anticipate
a government that will create jobs.
Meanwhile, churches said they were cautiously observing
Mnangagwa’s reign, warning people would not hesitate to remove him should he
fall into his predecessor’s trap of abuse of power.
Speaking at a churches’ interface meeting with politicians
from several parties in Harare yesterday, churches and civil society
organisations warned abuse of power would not be tolerated anymore in Zimbabwe.
“It is, however, important for the international community
to know, for the military to understand and for Zanu PF to take note that the
united citizens of Zimbabwe, who thronged the streets of Zimbabwe on November
18 demanding Mugabe to resign, were not doing so because they preferred the
current or recently inaugurated President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” Zimbabwe Divine
Destiny leader, Ancelimo Magaya said.
“Zimbabweans didn’t march to demand the ouster of Mugabe
the personality, but of Mugabe the system of which he happened to be the
principal. What Zimbabweans were celebrating was the hope that finally the
following evils would be rid of together with Mugabe who presided over them.”
He said Mnangagwa has an opportunity to differentiate
himself from the violent suppression of people’s freedoms, such as violent
election campaigns, torture, abductions, selective application of the law,
intimidation of citizens, recycling of old and incompetent officials into key
positions and violation of the Constitution, among other ills suffered under
Mugabe’s regime.
Zimbabwe Council of Churches secretary-general, Kenneth
Mtata said it was critical for the government to ensure credible, free and fair
elections next year.
“If we are going to move forward as a nation, we need to
restore our integrity, and, as we are going for elections next year, we need
protection of the vote,” he said.
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