(Reuters) New Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to
form a new cabinet this week, with all eyes on whether he breaks with the past
and names a broad-based government or selects old guard figures from Robert
Mugabe’s era.
Of particular interest is his choice of finance minister to
replace Ignatius Chombo, who was among members of a group allied to Mugabe and
his wife, Grace, who were detained and expelled from the ruling party. Chombo
is facing corruption charges and is due to appear in court for a bail hearing
on Monday.
In a tentative sign that he might do things differently,
ZANU-PF cut the budget for a special congress to be held next month and also
slashed the duration by half from six days, the state-owned Herald newspaper
reported on Monday.
Mnangagwa was sworn in as president last Friday after
93-year-old Mugabe quit under pressure from the military.
He vowed to rebuild Zimbabwe’s ravaged economy and serve
all citizens. But behind the rhetoric, some Zimbabweans wonder whether a man
who loyally served Mugabe for decades can bring change to a ruling
establishment accused of systematic human rights abuses and disastrous economic
policies.
“The composition of the new government will show a clear
path whether we continue with the status quo or the clear break with the past
that we need to build a sustainable state. It’s a simple choice,” said former
finance minister and opposition leader Tendai Biti.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has called
for an inclusive “transitional authority” to mark a break with Mugabe’s 37-year
rule and enact reforms to allow for credible and free elections due next year.
“Zimbabwe needs all hands on deck...We cannot continue
reproducing these cycles of instability,” Biti, who earned international
respect as finance minister in a 2009-2013 unity government, told Reuters.
Some economic and political analysts say Mnangagwa’s
choices may be limited after Cyber Security Minister and close ally Patrick
Chinamasa said last week he saw no need for a coalition, as ZANU-PF had a
parliamentary majority.
And with Mnangagwa saying on Friday elections would go
ahead next year as scheduled, the opposition would have little to gain from
participating in a coalition just eight months before the vote, Professor
Anthony Hawkins, a business studies professor, said.
“If I were an opposition politician I would say: what’s in
it for me? Unless I‘m convinced I‘m going to lose the election, I won’t
participate,” Hawkins told Reuters.
“He (Mnangagwa) might introduce technocrats from commerce
and that will send out a signal of sorts... As far as the international
community is concerned legitimacy is important. It’s a very delicate situation
and he has very little room for maneuver.”
The Standard newspaper, which has been critical of Mugabe
and his government over the years, said Mnangagwa would be judged on how he
delivers on the bold commitments he made at his inauguration. It said he must
“walk the talk on graft” that has exacerbated the country’s economic decline.
Mugabe’s fall after 37 years in power was spurred by a
battle to succeed him that pitted Mnangagwa, his former deputy who had stood by
him for 52 years, and Mugabe’s wife, Grace, 52, who has been at the couple’s
“Blue House” mansion in Harare and hasn’t been seen in public since.
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