Newly appointed Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko whose links to the infamous Gukurandi massacres which slew 22,000 people in the 80s, have raised a stench, is in charge of the intelligence and military portfolios, it has been revealed.
The development is set to confirm the central reasons why the new Vice President previously unknown in Zimbabwean politics, was catapulted from the dark to Mugabe’s side.
Mphoko who has a long past as a notorious CIO agent, was quickly handed the portfolios by President Robert Mugabe shortly after his appointed him Acting President, Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed.
Mnangagwa told directors of various companies at his Kwekwe farm, the ministries given him are the Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development; Health and Child Care; Lands and Rural Resettlement; Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Mines and Mining Development; Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development; Sport, Arts and Culture and Small to Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development. Mphoko on the other hand already in charge of “national healing”, is now in charge of all the security ministries that include Home Affairs, Defence and Presidential Affairs.
He would also oversee the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Foreign Affairs; Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment; Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development; Energy and Power Development; Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development; Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.
“There are two new Vice Presidents and we have been allocated responsibilities,” Acting President Mnangagwa said.
“I am not really new in Government. I have been around for a bit since 1980 and I have moved around a bit. So, on the average I understand how Government works.”
Speaking about the year 2015, Mnagagwa said Government would commit its energy towards resuscitation of industry.
“Overall we want to grow our economy. We want to improve the lot our people. We want to create employment, to grow our industry, our mining sector and our manufacturing sector.
Mnangagwa said Government was dependent on captains of industry to know what challenges are inhibiting growth of the economy.
He said Government was more focused on projects with quick results and restore hope in the generality of Zimbabweans.
“There are areas which can quickly show results and there are others which require longer gestation to realise the benefits,” he said.
“Because of what has happened in this country we would want to prioritise these issues and see things that can quickly bring about creation of employment, bring about development, bring about hope in our people and this will depend on yourselves telling us from where you work to say in our area these are things we want you to address.”
Mnangagwa said he would soon invite the captains of industry sector by sector to discuss challenges and opportunities presenting in their areas.
Meanwhile President Mugabe’s office has said that Vice President Joice Mujuru, nine ministers and six deputies were fired for allegedly expending work time on factional activities within the party.