Battered Mnangagwa makes sweeping changes

Zimbabwe's Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has been appointed as Health Minister, a month after the Ministry was rocked by a scandal surrounding the procurement of coronavirus tests and equipment. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, his predecessor, Obadiah Moyo, appeared in court in June over corruption charges related to a $20m contract awarded to a Hungary-registered firm, allegedly without going through proper processes. BBC News reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he has noted ‘the urgency needed to stabilise the health delivery system in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic where the country has registered an acute surge of cases’.

Reports have surfaced that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were involved in a heated exchange at a meeting of the governing Zanu-PF’s politburo last week. Business Day reports that Mnangagwa shouted at Chiwenga, according to two sources. They said Mnangagwa accused his deputy of instigating a plan to use last week’s protest to embarrass him. Chiwenga denied the claims, saying he had endorsed Mnangagwa for the 2023 elections and had protected him against enemies within the party who have now fled the country.

Meanwhile, SADC is facing increasing calls to reprimand Zimbabwe for the widely-flagged rights abuses. The Daily Nation reports that several leading SADC opposition leaders and personalities have taken to Twitter to voice their concerns. In SA, Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema went so far as to call for the closure of Zimbabwe's embassy in SA ‘until they restore the human rights in that country’. And former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf tweeted a message of support for protesters, saying ‘may God give you strength and courage in your pursuit of freedom’. Ordinary Zimbabweans have also turned to Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera, urging him to engage with SADC leaders. Chakwera is seen as a beacon of hope following his successful campaign that saw him beat incumbent Peter Muthariki in June in a rerun election that had been ordered by the Constitutional Court after nullification of last year's vote.