Minister fired amid graft claims

Zimbabwean Mines Minister Winston Chitando was sacked by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday, with his deputy Polite Kambamura named as his replacement. According to Zimlive, Chief Cabinet Secretary Martin Rushwaya said Mnangagwa had ‘removed Winston Chitando as Cabinet Minister with immediate effect’. No reasons were given. It is understood that Chitando – previously removed from the Ministry after allegedly trying to grab a mine in which Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga had interests – was the subject of several complaints relating to the cancellation of gold mining permits, later issued to his proxies. The former managing director of Mimosa Mining, was first appointed Mines Minister in 2017 as one of the technocrats in Mnangagwa’s first Cabinet. He was shifted to the Local Government Ministry in 2023, but Mnangagwa reappointed him to mines just a year later. Kambamura, a 48-year-old mining engineer, is reported to be a close ally of the President’s twin sons, Collins and Sean.