Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) leader Douglas Mwonzora Thursday announced a 26-member shadow cabinet which he said will monitor and check the performance of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cabinet, providing oversight and faithful implementation of government policies
Addressing journalists at the party headquarters, Mwonzora said the shadow cabinet will among other things, come up with alternative policies that are in the best interest of the country.
“The shadow cabinet is confined to people who are serving Members of Parliament because they will have to interact with the Ministers at Parliament. By definition a shadow cabinet is there to mirror an existing cabinet,” Mwonzora said.
He said unlike President Mnangagwa’s cabinet which has 21 Ministers, the MDC came up with 26 because government enjoys the services of the bureaucracy.
“In our shadow cabinet, you will see 26 ministers, the reason being that the current cabinet, those Ministers have deputy Ministers, and the shadow cabinet does not have deputy ministers. If you look at President Mnangagwa’s cabinet, in some Ministries you have more than one deputy minister for instance in Agriculture.
“They also have the services of the bureaucracy, the permanent secretaries, directors and the various functionaries which the shadow cabinet does not have therefore in order to facilitate meaningful oversight we have had to disentangle and you will see an additional Minister,” he said.
Among those appointed shadow cabinet ministers are Tapiwa Mashakada, (Finance and Economic Development), Lindiwe Maposa (Small to Medium Enterprise) Tichivanani Mavetera (Transport and Infrastructural development), Peter Moyo (State Security), Morgan Komichi (Defence and War Veterans), Dr Ruth Labode (Health and Child Welfare) and Advocate Chinyan’anya (Mines and Minerals Development).
Glen View South legislator and son to late former party president Morgan Tsvangirai, Vincent was appointed shadow minister of Youth, Arts and Recreation.
Mwonzora said the party has also deployed shadow Ministers of State to deal with provincial and devolution affairs.
