Former cabinet ministers and G40 cabal masterminds, Walter Mzembi and Saviour Kasukuwere have endorsed the recent appointment by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, of Ambassador Fredrick Shava as the Foreign Minister.
Shava, a United Nations Diplomat, replaced Sibusiso Moyo who died last month of COVID-19 related illnesses. However, the new ambassador’s past is tainted with scandals after being implicated in the infamous Willgate corruption fiasco in 1988.
Together with a syndicate of other ministers, Shava is alleged to have fraudulently acquired motor vehicles from the then functioning Willovale Motors.
He was sentenced to nine months in prison after lying under oaths during the trial of the case but was later pardoned by the then president, the late, Robert Mugabe.
In a surprise twist of events, Mzembi and Kasukuwere, who have remained strong critics of Mnangagwa, albeit in exile, sang praises for Shava’s appointment.
“This is an appropriate appointment, he is an experienced diplomat with multilateral UN station and Sino geopolitical experience. Cabinet is not new to him, and he should hit the ground running. Congratulations to Ambassador Shava” echoed Mzembi in a tweet post-Tuesday morning.
Kasukuwere, who escaped death during the 2017 coup, said Shava is the best candidate for the job.
“He has the appropriate credentials to go with his new assignment and a matured approach to issues. All the best Dr Shava, all eyes on you,” Kasukuwere retorted.
Defending his statement after getting criticized, Kasukuwere said he will not judge Shava’s past.
“…knowing what I know about the cabinet, he is better! He was punished and pardoned. He spent quite a long time as a backbencher and I will not judge him harshly seeing that he did show remorse and exercised extreme discipline over the years. He made a mistake and acknowledged his failings,” he added.
The duo’s endorsements did not go well with their longtime friend and G40 mastermind, Professor Jonathan Moyo who said Shava’s appointment was not merit-based but nepotism since he hails from Mnangagwa’s rural area.
“Shava can’t be a “new dispensation” pick. He has no strategic purpose beyond his clanship value to Mnangagwa, who has tossed SB Moyo’s engagement thrust out of the window,” Moyo said.
He further fuelled factional fissures between Mnangagwa and his deputy, Vice President Chiwenga, who he said is the only remaining ‘coup soldier’ in the current cabinet as he accused the president of choosing his kith and kin for top cabinet posts while sidelining those aligned to Chiwenga.
“With this appointment and that of Felix Mhona as transport minister, General Chiwenga is now the only coup soldier remaining in Cabinet, which is now full of Mnangagwa homies,” he said.
Mnangagwa appointed Mhona as the Transport Minister, replacing the late Biggie Matiza, who also succumbed to COVID-19 same time with SB Moyo.
