Zimbabwe President mnangagwa reshuffles cabinet just a week after the nominations

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday dropped two ministers he had appointed to his new cabinet just a day earlier, a move widely seen as a response to a public uproar over the nominations.

Mnangagwa, 75, named his cabinet overnight on Thursday, and is expected to appoint two vice presidents following a special Zanu-PF congress in mid-December.

But he quickly replaced education minister Lazarus Dokora with Paul Mavima, a professor and also a lawmaker in the governing Zanu-PF party.

Professor Clever Nyathi was dropped as labour minister in favour of Petronella Kagonye, also a Zanu-PF lawmaker, though Nyathi will remain as special advisor on national peace and reconciliation.

A government statement said the changes were necessary to “ensure compliance with the constitution and considerations of gender, demography and special needs”.