HARARE
–
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
has
appointed
Zanu
PF
senator
Lovemore
Matuke
as
state
security
minister,
ending
nearly
three
years
of
waiting
to
fill
up
the
position.
The
post
was
rendered
vacant
following
his
surprise
sacking
of
top
ally
Owen
Muda
Ncube
in
January
2022
while
serving
his
first
term
as
president.
Now
Minister
of
State
for
Midlands
Provincial
Affairs,
Ncube
was
sacked
over
what
was
described
as
“conduct
inappropriate
for
a
minister
of
government.”
Since
his
dismissal,
Mnangagwa
has
kept
the
dreaded
spy
agency
directly
under
his
supervision.
Hatcliffe
MP
Agency
Gumbo
(CCC)
told
parliament
this
week
that
by
keeping
the
position
vacant,
Mnangagwa
was
in
breach
of
section
225
of
the
Zimbabwe
constitution
which
placed
an
obligation
on
him
as
president
to
appoint
a
minister
in
charge
of
the
country’s
intelligence
service.
Gumbo
said
it
was
important
to
have
a
minister
in
charge
of
the
national
intelligence
services
so
that
questions
on
national
security
issues
could
be
directed
to
them.
“In
the
absence
of
a
minister
of
national
security
in
this
country,
there
are
serious
national
security
questions.
We
are
unable
to
interrogate
and
demand
answers
from
the
executive.
This
goes
to
the
heart
and
core
of
our
role
of
oversight,”
Gumbo
added.
As
if
to
respond
to
the
MP’s
concerns,
Mnangagwa
on
Tuesday
appointed
Matuke
to
the
position.
In
a
statement
on
Tuesday,
Chief
Secretary
to
the
President
and
Cabinet,
Martin
Rushwaya
said,
“In
terms
of
Section
104
Subsection
(1)
as
read
with
Section
225
of
the
Constitution,
His
Excellency,
the
President
Emmerson
Dambudzo
Mnangagwa
has
appointed
Honourable
Lovemore
Matuke,
Senator
as
the
Minister
of
State
for
National
Security
with
immediate
effect.”
Matuke
switches
from
his
role
as
Minister
of
State
for
Presidential
Affairs
in
the
Office
of
the
President
and
Cabinet
to
the
new
post.