Mnangagwa appoints ex-Barclays MD Treasury perm sec

NDAMU SANDU

Former Barclays Bank managing director George Guvamatanga has been appointed as permanent secretary of Finance and Economic Development as President Emmerson Mnangagwa continues to ring changes in ministries.

Guvamatanga replaces Willard Manungo who has been reassigned to other duties. Manungo has been permanent secretary in the ministry since 2004.

A banker by profession, Guvamatanga left Barclays last year after 28 years with the group after FMB Capital Holdings acquired a 42 percent stake in the bank.

Mnangagwa also appointed technocrats Gloria Magombo as permanent secretary in the ministry of Energy and Power Development, Mavis Sibanda to the Industry and Commerce ministry and Onesimo Moyo as permanent secretary in the ministry of Mines and Mining Development. An engineer by profession, Magombo was the founding chief executive of the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority while Sibanda was a trade attachee to China. Moyo is a former general manager of Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa appointed engineer Amos Marawa as permanent secretary in the ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development. He is a former director of Infrastructure Development at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Munesushe Munodawafa is the new permanent secretary for Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Martin Rushwaya, Melusi Matshinya, Sam Kundishora and Virginia Mabhiza retained their portfolios in the ministries of Defence and War Veterans, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, ICT and Courier Services and Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs respectively.

Nine permanent secretaries and principals directors were retired. The retired senior officials include Ambassador Joey Bimha who was permanent secretary in the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Tobaiwa Mudede who was Registrar General for over three decades.

The appointment of the technocrats in the ministry comes after Mnangagwa brought in newcomers such as banker Mthuli Ncube in Cabinet as he bids to revive the waning fortunes of the economy.

In his State of Nation address and the official opening of the first session of the ninth Parliament, Mnangagwa said his administration was committed to prioritise economic development as a strategic response to the “pressing need to leapfrog our economic development” in line with national aspirations as well as regional, continental and international trajectory.

Mnangagwa has been preaching the Zimbabwe is open for business hymn as his vision to drive Zimbabwe to become a middle income country with a per capita income of $3 500, increased investment, decent jobs, broad-based empowerment, free from poverty and corruption by 2030.

“My Government will accelerate ongoing effort towards stabilising the macro-economic environment, creation of fiscal space, currency reforms and enhancing foreign currency availability, improving liquidity, increasing country’s investment attractiveness, reducing budget deficit and ensuring gradual growth of all sectors of our economy,” he said.

Government is emphasising on delivery and half day workshops will be held for all ministries to be acquainted of the critical components of the 100-Day cycle, the Integrated Results Based Management System, the Rapid Result Approach and the Executive Dashboard signalling the end of the business as usual approach. As part of the plan, each Cabinet minister has to identify a minimum of five quick wins and high impact projects.

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