Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was recently reinstated in office after an electoral dispute, has been accused by the opposition of trying to establish a family dynasty after he appointed his relatives to key government positions as part of his new cabinet announced on Monday, September 11.
Mnangagwa appointed one of his younger sons, David Kudakwashe, as Treasury's second-in-command. His nephew, Tongai, was named as deputy minister in the tourism ministry.
According to The Guardian, David Kudakwashe is an actuary who has been on the board of a bank, although he has never held public office before. After losing his position in the legislative elections held last month, he was reappointed to serve as Mhuli Ncube's replacement.
David Kudakwashe, 34, entered parliament under a youth quota that aims to improve the participation of younger individuals. Their party selects them personally. He also just earned a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
Nepotism at Play?
After President Emmerson won a contentious election on August 23, disgruntled Zimbabweans and the opposition criticized his nominations on social media. Some allege he was establishing a family dynasty.
Southern African Development Community and European Union observer missions both found that the elections did not meet international standards, while the opposition called the outcome a "gigantic fraud."
Fadzayi Mahere, a member of parliament in the opposition, has accused Mnangagwa of favoring family and friends. According to The Guardian, she said," The cabinet announcements demonstrate beyond any doubt that he's thrown out any [pretense] of reform or adherence to good governance out of the window."
The Citizens Coalition for Change issued a statement expressing their concern at Mnangagwa's hiring of his son.
Mnangagwa has also come under fire for appointing a bloated cabinet, expanding the number of ministers from 22 to 26. To solidify power in his second and likely last term, political experts believe the 80-year-old is making allowances for close family members and associates.
As his second deputy, the president has reappointed Kembo Mohadi. Two years ago, a sexual scandal necessitated Mohadi's resignation.
Economist Prosper Chitambara said, "Some analysts have argued that we could do with less. This means that the bigger the cabinet size, the more the public spending that is associated with a big cabinet."
Mnangagwa's reappointment of ineffective ministers, including Olympic gold medallist Kirsty Coventry, has also been widely criticized. As a result of Coventry, Zimbabwe was banned from participating in international competitions by FIFA, the sport's international regulatory body.
Those who disagree with the president's cabinet picks might, he argued, just nominate their own. "I have reappointed [Coventry] because l am happy with her performance. Whoever was not impressed by her can appoint someone else when they become president," Mnangagwa told reporters.
