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Midlands Bureau Chief
VETERAN politician and nationalist Dr Cephas Msipa has applauded the new Cabinet sworn-in yesterday by President Mugabe describing it as balanced and capable.Dr Msipa, who is a Zanu-PF Politburo member and former Governor of the Midlands, said yesterday the new Cabinet was one of the best ever announced since independence.

“I am impressed with the new Cabinet. No wonder it took such a long time for the President to announce it. It is a result of a great deal of thought and imagination. This is a well balanced Cabinet in that every province is well represented and almost every district. It is certainly one of the best since 1980,” he said.

Dr Msipa said a welcome development in the new Cabinet was the infusion of new blood with the old.
He said the new Cabinet would help awaken Zimbabwe from its slumber.

“I can see the economy being revived again.  I am confident that Zanu-PF will fulfill its promises in the election manifesto.  In Zvishavane we welcome the appointment of Cde Walter Chidhakwa as Mines and Mining Development Minister and his Deputy, Cde Fred Moyo who is a local son.

We look forward to these two paying special attention to Shabanie Mine with a view to finding a lasting solution to its problems. Generally, I see Zimbabwe on its road to prosperity. We must give this Cabinet a chance to perform,” said Dr Msipa.

He said the experienced Ministers were rejuvenated and willing to give their best in serving their motherland.
Dr Msipa said people should not read much into the ages of some of the Cabinet Ministers as they were all rearing to go and help propel Zimbabwe to greater heights, economically.

“Some of the Ministers might have been around for long but have been given new roles. I see them doing well. They will produce. It is not that some of them were incompetent as such, they were just relaxed. One must also think of the stability in the country, whether they are able to maintain that, is the issue,” said Dr Msipa.

The veteran politician said his biggest regret on the new Cabinet was the appointment of a few women as ministers.
He, however, said the electorate gave President Mugabe limited options in selecting a perfect team through the candidates it endorsed for parliament.

“Although the Cabinet is balanced, it is not perfect. No human being, however, is perfect. I would have liked to see more women but maybe it’s because we did not have many women who contested in the harmonised elections, women with qualities to be ministers. We have women like Dr Olivia Muchena, she qualifies to be minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.

This is what we want. We don’t want a situation where women are just appointed as Ministers just because they are women. The question is; are there women who are in parliament and are ministerial material? The President was choosing from what the electorate gave him,” said Dr Msipa.

He said the MDC-T MPs excluded themselves from possible appointment as Ministers by their continuously fighting the election results. “They are still fighting the election results. When we say let’s move away from election mode, they are busy contesting the results. How then can we incorporate them? They have shown they don’t have confidence in themselves to be part of the Government,” said Dr Msipa.