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Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Business Reporter

President Mnangagwa has appointed Mr Pfungwa Kunaka as the new permanent secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.

This follows the retirement of Mr Onesimo Mazayi Moyo on 31 July.

In a statement on Friday, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda said Mr Kunaka’s appointment is effective from 22 August.

“His Excellency the President has, in terms of section 205 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe No 20 of (2013) as amended, approved the appointment of Mr Pfungwa Kunaka as the permanent secretary in the ministry of Mines and Mining Development,” Dr Sibanda said.

Mr Kunaka holds a BSc Degree in Economics and has risen within Government services from being an economist in the ministry of Finance and Economic Development to the post of Chief Economist Revenue Expenditure, Director, Fiscal Policy and Advisory services and Chief director and Expenditure Management.

“This experience exposed Mr Kunaka to the planning, evaluation and financing of a wide range of investment projects and programmes by all government ministries including in the mining sector,” said Dr Sibanda.

Dr Sibanda said the new permanent secretary engaged with several developmental partners at bilateral and multilateral levels and with international financial institutions to hammer out projects, programmes and investment deals on behalf of the country.

Under the Second Republic, Mr Kunaka was seconded to the One Stop Shop Investment under the office of President and Cabinet to establish the formative infrastructure to operationalise the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Authority (ZIDA), added Dr Sibanda.

“Mr Kunaka thus brings vast knowledge of and experience in public administration and management across all sectors of government and a deep understanding of the sectors of the economy in relation to their contribution to inclusive and substantial national development.

“He is a strategic thinker with a sharp eye for financial analysis and management, evaluation of investments and negotiation of agreements to best advantage of the country,”

Dr Sibanda added that the deployment of Mr Kunaka to the mining sector will bring the requisite stability and sustain inclusive growth in the industry in its quest to meet its strategic targets under the ongoing national development.