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Harare Bureau

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has appointed renowned agronomist, Dr John Basera, as the new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement.

Engineer Silibaziso Chizwina has also been appointed as the new Secretary of the newly created Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities.

The announcement was made by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, in a statement yesterday.

Dr Basera replaces long serving senior civil servant, Mr Ringson Chitsiko.

His appointment takes effect from January 1 next year while Eng Chizwina’s appointment is with immediate effect.

“The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet is pleased to announce that His Excellency the President has, in terms of Section 205 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 20) Act 2013, appointed Dr John Basera as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement and Engineer Silibaziso Chizwina as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities,” said Dr Sibanda.

Dr John Basera is a holder of a degree in agronomy, a Master in Business Administration and a PhD in agribusiness.

 He has extensive experience in agriculture with a focus on agronomy, agricultural research extension services, agricultural value chain management, agricultural strategy, finance and marketing in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Namibia. 

“Dr Basera joins the ministry at a time when Government is focusing on revitalising agriculture as a critical component of national efforts to realise Vision 2030. Dr Basera has worked in the private sector including SeedCo and is currently the technical director in charge of the agriculture portfolio at CBZ. The appointment of Dr Basera is with effect from January 1, 2020,” said Dr Sibanda.

Eng Chizwina holds a degree qualification in civil and water engineering, project management and business administration. She brings a wealth of experience in real estate planning investment, and development which she gained at Noczim, National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Ministry of Education and at Udcorp. 

She joins the housing sector to give impetus to national efforts to energise the housing delivery value chain. 

Dr Sibanda said her leadership will be critical in delivering housing and integrated social amenities, particularly in peri-urban, rural and resettlement areas where challenges abound. 

She will be responsible for addressing the urgent issues of integrating resilient design into the development of national housing and social amenities, in the context of the emerging challenges brought by the climate change related phenomenon.

President Mnangagwa has made several appointments and reassignments of senior Government officials and some Cabinet Ministers as he re-energises his team to improve service delivery.