Rushwaya appointment as Chief Secretary raises eyebrows
....he is also related to President Mnangagwa
The appointment of Martin Rushwaya as Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to replace Misheck Sibanda, who retired, has raised eyebrows once again as the two are related.
Rushwaya, who will turn 62 on December 31, 2023, is a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defense and also served as Sibanda’s deputy.
Because they are related, President Mnangagwa’s choice of Rushwaya as Chief Secretary has sparked concerns on levels of nepotism taking place in government positions.
The former Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet -Sibanda, is also reportedly related to Mnangagwa.
Earlier this month, President Mnangagwa named his son, Kudakwashe David Mnangagwa, as the new Deputy Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion, and his nephew, Tongai, as the new Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry
Sibanda had to retire under new rules that requires civil servants appointed on pensionable terms after May 1, 1992, to retire at 60.
The Public Service Commission however said those employed before 1992, which includes Sibanda and Rushwaya, could only go up to 65.
Rushwaya’s appointment is set to be followed by further announcements of key changes in the bureaucracy with Prince Machaya also set to retire as attorney general, as well as filling the vacant position of Prosecutor-General.
