Political analysts have criticised the newly appointed cabinet, saying it does not inspire any hope among the people and spells doom and gloom for the country.
The analysts said the cabinet is made up of the same old faces who have been failing to effectively deliver in their ministries.
They also condemned the expansion of the cabinet from 22 ministries to 26, saying it would only strain a government that is already struggling with resources.
In an interview with CITE, political analyst Mkhululi Tshuma said the cabinet is a “spark that may take the whole nation into darkness.”
“This cabinet does not inspire any hope at all. It spells doom and gloom for the country,” he said. “The mood on the street is that of total resignation. People wrongfully thought the so-called new dispensation, which has only proven to be old wine in misbranded new bottles, would be sensible enough to do the right thing. How wrong they were.”
Tshuma said the appointment of people who lost in elections, such as Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Mangaliso Ndlovu, is “spiteful” and “creates unnecessary animosity.”
“The appointed reject will never serve the people,” he said. “They are just coming in to prove that they are bigger than the people who rejected them. It is these people that will bear the vengeful attitudes of these appointees. The policies to be pursued will never be for the benefit of the people who rejected the now minister.”
Another analyst, Iphithule Maphosa, said appointing people who lost in elections creates challenges as the appointees would have to choose between serving the interest of the people and those of the person who put them into power.
“Mnangagwa recycled dead wood, people who were failing to give productive results in the previous term,” he said. “Some have no experience at all. The challenge with appointing non-elected people is whose interests will they be serving? They are not coming from the people. So, they will have the mandate to please the one who put them into power not what is best for the people.”
Effie Ncube said although the president has every right to appoint people outside parliament as ministers, he must appoint capable individuals.
“The president has every right to appoint a certain number of people outside Parliament regardless of whether they failed to secure votes during elections,” he said. “What he must do is appoint competent people. The challenge comes when he appoints family members and incompetent people. He simply kept the same people in key ministries. They have just been moved around but it does not mean they will deliver better in the new ministries. This is just a political and economic disaster looming.”
