The reappointment of Kembo Mohadi as vice president of Zimbabwe has been met with dismay by many observers, who say it is a sign that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is not serious about change.
Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga were sworn in as the two vice presidents by Chief Justice Luke Malaba at the State House in Harare, on Friday.
Mohadi’s return has come as a surprise given that he resigned from the vice presidency in March 2021 after the media reported on his sex scandals in which he was dating different women, some married, including a former subordinate, and asking them for sex.
Despite his phone call recordings to different women going viral on social media, Mohadi claimed they were fakes and that it was political sabotage but went on to resign.
Analysts have condemned President Mnangagwa’s decision to bring him back into government.
“This is a shame! It means Zanu is just recycling deadwood who won’t bring any depth, innovation, creativity and flair we need in this era!” said Bernard Magugu, a political analyst.
Magugu said Zanu PF was failing to identify and mentor young leaders to take over reigns in both the party and in government.
“Zanu can’t even emulate the likes of Chama Chamapinduzi who have been recycling leadership or the ANC who gained independence later than others, but have changed five presidents since 1994 and now Cyril Ramaphosa, is the sixth,” he said.
The political analyst said Zimbabwe now needs economic independence and questioned how that would be attained if it had the same leadership that was seen to be failing.
“How will the former liberation combatants win us that independence? You cannot be a hero of two struggles and deliver the needs of the nation objectively. At least if Zanu had appointed two young people to be VPs, people who have a new vision and will to liberate the people in economic independence. Maybe it was going to be better, not this fossil staff!” Magugu remarked.
Iphithule Maphosa concurred that Mnangagwa’s administration lacked principles and did not take ethics seriously.
“It shows the type of leader that President Mnangagwa is, who defies public expectation and does the opposite without accountability. How can someone who committed a horrible scandal preying on girls be re-appointed into the presidency,” he questioned.
“I guess this is what we can expect from someone who has benefitted from a disputed election, which has once again set the country backwards.”
Maphosa said Chiwenga was not a saint either.
“We read what was happening in his household and we were left to speculate as to what was going on. But the crux of the matter is Zimbabweans cannot expect new from this administration, starting from the president to his deputies,” said the political analyst, adding that it would also have been ideal to have a female vice president.
“We would have expected a female leader in the presidium in line with the dictates of our constitution and to promote gender equity and equality but as usual that has been ignored.
Patrick Ndlovu added that “it seemed too good to be true that Mohadi had resigned in disgrace following the sex scandal.”
“Mohadi remained as an official in Zanu PF and was accorded the status of a VIP so it is hardly surprising that such a move is pulled. Besides, who is clean in Zanu PF?” he said. Ndlovu noted that some individuals in Zanu PF were in it to access benefits or personal aggrandisement and did not care about their moral obligations.
