HARARE – Zimbabwe opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai, who is set to join a unity government as prime minister, yesterday named 15 top party officials to a cabinet he said would rebuild the country.
‘They are men and women chosen for their vision of healing our nation and bringing not only the spirit of hope to the people of Zimbabwe but also their significant technical skills in the challenging task of restoring our political freedoms,’ Tsvangirai told reporters.
‘This team will be tasked with beginning the process of rebuilding our country during the transition period,’ he said.
Tendai Biti, the lead negotiator for Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in talks on the unity accord, was named to the crucial post of finance minister.
He will face the monumental task of reviving an economy shattered by hyperinflation, last estimated in July at 231 million per cent.
After months of feuding over the home affairs ministry, Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe agreed to share control of the post by appointing co-ministers from each party.
Tsvangirai named top MDC lawmaker Giles Mutseyekwa to the powerful ministry, which oversees the police.
Mugabe has yet to appoint a co-minister from his Zanu-PF party.
Mutseyekwa was once a top air force official, but three years ago was arrested in a discredited plot to assassinate Mugabe.
Tsvangirai also named party spokesman Nelson Chamisa as minister for information science and technology.
Tsvangirai and Mugabe signed a power-sharing deal on September 15.
– Nampa-AFP
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