Chamisa minister of the year

Daily News

30 December 2011

Information and Communication Technology (Development) minister, Nelson Chamisa joined the league of Zimbabwe’s finest performing ministers after he was adjudged to have performed the best during the 2011 year.

According to the rating of government ministers’ performance in 2011 by the Daily News, Chamisa earned himself eight points for the performance at his ministry.

The ratings were done by a team of journalists from the leading daily newspaper, the Daily News and also based on research conducted by this newspaper.

He was at one time described by President Robert Mugabe in a sarcastic way as “Supersonic minister”.

Recently, government ministers were issued with laptops each under his ministry’s e-government programme, becoming the first government minister to roll out such a programme.

Chamisa’s argument for the removal of duty on computers was seen as a positive stance that would play a big role in ensuring that computers are accessible to all and sundry and at affordable prices.

The removal of duty on SIM cards, which was pushed by Chamisa has seen the cards not only being available but coming at a far cheaper cost that the $100 on black market people used to pay before the suspension of duty.

With constant engagement of the players in the ICT sector, Chamisa’s star is seen rising and it was the view of the review team that he had covered a lot of ground in ensuring that the ICT policy, which he says should see every school with a computer and internet connection in the very foreseeable future, comes into fruition.

Internet usage has increased among Zimbabweans as most can now log onto internet on their cell phones.

He was the overwhelming winner closely followed by Walter Mzembi and David Coltart. With this, the youthful minister was rated amongst the best performing ministers in Zimbabwe in the year 2011.

He won despite the fact that some of his key mandates were grabbed by the Zanu PF side of government.

Below is the final rating of the other remaining government ministers.

Nelson Chamisa: Minister of Information Technology (Development)

RATING: 8 

Eric Matinenga, Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs

Rating: 5

He was active in driving the constitution making process. And the fact that the process has moved to another stage means that all in his ministry is well, save for lack of funding for the process.For that, Matinenga was viewed by the review team as having done fairly well.

Gorden Moyo, Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals

Rating: 4

The review team felt that Moyo still needs to do a lot of work in reviving collapsed and collapsing parastatals.

With the good intentions he has, Moyo is seen as someone with a potential of reviving these parastatals.

The minister, it was felt, now needs to move away from too much of talking about policy issues and graduate himself into an action-oriented person. There is room for Moyo to improve.

Paurina Mpariwa, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare

Rating: 1

Very few things can be said about this minister. The review team felt that she did a lot of talking and very little of the things she talked about were realised.

She launched the food for work programme in 2011 and after that, the programme died a natural death.

Obert Moses Mpofu, Minister of Mines and Mining Development

Rating: 3

Despite being able to wrestle and win over the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) certification for the sale of Zimbabwean diamonds, which was the highlight of his ministerial occupation, Mpofu’s rating was affected by his failure to fully account for the diamond revenues realised from the sale of diamonds by Zimbabwe.

Finance Minister, Tendai Biti has been crying foul over the revenues but Mpofu has remained quiet about the issue.

Moreover, Mpofu’s second blow was the continued issuance of licences to Chinese firms as if local firms cannot set up ventures to mine diamonds. Mpofu must explain where the diamonds he grabbed from ACR and Core Mining have gone.

Elton Mangoma, Minister of Energy and Power Development

Rating: 1

Mangoma’s failure to come to the rescue of the energy and power sector earned him one point from the review team.

Industry and commerce, the private sector, and consumers cried out loud to Mangoma to rescue them from Zesa Holdings crippling tariffs but the minister responded by allowing the power utility to increase its tariffs by a further 31 percent.

Mangoma works hard, but as long as there is no electricity in the people homes, he has failed in his mandate.
Next year, Zimbabweans need power.

Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Rating: 1

The minister’s portfolio was regarded as an important portfolio for the maintenance of cordial relations between Zimbabwe and other countries. However, the review team felt that the minister’s discharge of duties was far below average.

More specifically, the minister’s decision to send the representatives of the “Libyan government” packing out of Harare without the whole government’s approval took away the minister’s rating and exposed him as more of a Zanu PF functionary than a Cabinet minister.

Webster Kotiwa Shamu, Minister of Media, Information, and Publicity

Rating: 1

Shamu was regarded as a compassionate minister, especially at times of bereavement of both artists and journalists.

The minister could have scored more points had he not allowed his party, Zanu PF to rig the licensing of private radio stations.

The fact that it was Zimpapers and AB Communications, both known to be run by Zanu PF sympathisers, that were granted licenses shows that Shamu failed in his duties as a cabinet minister.

It exposed him for having used his influence as a Zanu PF commissar to force the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (Baz), itself known to have more Zanu PF functionaries, to award the two licenses to the party’s sympathisers.

The minister was also silent as state and non-state actors abused and harassed journalists, including getting reporters and editors arrested on flimsy grounds.

Honourable Minister, the review team is of the view that you need to support all media organisations and journalists in their fight against harassment and not to be seen supping with the media’s “devils”.

Sam Sipepa Nkomo, Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development

Rating: 5

Despite the challenges faced by his ministry, Nkomo was seen as having been an honest man in his own right. Where there were challenges, he would simply point out.

In terms of water provision, Nkomo was adjudged to have tried to lead a process where water is readily available in high density suburbs throughout most parts of the country.

It is envisaged that as time goes on and with resources being readily available, Nkomo would be able, through his ministry, to ensure that all local authorities provide safe and clean water to ratepayers throughout the country.
An average performer, Nkomo was awarded five points by the review team.

This marks the end of the government ministers’ review for the 2011.

Sydney Sekeramai, Minister of State Security

Rating 2

Sekeramayi has been a minister since independence in 1980 and has simply become part of the furniture in government offices.

Sekeramayi has largely been quiet this year as usual and seems to be enjoying the luxuries that come with being a government minister in quietness.

His ministry is in charge of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) but in 2011 there were no significant reports of brutality by the secret service.

However, he still allows the CIO to operate as a Zanu PF arm. The CIO at times is used to pursue personalities rather than national security issues.