Minister dissolves three State mining enterprises boards

Harare Bureau
Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa has dissolved the boards of three State mining enterprises after some members of the previous boards took up political office.
In a statement, the ministry announced the dissolution of the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and Marange Resources.

Minister Chidhakwa said: “There were not enough people to sit on the boards hence the need to dissolve them in order to appoint new board members. For example only two people were left on the Marange board. We felt there was also need to dissolve the other two, MMCZ and ZMDC because we want to look at what they are doing. Once we are clear on what we want, we will then reconstruct new boards.”

For instance now Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Supa Mandiwanzira, who was a board member at the ZMDC, left the board to participate in the parliamentary elections.

He won the Nyanga South seat and was subsequently appointed to his current post.
Godwills Masimirembwa stepped down as chairperson of the ZMDC board to contest in parliamentary elections on a Zanu-PF ticket for the Mabvuku-Tafara seat which he lost.

Former MMCZ board chairman Chris Mutsvangwa, now the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, resigned to venture into politics while Colonel Tshinga Dube, who was the chairman of Marange Resources, which is wholly owned by ZMDC, also resigned to contest in the elections.

Another former MMCZ board member Tongai Muzenda is now the deputy minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare while former ZMDC board member Freddy Moyo is now the deputy minister of Mines and Mining Development

Other MMCZ board members included Johnson Masawi, Tendai Munyoro, Nonhlanhla Ndlovu, Felix Moyo, Nicholas Dube and Morris Mpofu.
ZMDC board members included Togarmah Dhlakama, Ashton Ndlovu, lawyer Psychology Maziwisa, geologist Ntombizodwa Masuku, Mutabu Sibanda and administrator Esther Maravanyika.

Minister Chidhakwa added that the duties and functions of these boards would be assumed by the permanent secretary of the ministry Prof Francis Gudyanga until the appointment of new boards.