Former Cabinet minister and Zanu-PF politburo member Patrick Chinamasa has reportedly been removed from his influential post as treasury general following a conflict with President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Sources indicate the rift stemmed from Chinamasa’s perceived interference with Cabinet ministers.
Mnangagwa recently summoned the former Finance minister to address his challenges to government ministers. The tension escalated over the suspension of Chinamasa’s alleged allies in the Makoni Rural District Council, including chairperson David Guy Mutasa and former chief executive Edward Pise. These suspensions, prompted by corruption allegations, particularly irked Patrick, as Pise had served for over three decades before being relieved of his duties last week.
Earlier this year, former Local Government minister Winstone Chitando sent an investigative team to Nyazura to probe land theft allegations. Mutasa and Pise reportedly obstructed the investigation, leading to their suspension.
Chinamasa, now the party’s national secretary for legal affairs, reportedly wrote letters to Chitando and the current Local Government and Public Works minister, Daniel Garwe, contesting the suspensions. Both ministers found Chinamasa’s actions displeasing and reported the matter to Mnangagwa.
In a letter to Garwe dated May 7, Chinamasa expressed his disapproval of Mutasa and Pise’s suspensions, highlighting Mutasa’s previous role as the national chairperson of the National Association of Rural and Urban Councils. He questioned the justification for the suspensions and called for consultations before taking such actions.
Sources suggest that Chinamasa, who previously held key ministerial positions such as Finance and Justice, had grown increasingly assertive under Mnangagwa’s leadership. He has not been reachable for comment since last week. Garwe, indicating his newness to the Local Government ministry, refrained from commenting on the matter. Mnangagwa allegedly confronted him over his tendency to challenge Cabinet appointees, emphasizing that such behavior was unacceptable. The president questioned Chinamasa’s motives in challenging decisions made by his appointed ministers, particularly regarding the corruption investigation.
