Fortune Chasi dismissed from his post as Minister of Energy… To be replaced by Soda Zhemu

Fortune Chasi has been dismissed from his role as Minister of Energy & Power Development. Chasi’s replacement for the post is Soda Zhemu

The press statement announcing the appointment of Zhemu reads;

In terms of Section 104 (1) of the Zimbabwe Constitution Amendment (No. 20) Act of 2013, His Excellency the President, CDE Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has appointed Hon. Soda Zhemu, MP for Mzarabani North as Minister of Energy and Power Development in place of the current Minister, Hon Advocate Fortune Chasi. The latter has been relieved of his ministerial post in terms of section 108(1a) of the Zimbabwe Constitution Amendment (No. 20) Act of 2013 as his conduct of Government business had become incompatible with the President’s expectations.

The appointment of Soda Zhemu, and the removal of Hon. Fortune Chasi respectively, are with immediate effect.

Dr Misheck Sibanda – Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet

What do we know about the new Minister?

Soda Zhemu is 46 years old and according to the Parliament website we know the following about the new Energy Minister:

• He attended Muzarabani Primary & Secondary School and Machaya Secondary School.
• In Higher Education, Hon. Zhemu has a BCOM in accounting from Zimbabwe Open University and a Masters in Business Administration though the parliament website doesn’t note the institution with which he got his masters.
• Under “other forms of training” the parliament website also notes that the new Minister undertook computer literacy and quality management systems training respectively.
• Hon. Zhemu is said to have worked “as an accountant at Cottco Sanyati until 2004 and later joined Alliance Ginneries as Regional Manager but still within the cotton industry before retiring in 2017”.