BULAWAYO – President Emmerson Mnangagwa axed environment, climate and wildlife minister Sithembiso Nyoni without explanation on Thursday.
Nyoni, 75, has been a government minister since 2002.
The minister’s “removal” from cabinet is with immediate effect, chief cabinet secretary Martin Rushwaya said.
Nyoni served in various ministries including as minister of SMEs; women and youth affairs; and industry minister before she was transferred to environment in March last year.
Nyoni’s surprise dismissal comes amid intensifying Zanu PF factional fights triggered a push by Mnangagwa loyalists to amend the constitution and extend his term of office beyond 2028 when his second and final term expires.
Recently, the department of parks and wildlife which she supervised clashed with the ministry of mines after the latter granted a Chinese miner Sunny Yi Feng (Private) Limited an exclusive coal prospecting licence inside the Hwange National Park.
ZimParks issued a strongly worded statement stating that “this area is a critical habitat for black rhinos” as it warned that “approving this mining project would increase the risk of species extinction and harm efforts to grow their population.”
Before joining the government, Nyoni worker for NGO the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP) which she founded in 1981 and remains its president.
