HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has re-assigned the Central Intelligence Organisation’s second in command, Aaron Nhepera, who is now the permanent secretary in the Home Affairs ministry.
Nhepera was the acting CIO director general when Mnangagwa conspired with the military to overthrow former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017.
He takes over from Melusi Matshiya, who has been reassigned as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
Matshiya replaces Rudo Chitiga, who is awaiting a reassignment, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda said in a statement on Wednesday.
The secretary position in the Home Affairs ministry is a fairly powerful job in government structures, and Nhepera will continue to attend weekly meetings of the Joint Operations Command. The ministry oversees the police, immigration service and the registrar general’s office.
“The position might sound powerful but in operation, you would have to see it as a demotion because he’s really not in charge of anything. The police, immigration and registry are constitutional bodies with their own heads recognised by the constitution. He’s essentially in charge of casinos and liquor licences,” a government source said.
Long-serving Chief of Protocol Munyaradzi Kajese had retired from the civil service, and would be replaced by Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa, a career diplomat who served at Zimbabwean embassies in Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia and Brunei.
Mnangagwa also appointed Raphael Faranisi to a newly-created position of Head of the President’s Secretariat.
Faranisi is a career diplomat who served at Zimbabwe missions in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The appointment will raise eyebrows as the role looks suspiciously like a duplication of Sibanda’s duties.
