President Emmerson Mnangagwa has abruptly dismissed Mines Minister Winston Chitando, replacing him with his deputy, Polite Kambamura. The announcement, made on Monday by Chief Cabinet Secretary Martin Rushwaya, stated that Mnangagwa had “removed Winston Chitando as cabinet minister with immediate effect.” No official reason was provided for the sudden dismissal, leaving many to speculate about the underlying causes.
Chitando was reportedly attending a strategic planning workshop for his ministry in Masvingo when he received the news of his sacking. The abruptness of the dismissal has fuelled intense speculation and debate within political circles and the mining industry.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya, announced the changes, stating: “His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, has in terms of Section 340, Subsection (1f), as read with Section 108, Subsection (1a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, removed Winston Chitando as Cabinet Minister with immediate effect.”
In a subsequent statement, Dr Rushwaya announced the elevation of Honourable Kambamura: “In terms of Section 104, Subsection 1 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has appointed Polite Kambamura as Minister of Mines and Mining Development.” Before this appointment, Honourable Kambamura was serving as the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
Asked if the minister was fine, one of Chitando’s aides simply said: “MaOne, pakaipa,” which loosely translates to “Things are not good.”
While the official statement provided no explanation for Chitando’s dismissal, sources suggest that the former minister had become the subject of numerous complaints. These complaints allegedly related to the cancellation of gold mining permits, which were later issued to individuals perceived as his proxies.
This is not the first time Chitando’s position has been precarious. ZimLive understands that he was previously removed from the ministry after allegedly attempting to seize a mine in which Vice President Constantino Chiwenga held interests.
Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono offered his perspective on the situation via social media, stating: “President Emmerson Mnangagwa has fired his minister of mines and mining development, Winston Chitando, and replaced him with Polite Kambamura. This dramatic move reflects the escalating turmoil within Mnangagwa’s administration, where corruption scandals, failing projects, and growing factional battles have become impossible to conceal. Chitando’s removal is not surprising to many Zimbabweans, who have long viewed his tenure as synonymous with opaque deals, chaotic licensing, and the collapse of public trust in the mining sector, particularly lithium and gold.”
The appointment of Polite Kambamura, a 48-year-old mining engineer, as the new Mines Minister has also raised eyebrows. Kambamura is reported to be a close ally of the president’s twin sons, Collins and Sean, further fuelling speculation about the dynamics at play within the ruling party.
Political analyst Jealousy Mawarire has offered a particularly scathing assessment, alleging that First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa played a role in Chitando’s dismissal. Mawarire claimed: “Incidentally, I am getting reports suggesting that he was fired at the instigation of Auxillia. Chitando, apparently, has been blocking Auxillia’s demands for him to authorize wanton grabbing of mining claims from citizens wherever she is alerted there are rich gold deposits. Chitando is a victim of trying to be professional in a vampire state driven by an insatiable Jezebel spirit that thrives on abuse of power. Wherever there is gold, those controlling state power, or are within its proximity, come with ancient papers to claim ownership. These young surrogate presidents always appear with 1954, 1960 papers, papers done well before they were born, to claim ownership. Chitando was trying hard to minimize the grabbing of citizens’ gold claims by state house residents, and the result is what we witnessed today-he got fired to pave way for a pliable relative of the queen.”
Chipo Musarurwa Siziba, another commentator, believes the dismissal signals a significant shift in the country’s political landscape. She wrote: “The abrupt dismissal of Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando while he was still on official duty in Masvingo is not just a personnel change. It is a seismic political signal. It marks the latest chapter in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ongoing consolidation of power, and more pointedly, the formal emergence of Kuda Tagwirei from the shadows of influence into the corridors of state authority.”
Siziba further argues that Chitando’s sacking was not about performance, stating: “Minister Chitando’s sacking was not about performance. If anything, he was one of the few technocrats in Mnangagwa’s cabinet with a credible track record in the mining sector. His removal is about power raw, strategic, and calculated. It is about clearing the path for a new kind of political actor: the oligarch. Tagwirei, long whispered to be the regime’s financial backbone, has operated with impunity and influence, but without formal accountability. His companies have been at the centre of some of the most controversial state contracts in energy, fuel, and mining. Now, it appears, the veil is lifting. The elevation of Tagwirei into a formal government role still undisclosed but imminent signals a shift from proxy power to direct control.”
Siziba concludes that this move represents a deeper transformation within ZANU-PF, potentially disrupting the traditional balance of power. “This is not just a cabinet reshuffle. It is a realignment of the state-business nexus. It reflects a deeper transformation within ZANU-PF, where the traditional balance between military, technocratic, and liberation-era elites is being disrupted by the rise of economic powerbrokers. The oligarchisation of the state is no longer a theory it is unfolding in real time. The implications are profound. First, it tightens President Mnangagwa’s grip on the levers of resource control, particularly in the extractive sector. Second, it sends a chilling message to those within the party who may have harboured succession ambitions loyalty is no longer enough liquidity is king. Third, it risks deepening tensions with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and other military-aligned factions who view Tagwirei’s ascent as a threat to their own influence.”
Chitando, the former managing director of Mimosa Mining, was initially appointed Mines Minister in 2017, as one of the technocrats in Mnangagwa’s first cabinet. He was later shifted to the local government ministry in 2023, before being reappointed to the mines portfolio just a year later.
The mining sector is a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The sudden change in leadership at the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has therefore generated considerable uncertainty and speculation about the future direction of the industry.
Follow @MyZimbabweNews
