Oppah Muchinguri

Oppah Chamu Zvipange Muchinguri-Kashiri (born 14 December 1958) is a Zimbabwean politician who serves as minister of defence in the cabinet of Zimbabwe since 2018.[2] She has also served as Minister of Higher Education and Minister of Women's Affairs. Muchinguri ran as the ZANU-PF candidate for Mutasa Central constituency in the March 2008 parliamentary election, but was defeated by Trevor Saruwaka of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai. According to official results, Muchinguri received 4,764 votes against 9,228 votes for Saruwaka.[3]

The Right Honourable
Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri
MP
Muchinguri in 2015
Minister of Defence
Assumed office
11 September 2018
PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa
Preceded byConstantino Chiwenga
Minister of Environment, Water and Climate
In office
23 July 2015 – 11 September 2018
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Emmerson Mnangagwa
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development
In office
December 2014 – 23 July 2015
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Preceded byOlivia Muchena
Succeeded byJonathan Moyo
Minister of Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development
In office
2005–2009
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byOlivia Muchena
Personal details
Born (1958-12-14) 14 December 1958
Southern Rhodesia
NationalityZimbabwean
Political partyZANU-PF
Spouse(s)Anthony Kashiri (m. 2015)
Tapiwa Rushesha (div. 1990)
Children2
EducationUniversity of Zimbabwe[1]
Alma materUniversity of Zimbabwe
OccupationPolitician

The Herald reported on 3 January 2009, that Muchinguri had been dismissed from the Cabinet earlier in the week, along with 11 other ministers, because she no longer held any seat in Parliament.[4]

She was re-appointed to cabinet in 2014 following the dismissal of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and several of her allies, in December 2014. In 2015 she was moved to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate in a cabinet reshuffle. On 27 November 2017, Mugabe's successor Emmerson Mnangagwa dissolved the cabinet[5]

She was appointed as the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate again on 30 November 2017.[2] She was later appointed Minister of Defense in September 2018.[6]

She was placed on the United States sanctions list in 2003.[7] In 2020 she claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic was God's punishment on the countries (USA etc.) that "suffocate" Zimbabwe by sanctions.[8]

In January 2021 Muchinguri was condemned by public health experts in Zimbabwe after accusing China of "botched experiments" that were responsible for the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the world after Zimbabwe lost 2 cabinet ministers.[9][10][11]

References
  1. "University of Zimbabwe - International Academic Brand".
  2. "Zimbabwe: New Cabinet Appointed - Ministerial Portfolios Reduced to 22 - Only 6 Deputy Ministers Appointed". AllAfrica. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  3. "Zimbabwe election results 2008". newzimbabwe.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008.
  4. "Losing Ministers Axed". The Herald (allAfrica.com). 3 January 2009.
  5. "Mnangagwa dissolves cabinet, Chinamasa appointed Acting Finance Minister". 27 November 2017.
  6. "New cabinet an average team". Zimbabwe Independent. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  7. Blocking Property of Persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.
  8. AfricaNews (15 March 2020). "Coronavirus is God's revenge against Zimbabwe's sanctioners - Minister". Africanews. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  9. "Zimbabwe Loses Second Minister To COVID-19". UrduPoint. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  10. "China created Covid-19: Oppah". Savanna News. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. "Zimbabwe Minister Accuses China of Manufacturing COVID-19". VOA. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
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