Christopher Mutsvangwa

Christopher Hatikure Mutsvangwa (born 24 May 1955) is a Zimbabwean politician, diplomat and businessman. A veteran of the Rhodesian Bush War, Mutsvangwa served the government of independent Zimbabwe and the ZANU-PF party in a number of roles, including as Director-General of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Ambassador to China, head of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, and Veterans' Welfare Minister.

Christopher Mutsvangwa
Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services[1]
Assumed office
30 November 2017
PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa
Preceded byWebster Shamu
Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association
Assumed office
15 November 2014
Preceded byJabulani Sibanda
Minister for War Veterans
In office
11 December 2014 – 4 March 2016
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Preceded byNew post
Succeeded byTshinga Dube
Member of Parliament
for Norton
In office
31 July 2013 – 19 July 2016
Preceded byEdward Musumbu
Succeeded byTemba Mliswa
Majority1,232 (5.9%)
Zimbabwean Ambassador to China
In office
17 December 2002 – 1 December 2006
Preceded byLucas Tavaya
Succeeded byFrederick Shava
Personal details
Born
Christopher Hatikure Mutsvangwa

(1955-05-24) 24 May 1955
Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia
NationalityZimbabwean
Political partyZANU-PF
Spouse(s)Monica Parirenyatwa
EducationUniversity of Rhodesia
Boston University (BS)
St. John's University (MBA)

In March 2016 he was suspended from ZANU-PF for 3 years for "gross misconduct and disloyalty" and fanning factionalism in the party.[2] He has been accused of being a key figure in the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'etat.

Early life and education

Christopher Hatikure Mutsvangwa was born on 24 May 1955 at Salisbury Central Hospital in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare).[3] He spent his early childhood in the Salisbury suburb of Mbare before returning to his family's home region near Chief Nyamweda, Mashonaland Central. He did his primary education at Masawi and Marirangwe schools, and began his secondary studies at Kutama College before completing his A-Levels at St Augustine's High in Penhalonga .[3]

Mutsvangwa was among just seven black students selected to enter the Faculty of Law of the then University of Rhodesia in 1975, but left shortly thereafter to join ZIPRA in Mozambique.[3] He later completed his university education in the United States, receiving a BS in Management and Information Systems from Boston University in 1984 and an MBA from St. John's University in 1990.[3]

Political career

Mutsvangwa entered public life as a diplomat, serving at postings in Brussels to the European Union and New York to the United Nations under Stan Mudenge. In 1989, he was part of the UN observer team that monitored Namibia's first general elections, which were won by SWAPO, led by Sam Nujoma. Mutsvangwa left diplomatic service in 1990.[3]

In 1991, Mutsvangwa was appointed Director-General of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.[3] He stepped down in 1994 to return to the private sector, serving as an executive in the telecommunications industry. Returning to politics in 2000, he was elected ZANU-PF Party Secretary for Harare Province. In 2002 he was appointed as Zimbabwean Ambassador to China, tasked with deepening the country's foreign policy reorientation away from the West towards China. He served for four years until 2006, leaving under a "cloud of controversy" due to party infighting.[4]

In 2012 he was appointed Chairman of the Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe. In the 2013 elections he was returned as MP for Norton.[5] He was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and then the first Minister for Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees. Following his expulsion from ZANU-PF he was recalled from Parliament.

2017 coup d'etat

An ally of ousted Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mutsvangwa praised Army General Constantino Chiwenga for "a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power" and hoped that the army would restore a "genuine democracy" and Zimbabwe as a "modern model nation" following the 2017 coup d'état.[6][7] Mutsvangwa was said to be involved in negotiations for a transitional government with Mnangagwa and Morgan Tsvangirai.[8]

References
  1. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/mnangagwa-appoints-military-commanders-in-recycled-cabinet/4144702.html
  2. Tendai Mugabe, Latest: Mutsvangwa suspended, Herald, Published: 14 December 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2017
  3. , He Abandoned Law School in Pursuit of Independence, "The Herald". Published 24 July 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2017"
  4. Mafunda, Kumbirai (18 October 2006). "Mystery As Zim Envoy Quits China". Financial Gazette.
  5. "Norton Constituency Profile" (PDF).
  6. "The Latest: Zimbabwe's war vets praise army's actions". National Post. Associated Press. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  7. "Zimbabwe war vets praise army for 'bloodless correction'". AP News. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  8. "Tsvangirai, war vets leader Mutsvangwa fly back home 'for negotiations'". News24. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
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