PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday confirmed that he had reshuffled staff in his office, but denied the changes had anything to do with his love affairs as alleged in some media circles.
Report by Moses Matenga
The changes saw one of the PM’s key advisers, Ian Makone, who had been his Chief Secretary, getting moved to other responsibilities.
In a terse statement yesterday, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said the changes were made to enable the discharge of the PM’s constitutional duties.
“The fact of the matter is that no one has been fired, but there have been realignments that will enable the effective discharge of the Prime Minister’s constitutional duties.
“The realignments are intended to strengthen the Prime Minister’s constitutional responsibilities in the areas of planning, policy formulation and supervision of government ministries, management of the Government Work Programme and implementation of approved legislation,” said Tamborinyoka without elaborating where Makone would be re-assigned to.
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He said the PM “reserves his right to periodically reorganise his office in any manner which can enhance his constitutional mandate in government”.
Speculation was rife that Tsvangirai had reshuffled staff in his office as he was not happy with the manner his relationship with Lorcadia Karimatsenga-Tembo had been handled by his aides amid reports that the Makones, Ian and his wife Theresa, had played a significant role in the debacle and the PM’s ill-fated wedding to his wife Elizabeth Macheka.
Though Tamborinyoka could not give names of those reassigned, sources confirmed that Makone together with Chief of Protocol James Maridadi, his adviser Gandhi Mudzingwa and Principal Director for Policy Implementation in the PM’s Office Lazarus Muriritirwa had been reassigned.
Party sources told NewsDay Britain-based Zimbabwean lawyer Alex Magaisa was tipped to replace Makone and that Mudzingwa was moved to Harvest House, the MDC-T headquarters.