A faction of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) linked to the party’s former leader Nelson Chamisa on Friday, 24 May, announced a 16-member shadow Cabinet.
The announcement was made by the party’s chief administrator Jameson Timba who assumed the leadership role of the CCC after Chamisa abruptly quit the party in late January this year claiming the opposition outfit had been hijacked by ZANU PF.
Speaking during a press briefing in Harare yesterday, Timba said the CCC shadow cabinet was a product of the Citizens National Assembly. He said (via NewsDay):
The Citizens National Assembly saw it wise that the key pillars and the agendas of our voices in Parliament are to push for electoral and political reforms in the country so that once we address the fundamental problem that this country is facing, the symptomatic social and economic problems are to be attended to.
The country is facing a crisis of governance borne out of a cycle of disputed elections. This has led to a crisis of confidence where the people of Zimbabwe do not trust those who have put themselves in the seat of governance.
He stated that by appointing a more streamlined 16-member shadow cabinet, the CCC demonstrated its commitment to maintaining a lean government when it attains power, thereby avoiding wasting national resources on a bloated cabinet. Said Timba:
The core belief of the CCC is that we must have a small government so that resources are channelled where they are required as you are aware the current ZANU PF is made up of 25 ministries and we believe that government is too big. Our alternative government is a reflection of our positions vis a vis the current government.
Some of the CCC Members of Parliament (MPs) who were appointed to the shadow Cabinet are Shakespear Hamauswa (Defence & Liberation Veterans Affairs), Joanah Mamombe (Environment, Climate, Tourism, Hospitality & Wildlife Management), and Daniel Molokele (Health & Child Care).
The shadow cabinet is a crucial feature of the Westminster system of government and consists of a senior group of opposition spokespeople.
Normally, each member of the shadow cabinet mirrors or “shadows” the positions of individual members in the government’s cabinet.
While shadow ministers have no executive power, they scrutinize the policies and actions of the government, offer alternative policies, and act as a counterbalance to the ruling party.
