Kembo Mohadi

Kembo Dugish Campbell Mohadi (born 15 November 1949)[2] is one of two Vice-Presidents of Zimbabwe since 28 December 2017.[3] He briefly served as the Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans in 2017. Previously he was Minister of State for National Security in the President's Office from 2015 to 2017 and Minister of Home Affairs from 2002 to 2015.[4]

The Right Honourable Kembo Campbell Dugishi Mohadi MP
Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 December 2017
President	Emmerson Mnangagwa
Preceded by	Phelekezela Mphoko
Vice President and Second Co-Secretary of ZANU–PF
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 December 2017 Serving with Constantino Chiwenga
President	Emmerson Mnangagwa
Preceded by	Post Established
Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans
In office 30 November 2017 – 29 December 2017
President	Emmerson Mnangagwa
Deputy	Pupurayi Togarepi[1]
Preceded by	Sydney Sekeramayi
Succeeded by	Constantino Chiwenga
Minister of State for National Security in the President's Office
In office 6 July 2015 – 27 November 2017
President	Robert Mugabe
Preceded by	Sydney Sekeramayi
Succeeded by	Position merged
Minister of Home Affairs
In office August 2002 – 6 July 2015 Serving with Giles Mutsekwa (2009–2013)
President	Robert Mugabe
Prime Minister	Morgan Tsvangirai
Succeeded by	Ignatius Chombo
Personal details
Born	15 November 1949 Beitbridge, Southern Rhodesia
Political party	ZANU–PF
Spouse(s)	Tambudzani Muleya Budagi ​ ​ (m. 1981⁠–⁠2017)​ Catherine Muleya ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	6

Political career

Having previously served as Deputy Minister of Local Government, he was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in August 2002.[5]

Mohadi was nominated by ZANU–PF as its candidate for the House of Assembly seat from Beitbridge East constituency, in Matabeleland South, in the March 2008 parliamentary election.[6] According to official results he won the seat by a large margin, receiving 4,741 votes against 2,194 for Muranwa Siphuma of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai and 1,101 votes for Ncube Lovemore of the MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara.[7]

Following the swearing in of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led unity government in February 2009, Mohadi shared the Home Affairs ministry with Giles Mutsekwa of the MDC-T, as stipulated by the SADC arbitration in late 2008. After Mugabe won re-election in July 2013, Mohadi was re-appointed as sole Minister of Home Affairs on 10 September 2013.[8]

President Mugabe moved Mohadi to the post of Minister of National Security on 6 July 2015.[9] On 30 November 2017 he was appointed Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans by Mugabe's successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

He was appointed as the Vice-President of the ZANU–PF political party on 23 December 2017 and sworn in as Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe on 28 December 2017.[10][11] Acting chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Justin Mupamhanga issued a statement on the following day that Mohadi had been appointed in charge of the National Peace and Reconciliation portfolio.[12]

Assassination attempt

On 23 June 2018, an explosion at a campaign rally in Bulawayo hospitalized Mohadi, in what the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation called an assassination attempt.[13][14]

References

1. "Mnangagwa Appoints Coup Plotters to Key Ministries in Recycled Mugabe Cabinet". Voice of America.
2. Profile of Kembo Mohadi
3. Share, Felex (29 December 2017). "Chiwenga, Mohadi sworn-in as VPs". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
4. "Parliament of Zimbabwe". Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
5. "Zimbabwe: New government without Makoni" Archived 19 December 2010 at WebCite, SADOCC, 25 August 2002.
6. "Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF Names Poll Candidates", The Herald, 15 February 2008.
7. "Zimbabwe election results 2008" Archived 5 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Newzimbabwe.com, 31 March 2008.
8. "President Mugabe Appoints New Cabinet", The Herald, 10 September 2013.
9. "Chombo, Moyo, Tyson reassigned", The Herald, 7 July 2015.
10. "VPs take up national posts". Chronicle. Zimbabwe. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
11. "Former army chief Constantino Chiwenga sworn in as Zimbabwe's vice-president". The Straits Times. Agence-France Presse. 28 December 2017.
12. "Zimbabwe VP Chiwenga appointed defense minister". Xinhua News Agency. 29 December 2017.
13. The Associated Press (24 June 2018). "Zim blast: VP Mohadi injured in the leg, taken to hospital". News24. State television immediately cut its broadcast. The broadcaster, ZBC, later reported that Vice President Kembo Mohadi was injured in the leg and taken to a local hospital.
14. Agence France-Presse (23 June 2018). "One of Mnangagwa's VPs injured in Zim explosion: state TV". News24. "In news just received Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri the Zanu-PF chairperson and political commissar Engelbert Rugeje were injured in the explosion," Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) said.