The Right Honourable
Kembo Muleya Mohadi
MP
Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe
Assumed office
8 September 2023
PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa
Preceded byHimself
In office
28 December 2017 – 1 March 2021
PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa
Preceded byPhelekezela Mphoko
Succeeded byHimself
Second Secretary of ZANU–PF
Assumed office
29 October 2022
PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa
Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans
In office
30 November 2017 – 29 December 2017
PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa
DeputyPupurayi Togarepi[1]
Preceded bySydney Sekeramayi
Succeeded byConstantino Chiwenga
6th Minister of State for National Security in the President's Office
In office
6 July 2015 – 27 November 2017
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Preceded bySydney Sekeramayi
Succeeded byPosition merged
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
August 2002 – 6 July 2015
Serving with Giles Mutsekwa (2009–2013)
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Prime MinisterMorgan Tsvangirai
Succeeded byIgnatius Chombo
Personal details
Born (1949-11-15) 15 November 1949 (age 74)
Beitbridge, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
Political partyZANU–PF
Spouses
Tambudzani Muleya Budagi
​
​
(m. 1981⁠–⁠2017)​
Catherine Muleya
​
(m. 2018)​
Children6

Kembo Dugish Campbell Muleya Mohadi (born 15 November 1949) is a Zimbabwean politician and Vice-President of Zimbabwe since 8 September 2023. He previously served in the same role from 28 December 2017 to 1 March 2021, when he resigned.[2][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]

Mohadi was reappointed as second secretary of ZANU–PF at the party's elective congress on 29 October 2022 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.[5][6]

Political career

Mohadi was born on 15 November 1949 in Beitbridge, Southern Rhodesia.[7]

Having previously served as Deputy Minister of Local Government, he was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in August 2002.[8]

He was placed on the United States sanctions list in 2003.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

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.[12]

President Mugabe moved Mohadi to the post of Minister of National Security on 6 July 2015.[13] On 30 November 2017 he was appointed Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans by Mugabe's successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa.[14]

He was appointed as the vice-president of the ruling ZANU–PF party on 23 December 2017 and sworn in as Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe on 28 December 2017.[15][16][17] 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.[14]

Assassination attempt

Main article: 2018 Bulawayo bombing

On 23 June 2018, an explosion at a campaign rally in Bulawayo hospitalized Mohadi, in what the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation called an assassination attempt targeting President Mnangagwa.[18][19]

Sex scandal and resignation

Following the leaking of alleged audio recordings, which circulated on social media, of Mohadi inviting married and single women to his office and hotels for sexual favours in February 2021, he tendered his resignation as Vice President on 1 March.[3][20] Prior to this, he had released a statement denying the allegations, labelling the whole ordeal as a character assassination and that he was a "victim of political machinations" and "voice cloning".[21]

Mohadi was reappointed as second secretary of ZANU–PF at the party's elective congress on 29 October 2022 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who called him a "naughty but honest person."[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "Mnangagwa Appoints Coup Plotters to Key Ministries in Recycled Mugabe Cabinet". Voice of America.
  2. ^ Share, Felex (29 December 2017). "Chiwenga, Mohadi sworn-in as VPs". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b "BREAKING: VP Kembo Mohadi Resigns". NewZimbabwe.com. March 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Parliament of Zimbabwe". Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  5. ^ a b Matiashe, Farai Shawn (25 November 2022). "Zimbabwe: Will ex-deputy president Kembo Mohadi come back in 2023?". The Africa Report. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b Ruzvidzo, Wallace (30 October 2022). "President reappoints Cdes Chiwenga, Mohadi VPs". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  7. ^ Profile of Kembo Mohadi
  8. ^ "Zimbabwe: New government without Makoni" Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, SADOCC, 25 August 2002.
  9. ^ Blocking property of persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.
  10. ^ "Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF Names Poll Candidates", The Herald, 15 February 2008.
  11. ^ "Zimbabwe election results 2008" Archived 5 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Newzimbabwe.com, 31 March 2008.
  12. ^ "President Mugabe Appoints New Cabinet", The Herald, 10 September 2013.
  13. ^ "Chombo, Moyo, Tyson reassigned", The Herald, 7 July 2015.
  14. ^ a b "Zimbabwe VP Chiwenga appointed defense minister". Xinhua News Agency. 29 December 2017. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017.
  15. ^ "VPs take up national posts". Chronicle. Zimbabwe. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  16. ^ Zimbabwe Vice President Kembo Mohadi resigns after sex scandal
  17. ^ "Former army chief Constantino Chiwenga sworn in as Zimbabwe's vice-president". The Straits Times. Agence-France Presse. 28 December 2017.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Mohadi Sex Skeletons Tumble, Love Rat VP Bonking Different Women In Govt Office". NewZimbabwe.com. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  21. ^ Ndebele, Lenin. "'I'm a victim of political machinations': Zimbabwe's vice-president on 'sex scandal'". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
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