Samuel Undenge (born 1956) [1] is a Zimbabwean politician. He is the former Energy and Power Development Minister. [2] Until 2018 he was a member of parliament from the Chimanimani East constituency in Manicaland Province. [3] He was formerly the Minister of Energy and Power Development [4] and before that the Deputy Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion. [5]
Until November 2017 he was a member of the ZANU-PF political party. As member of the Generation 40 faction led by former first lady Grace Mugabe, Undenge and other Generation 40 politicians, including Grace Mugabe, were expelled from ZANU-PF by the party's central committee on 19 November 2017. [6]
On 5 January 2018 Undenge was arrested [7] on charges of corruption for awarding, during his tenure as Minister of Energy and Power Development, a $12,650 public relations contract to a private company, Fruitful Communications, without due tender. [8] He was granted bail [7] and his trial commenced in April 2018. In July he was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison. [9] His case and sentence are on appeal. [9] [10] [ needs update ]
The politics of Zimbabwe occurs in a society deeply divided along lines of race, ethnicity, gender and geography. The ZANU–PF party has historically been dominant in Zimbabwe politics. The party, which was led by Robert Mugabe from 1980 to 2017, has used the powers of the state to intimidate, imprison and otherwise hobble political opposition in Zimbabwe, as well as use state funds and state media to advance the interests of the party.
The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party was led for many years by Robert Mugabe, first as prime minister with the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and then as president from 1987 after the merger with the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and retaining the name ZANU–PF, until 2017, when he was removed as leader.
Jonathan Nathaniel Mlevu Moyo is a Zimbabwean politician who served in the government of Zimbabwe as Minister of Higher Education from 2015 to 2017. He was previously Minister of Information and Publicity from 2000 to 2005 and again from 2013 to 2015. He was elected to the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe as an independent candidate in 2005 and 2008. He is considered the core architect of the AIPPA and POSA restrictive legislation.
Roy Leslie Bennett was a Zimbabwean politician and member of the British South Africa Police. He was also a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for the seat of Chimanimani, where he was affectionately known as Pachedu. He was the Treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change party led by Morgan Tsvangirai and a member of the Senate of Zimbabwe. He was set to become the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Zimbabwe until President Robert Mugabe refused to swear him in.
Joram Macdonald Gumbo is a Zimbabwean politician, member of parliament, former member of the Pan-African Parliament from Zimbabwe, and former cabinet minister. He is a member of the Zanu-PF party.
Saviour Kasukuwere is a Zimbabwean politician who served in the government of Zimbabwe as Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and National Housing between October and November 2017. He was also the ZANU–PF party's national political commissar until December 2017. Before that he was Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, and Minister of the Environment, Water and Climate. In October 2020, the Zimbabwe government sought Kasukuwere's extradition after issuing a warrant for his arrest. It was revealed that Kasukuwere was among loyalists of former President Robert Mugabe who fled to South Africa before their criminal trials could be completed.
Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is a Zimbabwean politician who is serving as President of Zimbabwe since 24 November 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former President Robert Mugabe, he held a series of cabinet portfolios and was Mugabe's Vice-President until November 2017, when he was dismissed before coming to power in a coup d'état. He secured his first full term as president in the disputed 2018 general election. Mnangagwa was re-elected in August 2023 general elections with 52.6% of the vote.
Didymus Noel Edwin Mutasa is a Zimbabwean politician who served as Zimbabwe's Speaker of Parliament from 1980 to 1990. Subsequently, he held various ministerial posts working under President Robert Mugabe in the President's Office. He was Minister of State for Presidential Affairs from 2009 to 2014 and also served as ZANU-PF's Secretary for Administration.
Patrick Antony Chinamasa is a Zimbabwean politician who served in the government of Zimbabwe as the minister of various cabinet ministries. Previously he served as the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion and the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Simbarashe Herbert Stanley Makoni is a Zimbabwean politician and was a candidate for the March 2008 presidential election against incumbent Robert Mugabe. He was Minister of Finance and Economic Development in President Robert Mugabe's cabinet from 2000 to 2002. He faced strong opposition during the Economic Change in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s as his policies contradicted those of the rest of the ZANU-PF party.
Ignatius Morgen Chiminya Chombo is a Zimbabwean politician who was Finance Minister of Zimbabwe in 2017. Previously he has served in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe as Minister of Home Affairs from 2015 to 2017, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development from 2000 to 2015.
Munacho T.A. Mutezo is a Zimbabwean engineer, businessman and politician. He was born on 14 February 1954 in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe.
Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur, politician and the widow of the late President Robert Mugabe. She served as the First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1996 until her husband's resignation in November 2017, a week after he was ousted from power. Starting as a secretary to Mugabe, she rose in the ranks of the ruling ZANU–PF party to become the head of its Women's League and a key figure in the Generation 40 faction. At the same time, she gained a reputation for privilege and extravagance during a period of economic turmoil in the country. She was given the nickname Gucci Grace due to her extravagance. She was expelled from the party, with other G40 members, during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état.
Walter Mzembi is a Zimbabwean politician. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry. He was the Member of the House of Assembly for Masvingo South (ZANU-PF). It was announced on November 27, 2017, that Simbarashe Mumbengegwi was now the acting Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe. In October 2020, it was revealed Mzembi was among those who fled to South Africa before their criminal trials could be completed.
Psychology Maziwisa is a Zimbabwean lawyer and politician.
In November 2017, Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe was removed as president and party leader of ZANU–PF and was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Generation 40 (G40) was a faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF). The G40 was an informal group of ZANU–PF politicians working on generation change by replacing the older officials of the party. The group promoted itself as the younger, savvy, and well educated ZANU–PF members. It was said to be led by Jonathan Moyo and ZANU–PF political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere but fronted by Grace Mugabe, the former First Lady of Zimbabwe.
Patrick Zhuwao is a Zimbabwean businessman, farmer, and politician. He served as minister of public service, labour and social welfare between October and November 2017. He was expelled from the ruling ZANU–PF party during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état.
The National Patriotic Front (NPF) is a Zimbabwean political party founded on 19 November 2017 by leaders of the expelled G40 faction of the ZANU-PF party, which included the exiled Jonathan Moyo, Patrick Zhuwao and Saviour Kasukuwere.
Energy Mutodi is a Zimbabwean businessman, politician, lawyer, academic, author and musician. He is ZANU–PF Member of Parliament for Goromonzi West and former Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.