| The Right Honourable Obert Mpofu MP |
|
|---|---|
| Minister of Mines and Mining Development of Zimbabwe | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 February 2009 |
|
| Prime Minister | Morgan Tsvangirai |
| Minister of Industry and International Trade | |
| In office April 2005 – 13 February 2009 |
|
| President | Robert Mugabe |
| Succeeded by | Welshman Ncube |
| Governor of Matabeleland North | |
| In office 2002–2005 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 October 1951 Southern Rhodesia |
| Political party | Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front |
| Children | Bukhosie & Mpofu |
Obert Moses Mpofu is a Zimbabwean politician, currently serving as Minister of Mines. Previously he was Minister of Industry and International Trade.
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Mpofu, previously the Governor of Matabeleland North Province, was appointed as Minister of Industry and International Trade in mid-April 2005, following the March 2005 parliamentary election.[1]
Mpofu masterminded the freeze of basic commodities in Zimbabwe in mid-2007. He was appointed by Robert Mugabe to lead the price monitoring regime that was created following the price-freeze. [2] He withdrew operating licenses from abattoirs across the country during the price freeze, a situation that resulted in beef becoming scarce in shops across the country. In early 2008, he initiated the idea of 'people's shops' government run retail shops that would sell products at cheap prices.
Mpofu was at the forefront encouraging trade between Zimbabwe and China, as part of the government's Look-East policy. At one time, Gao Hucheng, Chinese vice-minister for commerce, after meeting with Mpofu claimed: "Chinese goods had been well received by Zimbabweans and that his government would continue to promote trade between the two countries as this had also improved the lives of people."
Obert Mpofu has been nominated again as the ZANU-PF candidate for the House of Assembly seat from Umguza constituency in the March 2008 parliamentary election.[3] Mpofu was initially endorsed as unopposed, but Mark Mbayiwa challenged this in court and was successful in getting Mpofu's unopposed endorsement overturned.[4]
Campaigning in Umguza, Mpofu singled out Simba Makoni as an agent of western imperialism. He allegedly tried to buy the votes of those who came to hear his speech by giving them knapsack sprayers.[5]
Mpofu won the seat, receiving 7,065 votes and defeating two candidates of the two Movement for Democratic Change factions, Cornelius Mbayiwa (MDC-T) and Edmund Masuku (MDC-M), who respectively received 2,846 and 2,120 votes. He also defeated Mark Mbayiwa, who ran as an independent and received 555 votes.[6]
When the ZANU-PF–MDC national unity government was sworn in on February 13, 2009, Mpofu became Minister of Mines.[7]
Mpofu, together with Webster Shamu, has been accused of trading in ivory in his capacity as minister for his personal gain, a charge that he dismissed. [8]
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