Bona Mugabe Appointment To EmpowerBank Board – Merit Or Favour?
By A Business Correspondent –
The government of Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Bona Mugabe as deputy chairperson of the EmpowerBank board, raising questions over whether the move reflects merit or political favour.
The announcement followed the selection of a seven-member board by the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Tino Machakaire.
According to Statutory Instrument 132 of 2026, signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Solomon Mhlanga, the new board members will serve four-year terms under the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act.
The board will be chaired by William Chaitezvi, with Bona Mugabe as deputy chairperson.
Other members include Margaret Mupfiga, Patience Matshe, Ebrahim Ali Makunganya, Marcos Nyaruwanga, and Peter Makotsi.
Bona Mugabe, the only daughter of the late former president, holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Hong Kong, where she studied between 2011 and 2014.
During her time abroad, she largely stayed away from Zimbabwean politics, though her education attracted public attention due to her father’s long tenure and the country’s economic hardships at the time.
In 2014, she married aviation engineer Simba Chikore in a widely publicised ceremony attended by senior Zanu PF figures and foreign guests.
The appointment comes nearly a decade after the military intervention that ended Robert Mugabe’s nearly 40-year rule in 2017.
The operation, led by then army commander Constantino Chiwenga, placed Mugabe under house arrest and effectively paved the way for Mnangagwa to assume the presidency. Relations between the Mugabe family and the new administration quickly soured, with Mugabe publicly accusing Mnangagwa and the military of betrayal.
Since Mugabe’s death in 2019, the Mnangagwa government has occasionally sought to engage with the Mugabe family, including state involvement in his funeral and recognition of his legacy.
Analysts suggest that Bona’s appointment could be viewed as a political gesture of reconciliation, even as past tensions linger.
EmpowerBank, a state-owned financial institution, provides loans and financial services aimed at supporting youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. By placing Bona Mugabe in a leadership role, the government positions her within one of its key youth-focused initiatives, a move observers say could help consolidate political support ahead of future elections.
The decision has sparked debate over whether her appointment is based on professional qualifications or political considerations, with some commentators questioning the meritocratic nature of the selection.
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