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Mr Charamba

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba says he will not continue in the civil service after President Mugabe retires. In an interview with The Herald last week, Mr Charamba — who is also the Secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services — said his fate was tied to the incumbent.

“My real wish is not to be a day longer in Government after the President’s retirement because whoever comes must be able to select their own team,” he said.

Mr Charamba said he wanted to relinquish one of the official posts he holds during the inclusive Government but President Mugabe wanted him to hold the two briefs.

“When we had the GNU and Minister (Webster) Shamu had been appointed new Minster of Information, I actually authored a memo to the President proposing that in the context of the GNU and its strange politics, would it not have been wiser for us to go back to the old system where the President would have his own Press Unit distinct from the Ministry of Information, and my reasons were very political.

“The President said no, you have to keep both and you are old enough to manage both portfolios — which I did — but the MDC leadership was not happy with that kind of arrangement,” said Mr Charamba.

He said holding the two positions was essential in disabling the challenges posed by the inclusive Government.
“For me it was a very versatile arrangement because I could shoot as Secretary of Information on matters to do with the structures of Government but still escape the limitations of being Secretary of Information by taking another identity as spokesperson of the President.

“So it gives me some very malleable room. I can assure you that the MDC admits that the two roles were used to devastating effect.”
Mr Charamba said the current Government must author a new, efficient and result-oriented system to turn around the country’s economic fortunes.