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Yeukai Karengezeka-Herald Correspondent

President Mnangagwa has appointed Ambassador Taonga Mushayavanhu as the new overall head of the President’s Secretariat in the Office of the President and Cabinet.

He will be taking over from Mr William Gwatiringa, the Principal Private Secretary to the President, whose term of office expires at the end of this month.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda announced the change yesterday.

Ambassador Mushayavanhu was currently serving as the chief director for multilateral cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade after a long and distinguished career in the same ministry that saw him twice serve as the ambassador to international and African organisations in Geneva and Addis Ababa.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Economic History from the University of Zimbabwe.

Ambassador Mushayavanhu began his career as an administrative officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has climbed steadily as deputy director for policy, research and development, minister counsellor and head of mission in China, and director for Africa, Asia and the Pacific and director for multilateral affairs.

Ambassador Mushayavanhu has served as Ambassador or Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations Office, the World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.

In this capacity, Ambassador Mushayavanhu has also represented Zimbabwe on committees on human rights, democracy, governance, disarmament, elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, and trade and development.

He subsequently served as Ambassador to Ethiopia and was a permanent representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

He is also an experienced Foreign Service officer with excellent analytical, negotiation, drafting and effective communication skills.

Ambassador Mushayavanhu has been described as an excellent manager, co-ordinator and planner with very good interpersonal skills in a variety of working environments especially the public and diplomatic services.

He also is knowledgeable in administration and financial management.