Obert Mpofu

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 (1951-10-12) (age 60) 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.

Political career

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]

Ministry of Industry & Trade

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.

Sino-Zimbabwe trade

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."

2008 general election

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]

Trading in ivory

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]

References

1. ^ "MP's sworn in, new ministers appointed", SADOCC, April 16, 2005.
2. ^ ZDU [1](accessed 02/10/2008)
3. ^ "Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF Names Poll Candidates", The Herald (allAfrica.com), February 15, 2008.
4. ^ Kholwani Nyathi, "High Court blocks Mpofu re-election", The Standard (Zimbabwe), accessed February 10, 2008.
5. ^ Thousands urged to vote ZANU-PF[2](accessed 02/26/2008)
6. ^ "Zimbabwe election results 2008", Newzimbabwe.com, April 2, 2008.
7. ^ "Cabinet sworn in amid chaotic scenes", Newzimbabwe.com, February 13, 2009.
8. ^ Shamu, Mpofu deny illicit trade[3](accessed February 10, 2008)

Persondata
Name	Mpofu, Obert
Alternative names
Short description	Member of the Cabinet of Zimbabwe
Date of birth	October 12, 1951
Place of birth	Southern Rhodesia
Date of death
Place of death