Obert Mpofu
|
The Right Honourable Obert Mpofu MP |
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|---|---|
| Minister of Mines and Mining Development of Zimbabwe | |
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In office 13 February 2009 – September 2013 |
|
| Prime Minister | Morgan Tsvangirai |
| Preceded by | Amos Midzi |
| Succeeded by | Walter Chidhakwa |
| Minister of Industry and International Trade | |
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In office April 2005 – 13 February 2009 |
|
| President | Robert Mugabe |
| Succeeded by | Welshman Ncube |
| Governor of Matabeleland North | |
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In office 2000–2005 |
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| Preceded by | Welshman Mabhena |
| Succeeded by | Sithokozile Mathuthu |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
12 October 1951 Southern Rhodesia |
| Political party | Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front |
| Children | Bukhosie mkhokheli |
Obert Moses Mpofu is a Zimbabwean politician, currently serving as Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development. Previously he was Minister of Industry and International Trade and later appointed Minister of Mines and Mining Development before his current position.
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.
At the beginning of 2014, Mpofu was reported to be seeking nomination from Zanu-PF’s Matabeleland North provincial leadership for the position of party Chairman. It was reported that his main rival for the position was the Speaker of the Zimbabwean Parliament, Jacob Mudenda. It is believed that Mpofu was one of the earliest ZPRA guerillas to be trained for the Zimbabwean Liberation War way back in the 1960s.
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. 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. Mpofu was initially endorsed as unopposed, but Mark Mbayiwa challenged this in court and was successful in getting Mpofu's unopposed endorsement overturned.
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Wikipedia