Mr Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara

President of the Movement for Democratic Change

Date of Birth: 25/05/1966

Ethnicity: Manyika (Ndau) - Shona

Career:  Student leader and activist, University of Zimbabwe, 1987-90;
Rhodes scholar, University of Oxford,1991-95; assistant professor,
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 1996-97; visiting research scientist, the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 1996-97; visiting
research scientist, Carnegie Mellon University, 1998; associate professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999-01; management consultant,
McKinsey and Company, 2001; director Stanbic Bank, South Africa,
2002-2003; CEO and Managing director, African Technology and Business
Institute, 2003-; President, Movement for Democratic Change, 2006 to date; Deputy
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, 2009 to date.

Commentary:  Mutambara first made headlines as a student leader at the
University of Zimbabwe in 1988 and '89, when he led student protests
against the government at a time when the ruling Zimbabwe African National
Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) was pushing for a one-party state. The
student movement and the labour movement, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, were the
only voices of protest in the absence of a credible opposition party.
Mutambara, however, disappeared from the scene for almost two decades as
he pursued his academic career in the United Kingdom where he obtained a
PhD in robotics and mechatronics at the University of Oxford before moving
to the United States where he was a visiting research fellow and an
assistant  professor at some of the leading engineering colleges.

It was only in 2006 that he bounced back onto the political scene as leader of the break-away faction of the Movement for Democratic Change,
then led by former secretary-general Welshman Ncube, a law professor. It
was not clear why Ncube opted not to lead the party after leading the
breakaway or why he did not allow Gibson Sibanda, who had played second
fiddle to Morgan Tsvangirai, to lead the new party. The only reason so far
proffered is that the two, both Ndebele, felt they needed a Shona to lead
the party and give it a national outlook. The Ndebele only constitute 15
percent of the population. Though the Mutambara faction had more seats in
Parliament than the bigger Tsvangirai faction after the 2005 split, it
lost dismally in the 2008 elections. All top leaders lost their seats
including Mutambara, Ncube, Paul Themba Nyathi, Gibson Sibanda and party
mavericks like Job Sikhala and Gabriel Chaibva. The party, which had more
than 20 seats in the previous parliament, ended up with only 10. The loss
made Mutambara very vulnerable. The legislators, led by Abednico Bhebhe of
Nkayi South, threatened to kick the leadership out but the rebellion was
put down by Moses Mzila Nldovu of Bulilima West and David Coltart, senator
for  Khumalo in Bulawayo, who convinced their colleagues that though they
only had 10 seats they wielded more power than the two major political
players ZANU-PF (which had 99 seats) and the MDC-T (which had 100) because
they were the power brokers. Neither of the two parties could do without
them. Problems, however, persist with Mutambara suspending
some of the legislators.

As one of the signatories to the Global Political Agreement, Mutambara wields a lot of
sway within the GPA lasts because it gives him powers to replace any errant legislators.
He is also held in considerable respect amongst the academic community but he
is hated by the grassroots where he is considered an opportunist and outsider. He is thought to be
too close to Mugabe, an accusation that is costing him dearly as most people want
nothing to do with Mugabe. Mutambara has made things worse by continuing
to behave like an activist rather than a politician, but he seems to be
maturing in the job. Though people dislike him for his aloofness, which
borders on arrogance, Mutambara could be one of the key players in the
country’s economic recovery. He is very pragmatic when it comes to what
has to be done to revive the economy. His experience with the business
think tank, McKinsey and Company could come in handy if only he is given a
chance. Mutambara has repeatedly said there is no point owning land or
other national assets if people cannot use them productively. As Deputy
Prime Minister at only 43, Mutambara has a bright future if only he can
keep his party together.