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Patrick Chinamasa
Zimbabwe

Patrick Chinamasa

Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs

Date of Birth: 25/01/1947
Place of Birth: Southern Rhodesia

Biography: Deputy Minister of Agriculture; Attorney General, Zimbabwe; Acting Minister of Finance, 2009; Minister of Justice, 2000-05 and 2006 to date.

Commentary: A shrewd political tactician, prominent figure in Zimbabwe African National Union's (ZANU) upper ranks and a hard-line Mugabe loyalist. Patrick Chinamasa believes that he has a chance in the succession stakes. He is chief negotiator and legal draftsman for the ZANU-PF, he knows his way around the constitution and international law and is said to make sure that Mugabe does not break it.