Obert Moses Mpofu

Minister of Mines

Date of Birth: 12/10/1951
Place of Birth: Southern Rhodesia

Biography: Member, ZAPU Youth Movement, 1966-67; Military training, Morogoro, 1968; provincial member, Matabeleland North, 1980; MP, non-constituency, 1987-90; MP, ZANU-PF, Bubi-Umguza, 1990-95; MP, non-constituency, 1995; Governor and Resident Minister, Matabeleland North, 1995-05; Minister of Industry and International Trade, 2005-09; Minister of Mines, 2009 to date

Commentary: While the ZANU-PF Mines Minister, Obert Mpofu, is far from the sharpest knife in the cabinet, as world metals prices soared earlier this year, his ministry has been lucky. Minerals, led by platinum, became by far the most prosperous sector and the stranglehold of the parastatal Zimbabwe Mineral and Development Corporation has been broken, resulting in liberalised marketing, helping gold producers and medium sized mining interests.
A very wealthy man, Mpofu has been Mugabe's main informant and aide in Matabeleland North since the Willowgate car scandal of the 1980s.