Richard Hove

Former Cabinet Minister; Former Politburo Secretary for Economic Affairs

Date of Birth: 23/09/1939
Place of Birth: Mberengwa
Died: 21/08/2009

Ethnicity: Shona- Karanga

Career: Bachelor of Commerce, University of Bombay, India, 1962-66; ZANU Lusaka office, 1966-68; chief ZANU representative, Western Europe, 1968-71; member, Dare re Chimurenga (Revolutionary Council) responsible for external affairs, 1971-73; Head of Broadcasting, ZANU Information Department, 1973;  Deputy Secretary for External Affairs, 1978; Member of Parliament, Midlands, 1980-85; Minister of Public Service, 1980-81; Minister of Home Affairs, 1981-82; Minister of Trade, 1982-85; Minister of Mines, 1985-90; Minister of Defence, 1990-92; Planning Commissioner, 1992-00; Senator for Mberengwa, 2008-09.

Comment: Hove was a dedicated member of ZANU-PF but never quite made it with the electorate. He had no constituency of his own and was considered too arrogant and a bit aloof by the ordinary folk. Though a senior member of the party in the Midlands, he was overshadowed by Vice-President Simon Muzenda in the first decade of independence. When Muzenda left his Gweru seat to stand in Gutu, Hove remained in the shadow of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who controlled the smaller but more vibrant city of Kwekwe. Like Mnangagwa his political career came to an abrupt halt  in 2000 when he was defeated by Timothy Mukahlera of the Movement for Democratic Change. But unlike Mnangagwa who was offered the powerful post of Speaker of Parliament after his loss of the Kwekwe seat to Blessing Chebundo of the MDC, Hove was left in the cold.  He, however, remained a member of the powerful politburo as secretary for economic affairs. Hove only bounced back last year as senator for Mberengwa, a position he held until his death on August 21, 2009.