Stan Mudenge

Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs (1995-2005)

Date of Birth: 17/12/1948
Place of Birth: Zimuto, Masvingo

Education: Gaths Mine Lower Primary School, 1951; Gokomere Mission Upper Primary School, 1954; Goromonzi High School 1961; University of Rhodesia, 1965; University of York, 1968

Biography: Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor, Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, 1971-80; Secretary for External Affairs, ZANU, Lesotho, 1977-80; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1980-85; Zimbabwe's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, 1985-90; Senior Permanent Secretary of Political Affairs, ZANU PF, 1991-93; Minister of Higher Education, 1992-95; Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1995-05; Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, 2005 to date. 

Commentary: A long-standing presence in ZANU, Mudenge has never been able to achieve real prominence; he has little effective power independent of the presidency. In 2003, while Foreign Minister, he vied for the Vice-Presidency, positioning himself as the candidate who could unite the Karanga. 

He was demoted to the Ministry of Higher Education after his involvement in the Tsholotsho affair, when Mnangagwa tried to upstage Mujuru by teaming up with Jonathan Moyo, six provincial chairmen and Patrick Chinamasa. They organised a meeting at which they were supposed to stage a smart could that would have seen them sidelining Joyce Mujuru and top party officials linked to her like John Nkomo and Joseph Msika but keeping the party formula by appointing Tenjiwe Lesabe to the post of Vice-President with Chinamasa as national chairman. Mugabe was incensed when he learnt about the plot. He expelled the provincial chairmen, sparing Mnangagwa and Chinamasa but demoting Mnangagwa to the mediocre post of Rural Housing after he lost the Kwekwe seat once again to Chebundo.