Sithembiso Nyoni

• Diploma in Rural and Social development
• Advanced diploma in Adult Education
• Master of Arts degree in Rural Social Development.

Service/Career

She started political activism in 1975 while she was at the University of Zimbabwe in the fight against racial discrimination and the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) by Prime Minister Ian Smith. After independence she joined the cabinet in 1995 as Deputy Minister of Public Construction and National Housing.^[2] She also participated in the 2000 parliamentary elections as a Zanu PF candidate for Bulawayo but she lost the seat. In 2002 she was appointed Minister of Small to Medium Enterprises Development and re-appointed to the same ministry in 2005 after her appointment as a non constituency Member of Parliament.^[3] She had lost the Magwegwe-Lobengula parliamentary seat in the same year. Nyoni was elected Nkayi North member of parliament in the March 2008 parliamentary elections defeating the Movement for Democratic Change's Mlilo Thembinkosi. During the (GNU) between 2008 and 2013, Nyoni was re-appointed to head the ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises Development.

She is founder and President of the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP) which she founded in 1981 as a forum to discuss developmental issues in the Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces. Her organization encourages self-reliance projects in these communities were there is lack of natural resources and a bad climate.

She was elected Member of Parliament for Nkayi North in the July 2018 elections.

In the 2000 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Makokoba returned to Parliament:

• Thokozani Khuphe of MDC with 12 901 votes,
• Sithembiso Nyoni of Zanu PF with 2 196 votes,
• Matson Hlalo, Independent, with 1 773 votes,
• Mutandazo Ndlovu of ZAPU with 113 votes,
• Thokozile Mbewe of LPZ with 43 votes,
• Rachel Munetsi of UP with 34 votes.

In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Nkayi North returned to Parliament:

• Sithembiso G Nyoni of Zanu PF with 5 184 votes or 44.57 percent,
• Lameck Ndlovu of MDC-T with 5 102 votes or 43.86 percent,
• Simon Lusinga of MDC with 1 039 votes or 8.93 percent,
• Lawrence Siziba of ZAPU with 307 votes or 2.64 percent,.

Total 11 632 votes

Positions Held

Nyoni started her career as a high school teacher and a visiting professor at Selly Oak Colleges in Birmingham, England. She then became an Adjunct Professor at the School for International Living in Brattleboro. ^[4]

Following the 23-24 August 2023 elections, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced his new cabinet on 11 September 2023. The Minister of Industry and Commerce was Dr Sithembiso Nyoni. ^[5]

Events

Farm Mechanisation Scheme

In July 2020, Sithembiso Nyoni was listed, in the BSR of 18 July 2020, as a beneficiary in the 2007 RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme, as a result of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.

The data is analysed by recipients origin:.

• Mashonaland provinces had the most beneficiaries, both in terms of numbers and value.
  

Mashonaland East got US$47,5 million,
Mashonaland West US$44,7 million
Mashonaland Central had US$34,2 million.

• Two Matebeleland provinces had a combined total of US$13,9 million.
• Masvingo US$26,4 million,
• Manicaland US$18 million
• Midlands US$14 million.

Sithembiso Nyoni is listed under the thematic group “Politicians”. According to the list, he got a loan of US$7,097.00. ^[6]

Stance on Vendor Removal From Town

Minister Nyoni advocated that vendors be removed from the city centre. She was reported as saying,

“The President talked about vendors in Harare that they should vacate the CBD. We thank the directive as this will make them join the formalised sector for them to be able to access finance. Zimra has been running workshops at provincial and district levels in order for SMEs to understand the rules and regulations of taxation and also appreciating the need for them to pay tax as a result of that.

“Between January and June nearly 14 000 SMEs had registered to pay tax,” she said. “We also want to make sure that vendors get the POS machines as this is a good move towards their businesses,” said the minister.^[7]

Awards

She has won international awards for her leadership namely;

• Right Livelihood Award (1993) for outstanding leadership in grass-roots mobilization against hunger.
• United Nations 50 Communities Award (1995) for effective mobilization of communities around environmental issues and forestry.
• Humanitarian Award from InterAction (1999) for demonstrating her extraordinary leadership in support of non-governmental organizations and the people they serve.

Further Reading

References