Sydney Sekeramayi

Service / Career

He became an active politician during the Second Chimurenga in the 1960s when he was granted a scholarship to study in Sweden as he had been expelled at a local Rhodesian school. He was a college student at the University of Lund when he became Zanu- PF's representative in Sweden. In 1979 while in Sweden, he used his position as Secretary General of the National Students Union to facilitate Herbert Chitepo's visit to Europe. His war credentials, knowledge and considerable education facilitated him to be appointed Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rural Development at independence in 1980.^[3] He had been elected Mashonaland Central Member of Parliament in the same year. Since independence, he has held many government posts from being Minister of Health (1984–88), Minister of Mines from 2000 to 2001.

In the Zimbabwe 1985 Parliamentary Election, Marondera returned to Parliament:

• Sydney Tigere Sekeremayi of Zanu PF - 30 822 votes.
• Joseph Tawonerwi Charumbira of UANC - 679 votes.
• Taderera Chimurenga Maingehama of PF-ZAPU - 414 votes.

In the 1990 Parliamentary Election (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Marondera returned to Parliament:

• Sydney Sekeramayi of Zanu PF with 18 892 votes,
• Sheila van Reenen of ZUM with 3 195 votes.

Turnout - 23 479 voters or 66.20 %

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

• Sydney Sekeramayi of Zanu PF with 10 692 votes,
• Didymus Munenzva of MDC with 10 629 votes,
• Sekai Tungai of UP with 248 votes,
• Pascal Dangwa, Independent, with 205 votes.

Sekeramayi won the House of Assembly seat from Marondera East Constituency, in Mashonaland East Province, as the Zanu-PF candidate in the March 2005 parliamentary election. According to official results he defeated Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate Iain Kay with 19 912 votes against Kay's 10 066 votes; this victory was questioned on the grounds that the total number of votes was said to exceed voter turnout. ^[4]

In the Zanu-PF primaries for the March 2008 parliamentary election, Sekeramayi again sought the party's nomination as its candidate for the House of Assembly seat from Marondera East, but was defeated.^[5][6] He was instead nominated as ZANU-PF's candidate for the Senate from Marondera-Hwedza in Mashonaland East.^[7] Sekeramayi won this seat according to official results, receiving 24,571 votes against 17,370 for Jane Chifamba of the MDC-Tsvangirai faction and 6,994 for Molai Penelope of the MDC-Mutambara faction.

Events

Farm Mechanisation Scheme

In July 2020, Sydney Sekeramayi 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.

Sydney Sekeramayi is listed under the thematic group “Politicians”. He has accumulated a debt of US$331,222.00. ^[8]

Role In Gukurahundi

A declassified document from the US agency, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), quotes Sydney Sekeramayi as having indicated that a crack North-Korean trained military unit codenamed Fifth Brigade had specific instructions at deployment.

The report said:

"Renewed violence at the end of 1982 provoked the government into a full-scale military campaign against Zapu. The dissidents attacked cars, buses and trains and destroyed government construction equipment; they seized several hostages and killed six whites.

'The 5th Brigade was sent to Matabeleland in January 1983 with a mandate to be ‘relentless in neutralising dissident elements,’ according to Minister of State for Defence Sekeramayi.

Although there were some exaggerated Press reports of atrocities against Ndebele villagers by the all-Shona brigade, there is little doubt it engaged in indiscriminate brutality and destroyed property, including entire villages, in several instances."

When contacted for a comment by NewsDay on 26 January 2017, Sekeramayi said he was yet to see the declassified report.

When further asked whether the quoted words were consistent with what he might have said at the time, Sydney Sekeramayi insisted he had not seen the report.^[9]

Positions Held

• Minister of Defence (2002-2009)(2013-2017)
• Mister of Mines and Energy (2001)
• Zanu- PF Activist in the Youth Wing(1963)
• Secretary of Transport and Welfare
• Zanu- PF Politburo Secretary
• Zanu- (PF)Secretary for National Security.^[10]

Bid to Presidency

There were uncertainty and speculations on where Sekeramayi stood in the Zanu-PF succession fights. Grace Mugabe had earlier revealed that Sekeramayi was the only trusted party member who was the confidant of Robert Mugabe. Jonathan Moyo was also reported to have mentioned that Sekeramayi would succeed Mugabe. However, all the claims appeared extinguished at the end of the Central Committee session as Sekeramayi danced and cheered at the dismissal of Mugabe and reinstatement of Mnangagwa as interim party president. ^[11]

Accusations of poisoning Mnangagwa

Energy Mutodi claimed that Mnangagwa was poisoned by then Defence Minister Sekeramayi and David Parirenyatwa who were in the helicopter with him. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mnangagwa claimed he knew people who administered the poison which almost claimed his life.

Sydney Sekeramayi and Parirenyatwa jointly sued Mutodi in 2017, accusing him of posting falsehoods on his Facebook page. The duo lodged a $40 000 defamation claim against Mutodi. Mutodi demanded an urgent trial on grounds that further delays were inconveniencing him. In the case, Mutodi distanced himself from the Facebook post saying the page was not his.^[12]

Failing To Repay Loan

Sekeramayi was sued by his friend, Exevia Maoneke after he failed to repay US$250 000 he borrowed from him.

Maoneke gave the money to Sekeramayi in 2021, who promised to repay by 28 February 2022. Sekeramayi was given the money in two batches: he received the first batch of US$150 000 on 18 August 2021, and later US$100 000.

Sydney Sekeramayi offered a stand in Marondera measuring 4 199 hectares as collateral security. Sekeramayi was supposed to pay U$150 000 on 4 December 2021 while the remaining balance of US$100 000 was supposed to be paid on 28 February 2022.

His failure to repay the loan prompted Maoneke to seek the High Court’s intervention.

High Court judge, Justice Slyvia Chirawu ruled that Sekeramayi should repay the loan. The judge also declared that the stand was declared executable. ^[13]

Trivia

One of his sons Floyd Sekeramayi was banned from practicing law in Canada following allegations that he sexually assaulted nurses at a Canadian hospital. ^[14]

References