Zimbabwean President Mugabe Reinstalls His Pre-Election Cabinet

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has reconstituted the cabinet which sat before the recent presidential and general elections, despite having dissolved it before the March 29 polls and despite the loss of parliamentary seats by some members.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who lost his house seat, and Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said the constitution has a provision allowing previous cabinet members including at least seven ministers who lost their parliamentary seats, to resume their duties so long as a new cabinet has not been appointed.

Tinoziva Bere of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Law Society of Zimbabwe told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that although Mr Mugabe dissolved the cabinet prior to the elections, a loophole in the constitution seems to have caught the opposition and the public off guard.

More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe...