In a surprising move, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has re-appointed Simelisizwe Sibanda as the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education. Sibanda was sworn in at State House after his re-appointment.

Sibanda’s re-appointment comes after he was initially fired from his position due to a “tribalistic outburst” against a teacher in Bubi, Matabeleland North. The incident sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for his removal from office.

However, Sibanda later apologized for his actions, stating that his approach to addressing the issue of the teacher’s language proficiency was misguided and inappropriate, leading to perceptions of tribalism. He undertook not to repeat the misconduct that led to his initial removal.