Ministry of Defence (Zimbabwe)

The Ministry of Defence is a Zimbabwe Government ministry, responsible for defence and national defence policy. The current incumbent minister is Oppah Muchinguri.^[1] Levi Mayihlome holds the portfolio of Deputy Minister of Defence. The Ministry is located in the capital of Harare.

Ministry of Defence

Flag of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces
Department overview
Formed	18 April 1980 (1980-04-18) (of Zimbabwe) 1994 (integrated Ministry of Defence) 12 September 2023 (2023-09-12) (present form)
Preceding Department	Ministry of Defence and War Veterans
Jurisdiction	Government of Zimbabwe
Headquarters	Defence House, Corner Kwame Nkuruma / 3rd Street, Harare
Minister responsible	Oppah Muchinguri, Minister of Defence
Deputy Minister responsible	Levi Mayihlome, Deputy Minister of Defence
Child Department	Joint Operations Command
Key document	Constitution of Zimbabwe
Website	www.defence.gov.zw

Minister of Defence of Zimbabwe
Coat of arms of Zimbabwe
Incumbent Oppah Muchinguri since 10 September 2018
Style	Defence Minister (informal) Honourable
Reports to	President of Zimbabwe
Appointer	President of Zimbabwe
Term length	Five years
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Zimbabwe
Precursor	Minister of Defence of Zimbabwe Rhodesia
Formation	18 April 1980
First holder	Robert Mugabe
Deputy	Levi Mayihlome
Website	www.defence.gov.zw

It oversees the following uniformed services:

• Zimbabwe Defence Forces
  • Zimbabwe National Army
  • Air Force of Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe Republic Police (joint with Ministry of Home Affairs)

It was established in July 1994 as the combined Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters.

Ministers

No.	Name	Tenure	Title
Southern Rhodesia (1923–1954)
1	Robert James Hudson	1 October 1923 – 5 July 1933	Minister of Defence
		5 July 1933 – 12 September 1933	Minister of Justice and Defence
2	Stephen Martin Lanigan O'Keeffe	12 September 1933 – 14 November 1934	Minister of Defence
3	Vernon Arthur Lewis	14 November 1934 – 6 October 1936	Minister of Justice and Defence
4	Robert Clarkson Tredgold	6 October 1936 – 12 January 1940	Minister of Defence
		12 January 1940 – 28 March 1940	Minister of Justice, Defence and Air
		28 March 1940 – 1 March 1943	Minister of Justice and Defence
5	Sir Godfrey Huggins	1 March 1943 – 2 February 1944	Minister of Defence
6	Frank Ernest Harris	2 February 1944 – 1 July 1945
7	William Henry Ralston	1 July 1945 – 7 June 1946
8	Sir Ernest Lucas Guest	7 June 1946 – 15 September 1948	Minister of Defence and Air
–	Sir Godfrey Huggins	19 November 1948 – 7 September 1953	Minister of Defence
9	George Arthur Davenport	7 September 1953 – 1 July 1954
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963)
1	Sir Godfrey Huggins	7 September 1953 – 18 December 1953	Minister of External Affairs and Defence
		18 December 1953 – 2 November 1956	Minister of Defence
2	Sir Roy Welensky	2 November 1956 – 12 June 1959
3	John Moore Caldicott	12 June 1959 – 7 May 1962
4	Sir Malcolm Palliser Barrow	7 May 1962 – 31 December 1963
Southern Rhodesia (1964–1965)
10	Winston Field	1 January 1964 – 14 April 1964	Minister of External Affairs and Defence
11	Ian Smith	14 April 1964 – 8 May 1964
		8 May 1964 – 28 August 1964	Minister of Defence
12	Clifford Dupont	28 August 1964 – 17 November 1965
Rhodesia (UDI period, 1965–1979)
–	Ian Smith	17 November 1965 – 1966	Minister of Defence
13	The Duke of Montrose	1966 – 1968
14	Jack Howman	1968 – 1974
15	P. K. van der Byl	1974 – 1976
16	Reginald Cowper	1976 – 1977
17	Mark Partridge	1977 – 1977
18	Roger Hawkins	1977 – 11 December 1979
19	John Kadzviti	1978 – 11 December 1979
Zimbabwe Rhodesia (Internal Settlement period, 1979)
1	Abel Muzorewa	1 June 1979 – 11 December 1979	Minister of Defence
Zimbabwe (since 1980)
1	Robert Mugabe	1980 – 1985	Minister of Defence
2	Enos Nkala	1985 – 1990
3	Richard Hove	1990 – 1992
4	Moven Mahachi	1992 – 26 May 2001
5	Sydney Sekeramayi	2001 – 13 February 2009
6	Emmerson Mnangagwa	13 February 2009 – 11 September 2013
–	Sydney Sekeramayi	11 September 2013 – 27 November 2017
7	Kembo Mohadi	30 November 2017 – 29 December 2017	Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans
8	Constantino Chiwenga	29 December 2017 – 11 September 2018	Minister of Defence and War Veterans
9	Oppah Muchinguri	11 September 2018 – 4 September 2023
		12 September 2023 – present	Minister of Defence

Air

No.	Name	Tenure	Title
Southern Rhodesia
1	Robert Clarkson Tredgold	12 January 1940 – 28 March 1940	Minister of Justice, Defence and Air
2	Ernest Lucas Guest	28 March 1940 – 7 June 1946	Minister of Air
		7 June 1946 – 15 September 1948	Minister of Defence and Air

See also

• Zimbabwe Defence Forces
• Zimbabwe National Army
• Air Force of Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe Republic Police
• Ministry of Home Affairs (Zimbabwe)