Harare - Simbarashe Herbert Stanley Makoni was born in the
eastern districts of what was then Rhodesia on March 22, 1950.
He was a science undergraduate at the University of Rhodesia in
1973 when he was expelled for taking part in a rowdy anti-government
demonstration, and left for Britain, where he he became a leading
exiled activist for Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.
In 1978 he received his doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry at
Leicester Polytechnic College.
He returned to Zimbabwe at independence in 1980, and became
Mugabe's youngest minister, aged 30. From 1984 to 1993 he served as
executive secretary of the 14-nation Southern African Development
Community.
After a few years at a state newspaper and in the private sector,
he returned to government as an MP in 2000, and was appointed finance
minister.
He resigned after Mugabe refused his advice to devalue the
currency. Mugabe then denounced him as an 'economic saboteur.'
Makoni was a member of Zanu-PF's politburo, the party's inner
circle, when he declared, in a surprise move, that the country's
economic and social chaos was a result of the 'failure of leadership'
and declared he would be standing for the presidency.
Makoni's declaration that his decision had been taken after
widespread consultation with party members threw Zanu-PF into
confusion, with Mugabe suddenly unsure of whom was tacitly backing
Makoni.
But over the course of his short campaign, which attracted less
funding and appeared less organized than that of Mugabe's other main
rival, Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement Democratic Change, Makoni
failed to produce the Zanu-PF big guns, as promised.
Former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa, a popular veteran of
the 1972-1979 independence war, was the only big name to openly rally
to his side.
Mugabe has labelled Makoni a 'prostitute' of Western powers, while
his rival, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan
Tsvangirai dismisses him as 'old wine in an new bottle.'
An opinion poll by the respected local Mass Public Opinion
Institute (MPOI), gave him only 9 per cent of the vote against 28 per
cent for Tsvangirai and 20 per cent for Mugabe.
That poll was, however, skewed by a heavy 24 per cent of people
refusing to divulge their choice.
Makoni has promised he will 'get Zimbabwe working again' and
re-engage with the international community.
He has also reassured Mugabe that he would not institute a
witch-hunt against his former mentor, while saying the president
would be treated like any ordinary Zimbabwean in the eyes of the law.
His supporters are attracted to among others things, the absence
of any corruption or violence in his background, compared with other
senior officials and his educational attainments.
A Zimbabwean nurse living in Johannesburg said she liked Makoni
'because he is educated, unlike (former labour leader) Tsvangirai.'
However, his failure to have spoken out against Mugabe during the
last eight years of repression have dented his credibility and sown
suspicion among many opposition supporters about his motives - some
even claiming he has been fielded by Mugabe to divide the opposition
vote.
Makoni and his wife, Chipo, had four sons, one of whom was killed
in a motor accident in South Africa.
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