Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi Named Zimbabwe’s Best Performing Minister At 2026 Performance Awards

Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi Tops Zimbabwe Government Performance Rankings

Harare – Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has been ranked as the top-performing minister in Zimbabwe’s latest government evaluation, securing first place ahead of 24 cabinet colleagues at a performance review ceremony held this morning at the Harare International Conference Centre.

The event saw ministers and senior government officials sign new performance contracts for 2026, with rankings based on their achievements over the previous year. Agriculture Minister Dr Anxious Masuka came in second, while Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi took third place. The evaluations form part of a public sector reform initiative introduced in recent years, aimed at setting measurable targets for government officials.

Twenty Ministers Meet Targets As New Contracts Signed

According to information released by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, the evaluation covered 25 cabinet ministers. The Ministry reported that 20 met their set targets while five were below target but remained within variance. Similar assessments were conducted for permanent secretaries and deputy ministers.

The Ministry stated that 16 permanent secretaries met their targets, while nine were below target but within variance. For deputy ministers, 16 met their targets while 10 were below but within variance. Provincial ministers were also evaluated, with five out of ten meeting their set targets and five falling below but remaining within variance.

Public Service Commission Chairman Dr Vincent Hungwe addressed officials at the ceremony, framing the exercise as a push for greater accountability in public service delivery.

“This is a theatre of accountability,” Dr. Hungwe said. “It is not enough for us to simply show up. We must exceed the expectations of our citizens. We will be using surveys and measurable outcomes to ensure that every official is truly serving the people.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa also addressed the gathering, linking the signing of the performance contract to the government’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which has recently commenced. The President stressed the importance of the contracts as a mechanism for driving government efficiency.

“It marks the signing of the 2026 contracts and a key milestone in our public administrative and governance journey,” President Mnangagwa said. “Over the past years we have scaled up the institutionalisation of public sector reform measures, including performance contracting. This year’s ceremony is of critical importance coming against the commencement of NDS2 implementation period. As Government we all have the duty to implement, deliver and impact the lives and livelihoods of our citizens.”

The President added that the contracts represent obligations to the public.

“Today’s performance contract signing ceremony represents new obligations to ensure accountability, excellence and result oriented leadership at all levels. Let us always remember the ordinary citizen of our beloved motherland Zimbabwe whom we must serve wholeheartedly and honestly. Together, we must deliver. We must never fail our people, our nation.”

President Mnangagwa concluded his remarks by acknowledging those who ranked highly in the evaluations.

“My special recognition goes to all those who excelled today. Makorokoto (Congratulations), congratulations. God bless you, God bless Zimbabwe.”

Deputy Ministers And Permanent Secretaries Also Ranked

The performance review also produced rankings for deputy ministers and permanent secretaries. In the deputy ministers category, Hon. Vangelis Haritatos of Lands, Agriculture took first place, followed by Hon. Joshua Sacco of Transport and Infrastructure Development in second, and Hon. Nobert Mazungunye of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs in third.

For permanent secretaries, Professor Obert Jiri of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development was ranked first. Mrs. Vimbai Nyemba of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs came second, while Ambassador Albert Chimbindi of Foreign Affairs placed third.

Independent commissions were also included in the rankings. The Zimbabwe Land Commission’s Commissioner Tendai Bare was named the top performer among independent commissions, while Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba was ranked second.

Provincial ministers were evaluated separately, with Hon. Ezra Chadzamira of Masvingo Province taking first place. Hon. Misheck Mugadza of Manicaland Province came second, and Hon. Owen Ncube of Midlands Province placed third. For secretaries for provincial affairs and devolution, Dr. Addmore Pazvakavambwa of Masvingo Province was ranked first, followed by Dr. Edgar Seenza of Midlands Province in second, and Mr. Abiot Maronge of Manicaland Province in third.

The performance contracts were introduced by President Mnangagwa as part of broader public sector reforms. According to the Ministry of Information, the reforms are aimed at strengthening accountability, improving efficiency, and ensuring measurable outcomes in public service delivery under the government’s Vision 2030 agenda.