Cain Ginyilitshe Ndabazekhaya Mathema (born 25 January 1947) is a Zimbabwean politician and writer. He has held various cabinet roles in the
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
an government. He is a member of
Zanu-PF. He was born in Sipepa, Tsholotsho District.
Political career
Cain Mathema joined the
Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army
Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), a Marxist–Leninist political party in Rhodesia. It participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhod ...
(ZIPRA) in 1968.
Soon after independence, Cain Mathema worked as a senior civil servant in the government of Zimbabwe. He later contested for political office and has since served as a governor and cabinet minister.
In Robert Mugabe's government, Mathema served as:
* Deputy Minister of Rural Resources and Water Development - 1997
* Ambassador to Zambia
* Governor for Bulawayo - February 2004 - September 2013
* Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Matebeleland North - September 2013 - October 2017
* Minister of War Veteran - October 2017 - November 2017
In Emmerson Mnangagwa's government, Mathema has served as:
* Minister of State for Matabeleland North - December 2017 - September 2018
* Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage - September 2018 - November 2019
* Minister of Primary and Secondary Education - November 2019 – 30 September 2021
Since 2005, he has been placed on the
United States sanctions
After the failure of the Embargo Act of 1807, the federal government of the United States took little interest in imposing embargoes and economic sanctions against foreign countries until the 20th century. United States trade policy was entir ...
list.
In late February 2008, he was present at rally supporting
ZANU-PF candidate
Sikhanyiso Ndlovu's bid for the Pelandaba-Mpopoma constituency seat.
On 6 November 2018, he promised to crush anti-government demonstrations which he alleges were being planned by Nelson Chamisa.
Personal life
Cain Mathema is a published Ndebele and English poet, playwright, short story writer and cartoonist. He has published over 20 books on all sorts of topics. His books are published by different publishing houses which include but are not limited to, Mambo Press, Longman Press, Mathema Publishers, College Press and the University of Zimbabwe amongst others. His works have been used in local universities and beyond.
In December 2016, Cain who was then Matebeleland North Provincial Governor, married 23-year-old Bathabetsoe Nare who was 47 years his junior.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathema, Cain
Provincial governors of Zimbabwe
Living people
1947 births
ZANU–PF politicians