Mnangagwa Divides Finance and Economic Development Ministries, Leaving Tagwirei With Just Two Acts

The changes, published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette on Thursday, 12 November 2026, are contained in Statutory Instruments 180 and 181 of 2026. They outline how responsibilities previously associated with the two ministries will be distributed following the separation of the portfolios.

Under the new arrangement, Ncube will oversee the administration of 58 Acts of Parliament, while Tagwirei will be responsible for just two pieces of legislation: the Competition Act and the Census and Statistics Act.

The Finance Ministry retains control over several critical areas of government administration, including taxation, public finances, banking, financial regulation and national debt management.

Among the major laws assigned to Ncube's ministry are the Public Finance Management Act, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act, Revenue Authority Act, Income Tax Act, Value Added Tax Act, Customs and Excise Act, Banking Act, Insurance Act and Securities and Exchange Act.

The list also includes the Public Debt Management Act, Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, Pension and Provident Funds Act, State Lotteries Act and legislation governing Zimbabwe's participation in international financial institutions.

The Public Accountants and Auditors Act is also included, although its administration will be shared with the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

The development effectively leaves the Finance Ministry overseeing the country's central financial operations, from government revenue collection and expenditure to banking supervision, debt management and relationships with international financial organisations.

Statutory Instrument 180 of 2026 states that President Emmerson Mnangagwa assigned the relevant legislative responsibilities to the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion in accordance with Section 104(1) of the Constitution and Section 37(2) of the Interpretation Act.

Meanwhile, Statutory Instrument 181 of 2026 specifically assigns the Competition Act and the Census and Statistics Act to the Minister of Economic Development and Investment Promotion.

The changes establish a clear division of responsibilities between the two ministries, with the Finance portfolio retaining the bulk of the country's financial and regulatory legislation.