President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reinstated Honourable Simelisizwe Sibanda, the former Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development, after pardoning him.

Dr. Martin Rushwaya, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, confirmed the reinstatement in a statement on Wednesday. The decision followed Honourable Sibanda’s sincere apologies and his commitment to avoiding similar issues in the future.

Sibanda had been removed from office earlier this month after an audio recording featuring his tribal comments circulated on social media.