By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
THE Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, who conducted a three-day working visit to the Beitbridge Border Post in December was named Zimbabwe’s Best Performing Minister at the 2026 National Performance Awards.
This followed a government-wide evaluation of cabinet ministers.
Rwodzi was at Beitbridge at the peak of the festive season, was recognised for her performance in office, beating 24 other cabinet ministers.
At Beitbridge Border Post she was welcoming returning residents and international travellers ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The awards ceremony was held at the Harare International Conference Centre gardens, where ministers and senior government officials also signed new performance contracts for 2026.
The rankings were based on achievements recorded over the past year.
Coming in second was Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka, while Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi secured third place.
According to the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, the evaluation covered 25 cabinet ministers, with 20 meeting their targets and five falling below target but remaining within acceptable variance levels.
The assessment extended beyond cabinet ministers to include other senior government officials.
Among permanent secretaries, 16 met their targets, while nine were below target but within variance.
For deputy ministers, 16 met their targets, with 10 falling below but still within acceptable limits.
Provincial ministers were also evaluated, with five out of ten meeting their targets.
In the deputy ministers category, Vangelis Haritatos of Lands and Agriculture ranked first, followed by Joshua Sacco of Transport in second place, and Nobert Mazungunye of Justice in third.
Among permanent secretaries, Professor Obert Jiri was ranked first, with Vimbai Nyemba taking second position and Ambassador Albert Chimbindi coming third.
Independent commissions were also assessed, with Tendai Bare of the Zimbabwe Land Commission named the top performer, followed by Priscilla Chigumba of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
In the provincial ministers category, Ezra Chadzamira of Masvingo Province ranked first, ahead of Misheck Mugadza of Manicaland and Owen Ncube of Midlands.
For secretaries of provincial affairs and devolution, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa took the top spot, followed by Dr Edgar Seenza and Mr Abiot Maronge.
The performance contracts, introduced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, are part of broader public sector reforms aimed at improving accountability, efficiency, and service delivery under the government’s Vision 2030 agenda.