HARARE, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday appointed Fortune Chasi as the new Minister of Energy and Power Development in a mini-cabinet reshuffle.

Chasi was until the appointment the deputy minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

He replaced Joram Gumbo, who has been re-assigned to Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in charge of Implementation and Monitoring of government programs.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda said in a statement Tuesday night that the appointments were with immediate effect.

Mnangagwa appointed Gumbo as energy minister and Chasi as deputy minister for transport after winning the 2018 harmonized elections.

The surprise reshuffle comes at a time when Zimbabwe is facing acute shortages of fuel due to foreign currency shortages.

The nation has also begun effecting crippling power cuts due low water levels in Kariba Dam that have necessitated a significant reduction in energy production at the Kariba hydro power plant that was recently expanded by another 300 megawatts by China's Sinohydro.

Industry and miners have since decried the power cuts, saying they will further impact on production that is already weighed down by the ongoing foreign currency shortages, among other challenges. Enditem

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