Denis Norman
{{Short description|British-Zimbabwean politician (1931–2019)}}
{{Distinguish|Dennis Norman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Denis Norman
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|imagesize =
|smallimage =
|caption =
|order =
|office = Zimbabwean Minister of Agriculture
|term_start = 1980
|term_end = 1985
|order2 =
|office2 = Zimbabwean Minister of Transport
|term_start2 = 1990
|term_end2 = 1997
|order3 =
|office3 = Zimbabwean Minister of Power
|term_start3 = 1990
|term_end3 = 1997
|birth_date = 26 March 1931
|birth_place = England
|death_date = {{death date and age|2019|12|20|1931|3|26|df=y}}
|death_place =
|birthname =
|nationality = British / Zimbabwean
|relations =
|children =
|residence = Oxfordshire
|alma_mater =
|occupation = Farmer
}}
Denis R. Norman (26 March 1931 – 20 December 2019) was a British-Zimbabwean politician who spent a total of twelve years in the Cabinet of Robert Mugabe. He was known as "Nothing Wrong Norman" due to his penchant for trying to put a positive spin on difficult situations.{{cite book|title=Dinner with Mugabe|first=Heidi|last=Holland|year=2008|publisher=Penguin Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-14-104079-0|pages=107–125}}{{cite web|url=http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/RHODESIAN-PIONEERS/2003-04/1051642451|title=Denis Norman|accessdate=10 June 2009|publisher=Roots Web}}
From 2003 he lived in Oxfordshire, England, before his death on 20 December 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://epaper.thetimes.com/app/THE343|title=The Times e-paper web|website=The Times}}
Career
Norman headed the Commercial Farmers' Union when Robert Mugabe came to power in 1980.{{cite web|url=http://swradioafrica.com/pages/farmeratwar220409.htm|title=Farmer At War, 30 years on...|accessdate=10 June 2009|first=Mike|last=Rook|publisher=SW Radio Africa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716055541/http://swradioafrica.com/pages/farmeratwar220409.htm|archive-date=16 July 2011|url-status=usurped}} Norman was appointed Minister of Agriculture that same year, and held the position from 1980 to 1985.{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200302240017|title=Could Zimbabwe be the next Rwanda|accessdate=10 June 2009|date=24 February 2003|first=Christina|last=Lamb|publisher=New Statesman}} Mugabe asked Norman to leave the government after the 1985 elections which resulted in Ian Smith's faction winning most of the (minority-designated) white roll seats. The then-Prime Minister was aggrieved that the party which was sympathetic to ZANU-PF's cause did not win even though Mugabe had 'tried to appeal to the white population in Zimbabwe'.{{cite book |title= Dinner With Mugabe: The untold story of a freedom fighter who became a tyrant |last= Holland |first= Heidi |year= 2008 |publisher= Penguin Books |location= South Africa |page= 114}} Norman proceeded to head the Beira Corridor Group,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/22/opinion/at-home-abroad-the-beira-corridor.html|title=AT HOME ABROAD; The Beira Corridor|accessdate=10 June 2009|date=22 January 1987|first=Anthony|last=Lewis|work=New York Times}} before being appointed to two positions by President Mugabe – Minister of Transport and Minister of Power – from 1990 to 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zim1990election.htm|title=Zimbabwe: 1990 General Elections|accessdate=10 June 2009|publisher=EISA|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205015007/http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zim1990election.htm|archivedate=5 December 2008}} As minister of transport, Norman began introducing safety regulations for public transport.{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200904240059.html|title=Zimbabwe: Bus Disasters - When is Enough, Enough?|accessdate=10 June 2009|date=24 April 2009|author=Tendai Hildegarde Manzvanzvike|publisher=The Herald}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Members of the 3rd Parliament of Zimbabwe}}
{{Members of the 1st Parliament of Zimbabwe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norman, Denis}}
Category:20th-century Zimbabwean politicians
Category:People educated at Bloxham School
Category:White Rhodesian people
Category:Zimbabwean emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:British emigrants to Rhodesia
Category:White Zimbabwean politicians
Category:20th-century Zimbabwean businesspeople
Category:20th-century British farmers
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