Stuart Comberbach

{{short description|Zimbabwean diplomat and politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Stuart Comberbach

| image = Stuart Harold Comberbach (01410949) (51477911732) (cropped).jpg

| honorific_prefix = His Excellency

| spouse = Benedict Ann Comberbach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|09|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia

| alma_mater = University of the Witwatersrand

| office1 = Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland

| president1 = Emmerson Mnangagwa

| termstart1 = April 2021

| office2 = Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

| termstart2 = September 2018

| president2 = Emmerson Mnangagwa

| successor2 = Grace Tsitsi Mutandiro

| termend2 = April 2021

| office3 = Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet of Zimbabwe Head - Corporate Governance, Parastatal Reform and Delivery Unit

| termstart3 = September 2014

| president3 = Robert Mugabe
Emmerson Mnangagwa

| successor3 = Willard Manungo

| termend3 = September 2018

| office4 = Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Japan and South Korea

| termstart4 = January 2003

| termend4 = May 2014

| president4 = Robert Mugabe

| minister4 = Simbarashe Mumbengegwi

| predecessor4 = Andrew Hama Mtetwa

| successor4 = Titus Mehliswa Jonathan Abu-Basutu

| office5 = Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Industry and International Trade

| termstart5 = September 1999

| president5 = Robert Mugabe

| minister5 = Nathan Shamuyarira
Nkosana Moyo
Herbert Murerwa
Samuel Mumbengegwi

| termend5 = December 2002

| office6 = Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Italy and Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme, and International Fund for Agricultural Development

| termstart6 = July 1994

| president6 = Robert Mugabe

| minister6 = Nathan Shamuyarira

| termend6 = May 1999

| office7 = Trade Commissioner and Head of Mission, Zimbabwe Trade Mission, later, Zimbabwe Representative Office, Johannesburg, South Africa

| termstart7 = May 1987

| president7 = Canaan Banana
Robert Mugabe

| minister7 = Witness Mangwende
Nathan Shamuyarira

| termend7 = June 1994

| office8 = Director, Information and Research Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters

| termstart8 = February 1982

| president8 = Canaan Banana

| minister8 = Witness Mangwende

| termend8 = May 1987

| office9 = Head, Rhodesian Liaison Office, Libreville, Gabon

| termstart9 = October 1975

| president9 = Clifford Dupont
John Wrathall
Josiah Gumede

| minister9 = Ian Smith
Abel Muzorewa

| termend9 = November 1979

}}

Stuart Harold Comberbach (born 27 September 1952) is a Zimbabwean diplomat and politician. Currently, he serves as Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Immediately prior to that, he served as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Dr Sibusiso B. Moyo.

He served previously as Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Italy from 1994 to 1999, and later Ambassador to Japan and South Korea from 2003 to 2014, in 2014 Comberbach was named a senior advisor in the Office the President and Cabinet under former President Robert Mugabe. Born in Salisbury (today Harare), Comberbach joined the Rhodesian civil service in 1974 and is one of the few white civil servants remaining in Zimbabwe.

Early life and education

Comberbach was born on 27 September 1952 in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (today Harare, Zimbabwe).{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMERAQAAMAAJ|title=Documents Officiels|publisher=United Nations Security Council|year=1979|pages=228|language=en}} He attended the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, graduating in 1974.{{Cite web|url=https://www.slideshare.net/DudulisaMqwathi/zimbabwe-national-code-of-corporate-governance-conference-2015pdf|title=Zimbabwe National Code Of Corporate Governance Conference 2015|date=2015}}

Civil service career

After graduating from Wits University in 1974, Comberbach returned to Rhodesia and joined the civil service the same year. He worked under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving in Gabon from 1974 to 1979. From 1987 to 1994, he was the head of the Zimbabwe Trade Mission in Johannesburg, South Africa. From 1994 to 1999, he served as Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Italy and the Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization. In Rome, he served on the UN Committee on World Food Security.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/wfs/resource/english/conseng.htm|title=WFS:COUNCIL|website=www.fao.org|access-date=2019-03-24}} He was Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Industry and International Trade from 1999 to 2002. He offered to resign from the civil service in 2001 when he made it clear that he opposed government price control policies that he believed would destroy the Zimbabwean economy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11120484/Zimbabwes-Robert-Mugabe-appoints-white-civil-servant-as-senior-secretary.html|title=Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe appoints white civil servant as senior secretary|last=Thornycroft|first=Peta|date=2014-09-25|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-03-24|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}

From 2003 to 2014, Comberbach served as the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Japan and South Korea. He also served as Chairman of the African Diplomatic Corps in Japan, an arm of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) from January 2003 and May 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://www.herald.co.zw/ambassador-honoured/|title=Ambassador honoured|last=Nherera|first=Diana|date=2015-05-25|website=The Herald|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-24}} On 8 May 2015, Comberbach was honoured with the Order of the Rising Sun, along with 5 other foreign recipients at an event held in Tokyo. Later, a conferment ceremony was held in Harare, hosted by Japan's Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Yoshi Hiraishi. Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans Christopher Mutsvangwa praised Comberbach for receiving the honour. In 2015, Comberbach's successor as Ambassador to Japan, Air Vice-Marshal Titus Abu-Basutu.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2015/04/07/militarisation-of-foreign-service-continues/|title=Militarisation of foreign service continues|date=2015-04-07|website=The Zimbabwe Independent|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-24}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.herald.co.zw/president-appoints-3-new-ambassadors/|title=President appoints 3 new ambassadors|last=Ndlovu|first=Tafadzwa|date=2015-03-28|website=The Herald|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-24}}

In September 2014, President Robert Mugabe appointed Comberbach as Senior Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/White-civil-servant-gets-job-in-Mugabes-office-20140925|title=White civil servant gets job in Mugabe's office|date=2014-09-25|website=News24|language=en|access-date=2019-03-24}} His appointment was announced by Mesheck Sibanda, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet. At the time, it was reported that he was one of the last white civil servants left in Zimbabwe. He was later assigned different areas of focus within the office of the President and Cabinet: in 2015, he became the Permanent Secretary for Corporate Governance, State Enterprises, and Delivery Unit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/07/govt-urged-address-corporate-governance-failures/|title=Govt urged to address corporate governance failures|last=Tarisai|first=Mandizha|date=2016-07-28|website=NewsDay Zimbabwe|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-24}} In September 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed new advisors, and Comberbach was assigned the new portfolio of Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chronicle.co.zw/president-makes-new-appointments/|title=President makes new appointments|last=Tshili|first=Nqobile|date=2018-09-22|website=The Chronicle|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-24}}

Personal life

Comberbach's wife is Benedict Ann "Dicky" Comberbach.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bg65AAAAIAAJ|title=Diplomatic List|date=2003|publisher=National Printing Bureau|pages=151|isbn=9784175610035|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2010/02/february-5-18/|title=February 5 – 18|date=2010-02-05|website=Tokyo Weekender|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-24}} They have children. One of them is Vancouver-based software engineer named Jonathan Edward Yelverton Comberbach.