Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday unveiled a 26-member cabinet comprising most of the old guards to steer government business for the next five years.

The cabinet appointments, down from 33 in the previous inclusive government, came more than a month after Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party won elections held on July 31, and ended intense speculation that had engulfed the nation.

Mugabe retained most of his close associates in government but reshuffled some of them while also introducing new faces particularly as deputy ministers.

He gave the Defense Ministry to the long-serving government minister, Sydney Sekeramayi, who was previously state security minister.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the former defense minister and widely rumored to be leading one of the two Zanu-PF factions fighting to succeed Mugabe, was appointed justice, legal and parliamentary affairs minister.

The key Finance Ministry previously headed by an opposition minister was given to Patrick Chinamasa, formerly justice minister.

Chinamasa is the one who introduced, as acting finance minister, the multiple currency regime in February 2009, after the Zimbabwean dollar had been decimated by hyperinflation.

Jonathan Moyo, once a rabid critic of Mugabe but now a staunch supporter, bounced back to the Information Ministry and is one of the five persons appointed by Mugabe outside parliament.

Mugabe also replaced ex-indigenization minister Savious Kasukuwere with the former environment minister, Francis Nhema.

Nhema is regarded by many as a soft politician and his appointment to a ministry that is spearheading the emotive indigenization program could be an indication of Mugabe's desire for a soft and sober approach to the whole program.

Under the indigenization drive, foreign owned companies including mines and banks are required to cede 51 percent shareholding to locals.

While some companies have complied with the policy, some were reportedly resisting. Critics of the policy say it scares away investors but Mugabe has since explained that the government would be flexible, particularly in cases where the country requires foreign capital and skills.

Kasukuwere is now the minister of environment, water and climate. Mugabe removed Obert Mpofu who is widely rumored to be corrupt from the Mines Ministry and put him to the transport portfolio.

The former deputy minister of state enterprises and parastatals, Walter Chidhakwa, is the new minister of mines.

Former transport minister Nicholas Goche is now the labor minister. Joseph Made was retained as agriculture minister.

The energy portfolio formerly held by an opposition minister went to Dzikamai Mavhaire, a party cadre from Masvingo province.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi retains the post and so does Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi.

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi also remain unchanged.

The Lands and Rural Resettlement Ministry went to former deputy minister of health Douglas Mombeshora, while Mike Bimha was elevated from deputy to industry and commerce minister.

David Parirenyatwa bounced back to the Health Ministry, which he occupied before the formation of an inclusive government in 2009.

Higher and tertiary education portfolio went to Olivia Muchena, former women's affairs minister while former information minister Webster Shamu was moved to information communication technology.

Lazarus Dokora was elevated from deputy to primary and secondary education while Sithembiso Nyoni retained her small and medium enterprises development ministry.

Sport, Arts and Culture went to Andrew Langa, women affairs to Oppah Muchinguri, who once occupied the post, while two ministers of state -- Simon Khaya Moyo and Didymus Mutasa -- were also appointed to the cabinet.

Moyo, who is widely tipped to become the second vice-president of Zanu-PF and government following the death of John Nomo early this year, was appointed senior minister of state while Mutasa retained his position as minister of state for presidential affairs.

Two ministers of state in the office of president, Flora Bhuka and Josiah Hungwe, were also appointed as well as Sylvester Nguni, who retained his post as minister of state in Vice President Joice Mujuru's Office.

Mugabe only dropped ailing former lands minister Hebert Murerwa from the cabinet.

He used his constitutional powers to appoint into the cabinet five members from outside parliament and these are Jonathan Moyo, Joseph Made, Lazarus Dokora, Ferber Chidarikire and Martin Dinha.

The last two are part of the 10 ministers of state for provincial affairs. Mugabe's cabinet has five women, down from eight in the previous inclusive government.

Out of the 10 ministers of state for provincial affairs, only one is a woman.

The Ministry of State Security was not mentioned in Mugabe's cabinet and it is not yet clear whether the ministry will be resuscitated. He also consolidated and scrapped some of the ministries that had been created during the inclusive government with the opposition.

Among those scrapped were the Regional Integration and International Cooperation Ministry. Mugabe also appointed two deputy ministers of agriculture, one responsible for crop, mechanization and irrigation development and another for livestock production.