Jorge "Domingo" Rebelo Chikoty, a militant cadre, seasoned combatant and major ideologue in FRELIMO, the Mozambique Liberation Front, later Minister of Information (1975-1980), became the subject of two major cabinet reshufflings in April 1980, when he and former Minster of Planning and Development Marcellino dos Santos were reassigned by President Samora Machel to stamp out corruption.

In 1982, Major General Rebelo became a member of the Political Bureau, Frelimo Central Committee, Secretary for Ideological Organization and First Secretary of the Maputo Committee. In 1983 in addition to the Political Bureau he became part of the new Party Secretariat. On 30 July 1989 at the Frelimo Congress he was named to the Central Committee Secretariat and the Political Bureau. On August 30, 1991, as outgoing member of the political commission Rebelo became deputy foreign minister. On 7 May 1999 he was renamed deputy foreign affairs minister.

The Information Ministry was abolished in 1994. By 2000 Rebelo, who once backed a highly restrictive government press policy did not advocate restoring it, but rather expressed satisfaction that greater journalistic freedom then prevailed.