Welshman Ncube who was secretary-general of the Mutambara faction of the Movement for Democratic Change at the time told United States embassy officials that Arthur Mutambara had a fragile ego and was not experienced enough to handle harsh criticism.
He was discussing the publicity backlash Mutambara had received for his comments about the West, which he had said could go to hell.
Mutambara also said that Zimbabweans were smarter than Australians and Americans.
Ncube said Mutambara’s senior team had to repeatedly maintain his confidence, the lack of which Ncube believed may have originated from Mutambara’s childhood as an orphan.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE878, WELSHMAN NCUBE DISCUSSES THE MINISTERIAL IMPASSE
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Reference ID |
Created |
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VZCZCXRO1608
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0878/01 2691409
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251409Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3493
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2324
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2443
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0957
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1721
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2076
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2497
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4929
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1592
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000878
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR G. GARLAND AND B. WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2018
SUBJECT: WELSHMAN NCUBE DISCUSSES THE MINISTERIAL IMPASSE
REF: A. HARARE 867
¶B. HARARE 741
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) MDC-Mutambara faction (MDC-M) Secretary General
Welshman Ncube met with poloff on September 25 to discuss a
range of issues, including the current status of ministerial
negotiations, South Africa’s possible role in breaking the
deadlock, and local and international criticism of MDC-M
leader Arthur Mutambara that stemmed from his anti-West
statements and charges that he had aligned himself with
ZANU-PF.
¶2. (C) Ncube confirmed that negotiations remain on hold as
the negotiators await the return of President Mugabe and the
other principals, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy
Prime Minister Mutambara. The ministerial negotiations
became deadlocked late last week over the allocation of the
following four powerful ministries: Home Affairs (police),
Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Local Government. ZANU-PF
wants all four ministries; MDC-T wants to divide them evenly.
Two other ministries–Water Resources and Prisons and
Correctional Services–have not been allocated, but are not
contentious. The allocation of the remaining 25 ministries
had been verbally agreed upon and Ncube did not expect there
to be much shifting of those ministries. In Ncube’s opinion,
the personal ambitions of the negotiators had led to the
deadlock, rather than any specific party objectives. For
instance, Ncube shared that MDC-T negotiator Elton Mangoma
wanted to be the Minister of Finance and had pushed hard for
its inclusion in MDC-T’s portfolio. We had heard separately
that Nicholas Goche was interested in Finance, but Ncube
could not confirm that report. According to Ncube,
Tsvangirai had conceded the Justice ministry to ZANU-PF, and
ZANU-PF negotiator Patrick Chinamasa was angling to be named
its minister.
¶3. (C) Ncube confirmed discussions we had with
well-connected businessman Fred Mutanda earlier this week
that ZANU-PF had compressed four ministries into two and
converted national security from a ministry into a department
within the President’s Office (reftel A). However, these
moves had been balanced by the halving of several existing
ministries. For instance, Industry and Commerce, and
Regional Integration and International Trade were now
separate ministries. Also, Justice had been separated from
Parliamentary and Constitutional Affairs. Ncube could not
recall the additional new ministry required to reach a total
of 31, but he was certain that the 15, 13, 3 ministry split
would be maintained between ZANU-PF, MDC-T, and MDC-M. The
MDC-M ministries will be Education, Sport and Culture,
Industry and Commerce, and Regional Integration and National
Trade.
¶4. (C) Ncube then told us that a proposal had recently
originated from former South African President Mbeki’s office
inviting Mugabe, Tsvangirai, and Mutambara to Pretoria to
work out the remaining ministerial allocations. Mbeki
suggested that Mugabe stop in South Africa on his return from
the UN General Assembly session in New York to hold these
negotiations. (NOTE: Mbeki and Ncube are also personally
connected though the marriage of their children. END NOTE.)
¶5. (C) The conversation turned to discussion of the
publicity backlash Mutambara had received for his
resoundingly negative comments about the West, as well as
charges that he had aligned himself with ZANU-PF. Ncube was
frank in saying that Mutambara had a “fragile ego” and was
not experienced enough to handle harsh criticism. Also,
Mutambara’s senior team had to repeatedly maintain his
HARARE 00000878 002 OF 002
confidence, the lack of which Ncube believed may have
originated from Mutambara’s childhood as an orphan.
(COMMENT: This is not the first time Ncube has criticized
his boss; he believes Mutambara should be replaced as MDC-M’s
leader (Ref B). END COMMENT.)
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶6. (C) Ncube was candid and frank about the negotiating
impasse. MDC-M leaders are relishing the faction’s position
as a swing-vote player and will continue to look for ways to
expand their influence beyond that commensurate with the
faction’s electoral results. The leadership’s ability to
exert leverage by aligning with (or threatening to align
with) ZANU-PF on specific issues will depend in part on
whether the faction’s elected officials are willing to
stomach this strategy. If leadership goes to far, the
faction may disintegrate. The text of the power-sharing
agreement represents a notable success for Ncube and
Mutambara; the election of the MDC-T’s candidate for Speaker
was a notable failure. END COMMENT.
MCGEE
(12 VIEWS)
