Deputy Minister of Justice Jessie Majome described her job as a fight against “constant marginalisation” because her boss Patrick Chinamasa, attorney general Johannes Tomana and permanent secretary David Mangota were undermining her.
Chinamasa was, however, “frank and open” and was a proponent of professionalism but Tomana and Mangota were giving her a hard time.
She said when she assumed her position, Chinamasa directed the ministry’s 11 department heads to give her an in-briefing. Tomana and Mangota, however, refused to implement the directive.
Majome suspected that while Chinamasa carried himself professionally, he supported Mangota’s and Tomana’s efforts to undermine her.
This allowed him to stay above the fray, playing the “good cop” to Mangota’s and Tomana’s “bad cop.”
Tomana had openly told her that she was subordinate to him because he sat in cabinet while she did not.
Majome said that even if she was not allowed to execute any ministerial authority, her presence alone could served as a check on her colleagues’ activities and a means of gaining insights into ministerial policies.
She suspected this to be true with MDC deputies in other ZANU-PF ministries, such as Jameson Timba in the equally-hostile Media, Information, and Publicity ministry.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09HARARE890, MDC OFFICIAL DESCRIBES LIFE IN CHINAMASA’S
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OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0890/01 3131652
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 091652Z NOV 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5124
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 3165
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3277
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1704
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2538
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2907
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3325
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5773
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2457
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000890
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B. WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2019
SUBJECT: MDC OFFICIAL DESCRIBES LIFE IN CHINAMASA’S
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
Classified By: Ambassador Charles Ray for reason 1.4 (b) and (d).
——-
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) Poloff met with Deputy Minister of Justice Jessie
Majome (MDC-T) on November 5 to discuss her experiences
working in a ministry led by ZANU-PF stalwarts Patrick
Chinamasa and Attorney General (AG) Johannes Tomana. Majome
described her position as a constant “fight against
marginalization” as she was persistently undermined by
Chinamasa, Tomana, and Permanent Secretary David Mangota.
Despite QQ$6Q|d, Majome described
her experiences working in the Ministry of Justice. In spite
of a hostile work environment, Majome holds a measure of
respect for Minister of Justice Chinamasa, describing him as
“frank and open” and a proponent of professionalism. When
she assumed her position, Chinamasa directed the Ministry’s
11 department heads to give her an in-briefing. Tellingly,
Tomana )- who is housed within the Ministry, but also serves
as the government’s chief legal advisor -) refused the
directive, as did Mangota. She also told us that Chinamasa
held Tomana in low regard because of the clumsy manner and
legal incompetence his office often demonstrated. (NOTE:
Chinamasa previously served as the AG and was regarded as a
technically competent bureaucrat. END NOTE.)
¶3. (C) Majome suspected that while Chinamasa carried himself
professionally, he supported Mangota’s and Tomana’s efforts
to undermine her. This posture allowed him to stay above the
fray, playing the “good cop” to Mangota’s and Tomana’s “bad
cop.” Mangota and Tomana are blatant in their disrespect for
Majome’s position, according to Majome. One illustrative
example occurred in a conversation between Majome and Mangota
which began with Mangota accusing Majome of abusing
government funds and ended with him screaming accusations at
her. He later called back, not to apologize, but to concede
that she was innocent of the offense.
¶4. (C) Similarly, Attorney General Tomana has openly told
her that she is subordinate to him within the Ministry
because he sits in Cabinet and she does not. Tomana,
according to Majome, is arrogant, has a Mercedes and a
driver, travels in a two car convoy, and moves on foot with a
four-person security detail. (NOTE: Tomana sits in Cabinet as
an “ex officio” member which means he does not vote and is
there only in his capacity as legal advisor to government.
Within the Ministry, Majome is bureaucratically superior to
both Tomana and Mangota. END NOTE.)
———————-
Q———————-
What Press Conference?
———————-
¶5. (C) Permanent Secretary Mangota also circumvents Majome
at every opportunity, typically failing to copy her on
correspondence or notify her of press conferences. Each
morning there is an 8:30 briefing attended by Chinamasa,
Majome, Tomana, Mangota, and Prisons Commissioner Paradzai
Zimondi. Majome said that she often had little understanding
HARARE 00000890 002 OF 003
of what they were discussing because they failed to include
her on preparatory materials. A press conference was held in
early September at which Mangota and Zimondi announced a
general amnesty to cover a thousand prisoners. Majome was
not aware of it until reading an article in “The Herald”
newspaper.
—————————–
Part Administrator, Part Mole
—————————–
¶6. (C) Despite her difficult position, Majome has relished
the opportunity to gather information within the
controversial ministry. One arena on which she has focused
her attention is the prisons system, where she informed us
that the service had become militarized with retiring
soldiers assuming jobs intended to be filled by the civilian
prison service. This has also occurred in the AG’s office
where soldiers have replaced technicians and legal aides.
She said that Tomana had chased away professional
prosecutors, citing the charges of criminal abuse of office
being leveled against one senior prosecutor who once refused
to invoke a controversial measure challenging a defendant’s
bail.
¶7. (C) Majome also learned that Mangota had denied repeated
requests by the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) to inspect prisons. In that instance, Majome worked
around Mangota, met with the ICRC and designed a visitation
strategy to pitch to Chinamasa. At the presentation, Majome
had to pretend that she did not know her ICRC counterpart.
Occasionally, Chinamasa will slip up in her presence, such as
when he mentioned that Tomana had attended a ZANU-PF caucus
in his official capacity. She said it was a mistake as
constitutionally the AG was supposed to be a non-political
actor.
¶8. (C) Majome said that even if she is not allowed to
execute any ministerial authority, her presence alone could
serve as a check on her colleagues’ activities and a means of
gaining insights into ministerial policies. She suspected
this to be true with MDC deputies in other ZANU-PF
ministries, such as Jameson Timba in the equally-hostile
Media, Information, and Publicity ministry.
¶9. (C) Though effective as an informant, Majome is trying to
have a direct impact on ministerial operations as well. She
referred to the abductions in December 2008 of MDC Security
Chief Chris Dhlamini and Tsvangirai assistant Gandhi
Mudzingwa. When they were finally released on bail in April
and were receiving medical treatment at Avenues Hospital in
Harare, they were under close prison guard. Majome argued to
Prisons Commissioner Zimondi that they had been granted bail
and that the Ministry was exposing itself to litigation by
continuing to guard a free citizen. Within 20 minutes his
guard detail was dismissed.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶10. (C) Majome’s experience highlights the lack of
cooperation occurring at the ministerial level in what
Qcooperation occurring at the ministerial level in what
purports to be an inclusive government. Even in instances
where the ministry is led by an MDC minister, such as David
Coltart’s Ministry of Education, there is often a struggle
between the minister and his Mugabe-appointed permanent
secretary. This reality presents a tremendous hurdle in
implementing policy changes that are opposed by ZANU-PF
loyalists. With no capacity to replace ministers, deputies,
HARARE 00000890 003 OF 003
or permanent secretaries, the balance of power within
ministries )- with the exception of the Finance ministry
where Tendai Biti has seized the reins — favors ZANU-PF.
END COMMENT.
RAY
(37 VIEWS)
