Co-Ministers of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi said they worked well together perhaps because they were both ex-military and as a result, their ministry was functioning smoothly.
They told this to United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray when he visited their office just a few months after coming to Zimbabwe.
Mutsekwa was accused by his own party of working too closely with Mohadi.
Mohadi was an ex-ZAPU fighter while Mutsekwa fought with the Rhodesian army and served with the Zimbabwe army after independence.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 10HARARE95, Ambassador Meets with Zim Home Affairs Co-Ministers
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Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO0514
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0095/01 0411301
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 101301Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0039
INFO SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0020
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0020
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0020
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000095
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR BRIAN WALCH
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/10
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KTIP ASEC PINR ZI
SUBJECT: Ambassador Meets with Zim Home Affairs Co-Ministers
REF: 2009 HARARE 340
CLASSIFIED BY: Charles A. Ray, Ambassador, STATE, EXEC; REASON:
1.4(B), (D)
¶1. (SBU The Ambassador met February 8 with Khembo Mohadi (ZANU-PF)
and Giles Mutsekwa (MDC-T), the co-ministers of Home Affairs, at
their office. The meeting was friendly, especially when contrasted
with Ambassador McGee’s meeting with the two ministers in April
2009 (Ref).
¶2. (SBU) Mohadi expressed interest in police assistance, including
exchange programs and training.
¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador asked about continuing reports of violence
and intimidation in rural areas. Mohadi replied that there were
isolated incidents. He said that the Joint Monitoring and
Implementation Committee (of which he is a member), established
under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) to monitor the GPA, was
working at the provincial level to preach tolerance. It would
continue doing so at the district level. Mutsekwa added that the
three main political parties were holding meetings in anticipation
of the constitutional outreach process throughout the country.
Frequently, they had not notified the police of their meetings, as
required by law, and police were therefore not present to exercise
control.
¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador raised the issue of trafficking,
explaining that it is a scourge the U.S. takes seriously throughout
the world. We should not let our differences get in the way of
fighting transnational crime. He stated that Zimbabwe’s Tier 3
status could potentially complicate U.S. assistance efforts in
Zimbabwe, and that the Embassy would support Zimbabwe’s efforts to
fight trafficking and move from Tier 3 status. Mutsekwa replied
that trafficking was a regional problem and was topical in regional
meetings. Zimbabwe, according to Mutsekwa, was primarily a country
of transit between the Great Lakes and the Horn, and South Africa.
Police had difficulty investigating traffickers because many posed
as refugees. Mohadi added that the government wanted to do more in
education and advocacy, but was constrained by resources.
Mutsekwa noted there is a draft anti-trafficking law currently
being vetted within the Ministry of Home Affairs. (NOTE: An
official from the Prime Minister’s office told us last week that
they hope to introduce the bill in Cabinet this year. END NOTE.)
The Ambassador left with the ministers the 2009 worldwide
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, the TIP report specific to
Zimbabwe, and the action plan for Zimbabwe. We agreed that the
Embassy would follow up with the Ministry on Zimbabwe’s efforts to
comply with the action plan.
¶5. (SBU) We asked the ministers about police involvement in the
Marange diamond fields. Mutsekwa, who is from Mutare (not far from
the area), said police had nothing to do with mining. At one
point, they had removed illegal panners to maintain law and order,
but it was up to the companies to provide security.
¶6. (SBU) Mohadi and Mutsekwa said they worked well together,
perhaps because they were both ex-military. As a result, the
ministry was functioning smoothly.
————-
COMMENT
————-
HARARE 00000095 002 OF 002
¶7. (C) Mutsekwa has been under fire from MDC-T for being too
conciliatory with Mohadi. We continue to receive reports of
intimidation of MDC-T members in rural areas and there is a sense
that police have been passive observers and that Mutsekwa has not
taken action. Part of the problem may be systemic. The
Commissioner of Police, Augustine Chihuri, who has direct control
of the police, is supposed to report to Home Affairs. He does not
do so. He sits on the Joint Operations Command (JOC) where many
police actions are coordinated. Also, the permanent secretary in
the Ministry is a ZANU-PF apparatchik who has no interest in
supporting any MDC-T minister. END COMMENT.
————-
Bio Notes
————
¶8. (SBU) Mohadi fought with ZAPU in the independence struggle. He
was arrested in 1975 and sentenced to 15 years in custody. After
his release at independence in 1980, he became an education officer
in Beitbridge and became active politically with PF-ZAPU. He
became a member of the party’s Central Committee and was elected to
Parliament in 1985. After the Unity Accord in 1987, he continued
his political activity with ZANU-PF as a parliamentarian and
Central Committee member. In 1999, he was investigated for the
murder of his wife’s lover. In 2000, President Mugabe appointed
him Minister of Home Affairs and the investigation was dropped.
Because he is from Matabeleland, one of the few ZANU-PF
parliamentarians from that region, Mugabe considers him an
important ally.
¶9. (SBU) Mutsekwa fought with the Rhodesian army and, after
independence, served with the Zimbabwean army. He retired in the
late 1980s with the rank of Major. Before MDC-T entered into
government, he served as the party’s shadow minister of defense.
He continues to run an insurance business in Mutare. Mutsekwa was
arrested in 2006 in the treason case on which Roy Bennett is now
standing trial. He was released on bail and charges were
ultimately dropped. END BIO NOTES.
RAY
(30 VIEWS)
