All the Wikileaks cables on Zimbabwe

 

651-Government makes it easier to acquire land

The government announced amendments to the Land Acquisition Act closing several loopholes through which commercial farmers based legal challenges to compulsory acquisition of their land.

 

652-Muzenda wanted Zvinavashe to replace him- Wikileaks

Vice-President Simon Muzenda, one of President Robert Mugabe’s most loyal cadres, is reported to have told Mugabe at his deathbed that he wanted then defence forces chief Vitalis Zvinavashe to succeed him as Member of Parliament for Gutu North and as vice-President.

 

653-Mugabe singles out Jonathan Moyo for praise at conference

President Robert Mugabe singled out Information Minister Jonathan Moyo for praise while criticising those within the party who strayed from strict party discipline.

 

654-US embassy expected MDC to win 30 seats in 2000

The United States embassy in Harare expected the Movement for Democratic Change to win at least 30 seats in the June 2000 elections despite the fact that it had defeated the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front in the constitutional referendum in February of the same year.

 

655-Mugabe is like a father who has betrayed his children – MP

President Robert Mugabe was like a father who had betrayed his children and was no longer worthy to be a father. This was the view of newly elected Movement for Democratic Change legislator for Nyanga, Evelyn Masaiti when she joined parliament in 2000.

 

656-Government trying to throttle of MDC

In a move that appeared to be aimed at crippling the Movement for Democratic Change, police and members of the Central Intelligence Organisation raided the offices of the MDC at Eastgate and seized documents and diskettes.

 

657-Tsvangirai gets caught up in excitement of the moment

Movement for Democratic Change president Morgan Tsvangirai told a rally to celebrate the party’s first anniversary that “Mugabe should go peacefully, if he does not, we will remove him violently” because he had been caught up “in the excitement of the moment”.

 

658-MDC prepares to impeach Mugabe

Movement for Democratic Change legislator for Harare Central Mike Auret told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald that his party was planning to impeach President Robert Mugabe and had gathered overwhelming evidence to prove that he was behind the violence in the run-up to the 2000 elections.

 

659-MDC begins impeachment proceedings against Mugabe

The Movement for Democratic Change began its impeachment proceedings against President Robert Mugabe on 25 October 2000 but Mugabe immediately hit back saying the reconciliation policy with whites was in jeopardy and could be revoked.

 

660-MDC adrift

The Movement for Democratic Change came under fire for fumbling along without any sense of urgency or direction. Party secretary general Welshman Ncube rejected the criticism saying people were understandably frustrated because of the deteriorating economy and government sponsored lawlessness.

 

661-ZANUPF chef hires Chinotimba to evict white farmer

Former chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company and later deputy Minister of Information Bright Matonga is reported to have hired war veterans leader and self-styled commander of farm invasions Joseph Chinotimba to evict Vince and Monica Schultz from their horticultural farm though they had won the right to remain on the farm in the High Court.

 

662-Chinotimba causes havoc among tobacco farmers

War veterans leader and trade unionist Joseph Chinotimba had turned farm workers against their employers and most farmers, especially tobacco producers, were leaving because there was no hope of normalcy or business as usual returning to Zimbabwe.

 

663-Chinotimba on US sanctions list

War veterans leader, Joseph Chinotimba, who was accused of spearheading farm invasions that began in 2000, was included on the United States sanctions list but apparently unlike other entries there were no details about him.

 

664-Chinotimba in car accident

War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba was involved in a car accident in Harare in December 2008 and was reportedly in a private hospital, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.

 

665-An analysis of trade unions in Zimbabwe by the United States embassy

The United States embassy in Harare which has always had a keen interest in the labour movement in Zimbabwe carried out a two-part analysis of the labour movement barely two months after the formation of the inclusive government.

 

666-Chinotimba, Zhuwao and Kasukuwere almost disrupt conference

President Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao, Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba almost disrupted the two-day all stakeholders conference organised by the inclusive government in July 2009 to map the way forward for the country.

 

667-Chinotimba sues minister for US$19 million for loss of business

War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba sued Movement for Democratic Change youth leader Tamsanqa Mahlangu, who was also deputy Minister of Youth, for “loss of business”. Mahlangu was arrested on 28 July 2009 for allegedly stealing Chinotimba’s cellphone.

 

668-MDC youth chairman trial begins

The trial of deputy Youth Minister Thamsanqa Mahlangu, who was also Movement for Democratic Change youth chairman, began in August and United States embassy officials said unlike recent prosecutions of MDC-T Members of Parliament “we’re told there may be substance to the charge”.

 

669-Mahlangu acquitted

Deputy Minister of Youth Thamsanqa Mahlangu who was accuse d of stealing war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba’s cellphone was acquitted of the charges.

 

670-Mangwana tells Chinotimba to shut up

The co-chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution Paul Mangwana berated war veterans and told their leader Joseph Chinotimba to “ shut up and stick to business” when war veterans tried to disrupt a training session of a thematic committee.

 

671-Chinotimba and Hunzvi in Bikita to bolster ZANU-PF

War veterans including their leaders Chenjerai Hunzvi and Joseph Chinotimba invaded Bikita to crank up the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front ahead of the Bikita West by-election. The seat was previously held by the Movement for Democratic Change.

 

672-War veterans on a rampage

War veterans went on a rampage country-wide and besieged the offices of The Daily News and confiscated copies of the paper from vendors and harassed striking civil servants.

 

673-Chinotimba evades security to get to Chief Justice

War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba evaded security at the Supreme Court to get to the lobby where he phoned Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay demanding the keys to his official Mercedes Benz before being removed from the building without incident.

 

674-Chinotimba disrupts May Day celebrations in style

War veterans leaders Joseph Chinotimba disrupted May Day celebrations at Rufaro Stadium in style when he arrived in a chauffeur-driven Limo with about 1 000 Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front youths following him in buses.

 

675-Hunzvi dies

War veterans leader Chenjerai Hunzvi died in hospital on 3 June 2001 but the announcement of his death was only made on State radio the following day.

 

676-Nyikayaramba raises eyebrows

Electoral Supervisory Committee deputy commissioner brigadier Douglas Nyikayaramba raised eyebrows when he said 23 local election observers, including nine from Joseph Chinotimba’s Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, had been accredited for the 2002 presidential elections.

 

677-ZCTU’s Chibebe asked for US assistance to attend IOL conference

The secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Wellington Chibebe asked for assistance from the United States embassy in Harare to enable him to attend the International Labour Conference in 2002 and also for US assistance to mobilise support for the ZCTU’s official delegate status.

 

678-Chinotimba accuses US embassy officials of being terrorists

War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba who was the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic front candidate in the Highfield by-election accused United States embassy officials of being terrorists and said they had no right to be at the polling station in his constituency.

 

679-MDC candidate for Gutu says violence not as bad as reported in the press

The Movement for Democratic Change candidate for Gutu North in the 2004 by-election Casper Musoni told United States embassy officials that the violence in the constituency was not as bad as was being reported in the independent media.

 

680-The differing views of the ZCTU and the ZFTU

The country’s two major labour federations the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions did not only have different profiles, one closer to the Movement for Democratic Change and the other to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, but they even had different themes for the My Day celebrations in 2005.

 

681-Chinotimba calls Simba Makoni a traitor

Joseph Chinotimba, a war veterans leader who rose to fame by spearheading farm invasions in 2000, was the only notable exception from the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to publicly criticise former Finance Minister Simba Makoni when he announced his candidacy for president to challenge ZANU-PF candidate Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the 2008 elections.

 

682-Chinotimba collecting “tax” from people of Buhera South

War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba who lost the Buhera South elections in March to Movement for Democratic Change candidate Naison Nemadziwa was reportedly collecting a “tax” of beef or cows from villagers in the area because they had “cheated him” so he needed to recoup what he lost in the election.

 

683-Chinotimba fails to derail stakeholders meeting

War veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba failed to disrupt an all-stakeholders meeting to map the way forward for the country when police were called in to control the disturbance caused by ZANU-PF youths.

 

684-Biti complaints about ZANU-PF’s tactics

Movement for Democratic Change legislator Tendai Biti complained that it was morally wrong for the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to use its unlawful majority to push bills that would restrict the activities of the opposition.

 

685-Tsvangirai and Biti described as Uncle Toms

Movement for Democratic Change leaders Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and Sekai Holland were described as Uncle Toms who would be judged by history for the evil they had unleashed on the people of Zimbabwe because they had allegedly advocated for sanctions on Zimbabwe.

 

686-Biti did not believe MDC would win presidential election challenge in court

Movement for Democratic Change legislator, Tendai Biti, a lawyer who had won several court cases for the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions when MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was secretary general, told United States embassy officials that he did not expect the MDC to win any legal challenge to the 2002 presidential elections but this had to “be carried out in any case”.

 

687-Biti had no respect for Mbeki

Movement for Democratic Change shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Tendai Biti told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan that he did not think much of South African President Thabo Mbeki who was one of the mediators in the Zimbabwe crisis describing him as a “cold, calculating politician”.

 

688-Police harass MDC MPs

Police arrested four Members of Parliament belonging to the Movement for Democratic Change and 28 other MDC officials in three weeks at the beginning of 2003 as the government intensified its intimidation campaign against the opposition.

 

689-MDC plans to boycott ZANU-PF owned businesses

The Movement for Democratic Change was planning to boycott businesses owned by Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front officials including the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe which was headed by Gideon Gono at the time.

 

690-Tsvangirai arrested after organising successful stay-away

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested after organising a successful stay-away in which between 80 to 95 percent of the shops were closed.

 

691-War vets call Americans white animals

War veterans who stormed the five-star Meikles Hotel during the two-day stay-away organised by the Movement for Democratic Change yelled at an American citizen and his six colleagues: “White animals, don’t you look at us; get out of Zimbabwe; we don’t want you here.”

 

692-MDC asked US embassy to arrange meeting with Bush in South Africa

Movement for Democratic Change presidential advisor Gandi Mudzingwa asked the United States embassy in Harare to arrange a meeting with United States President George Bush’s delegation “at whatever level” during his visit to South Africa which was scheduled for July 8 and 9, 2003.

 

693-US ambassador not impressed by MDC’s RESTART programme

United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan was not impressed by the Movement for Democratic Change’s RESTART programme describing it as “broad in scope but short on specifics”.

 

694-Nigerian President leaves Zimbabwe empty handed

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo made a last minute bid to broker talks between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change just before the 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting but he made very little progress.

 

695-Tsvangirai was confident MDC would win 2005 elections

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was so confident that his party would win the 2005 general elections that he ruled out entering into a government of national unity with the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front saying that would be “political suicide”.

 

696-Chombo fires Mudzuri

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo fired Harare’s first publicly elected mayor Elias Mudzuri but did not give any reasons except that this was a result of an investigation into Mudzuri’s conduct as mayor and that the President had directed him to vacate his office and house within seven days.

 

697-Chombo appoints commission to run Harare

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo appointed an eight-member commission to run the City of Harare and though they were all from the private sector they all had government ties.

 

698-Chombo among top officials asked to surrender farms

In what appeared to be an effort to portray itself as a clean administration in the run-up to the 2005 general elections, the government said it was going to take back farms from senior government officials who had taken more than one farm under the fast-track land reform.

 

699-Lock-step loyalty key for appointment by Mugabe

Lock-step loyalty to President Robert Mugabe was the principal criterion for job security and advancement in the government of Zimbabwe, a cable released by Wikileaks says.

 

700-Chombo stops Murambatsvina

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo announced on 15 July 2005, that the government was halting Operation Restore Order (Murambatsvina) for 10 days to allow low-density suburb residents time to legalise any structures that did not conform to their land’s official plans.

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