All the Wikileaks cables on Zimbabwe

801-Government living in fantasyland

The United States embassy accused the government of manipulating figures when the Zimbabwe Central Statistics Office reported that exports rose in 2003 to hit Z$2.3 trillion, or over 20 times the 2002 figure of Z$110.7 billion because this fantastic growth was not adjusted for hyperinflation.

802-Gono says Jonathan Moyo has become a liability

Central Bank governor Gideon Gono told United States embassy officials that Information Minister Jonathan Moyo had become a liability to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front than an asset and was now in trouble for his attacks on party elders.

803-Nkomo and Jonathan Moyo spar over multiple farm ownership

Lands Minister and Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front chairman John Nkomo renewed his effort to locate and take away properties from ZANU-PF and government heavyweights who were defying the one-family one farm stated policy.

804-Mnangagwa says MDC has a habit of changing its mind at 11th hour

Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who at the time was Speaker of Parliament, said although the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change were having amicable discussion on constitutional reform, the MDC had a history of agreeing on issues until the 11th hour, when they would hold things up with additional demands.

805-Biti released from jail

The secretary general of the Tsvangirai faction of the Movement for Democratic Change Tendai Biti was released from jail on 26 June, a day before the presidential elections runoff. He was released, on bail, together with another MDC legislator Eric Matinenga.

806-Operation Red Finger

The Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front was reported to have launched “Operation Red Finger” to force people to go and vote in the presidential elections runoff of 27 June 2008 from which the Movement for Democratic Change had pulled out because of violence.

807-Why Mugabe went ahead with the presidential elections runoff in 2008

The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front went ahead with the presidential elections runoff despite the pulling out of the Movement for Democratic Change because it wanted to negotiate with the MDC from a position of strength.

808-Biti was opposed to any government that included Mugabe

Movement for Democratic Change secretary Tendai Biti was opposed to any government that included President Robert Mugabe and urged the United States to make it clear that it would not deal with such a government.

809-Tsvangirai was aware after June 2008 that he could not lead new government

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was aware after the presidential election runoff which he pulled out of that he could not lead any new government.

810-US pushed for military intervention in Zimbabwe

The United States piled pressure for military intervention in Zimbabwe, one week after the African Union had failed to condemn the election of President Robert Mugabe, arguing that the reasons that were being put forward by two key members, Russia and China, were invalid.

811-US asked if MDC was going to be swallowed by ZANU-PF like ZAPU

When the three key political parties, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change signed a memorandum of understanding to pave the way for negotiations before South African President Thabo Mbeki it appears the United States embassy’s greatest fear was that the MDC might be swallowed by ZANU-PF like it had done to the Zimbabwe African people’s Union, 20 years earlier.

812-MDC advisor says the party will fall apart as soon as Mugabe goes

The International Republican Institute country director for Zimbabwe Djordje Todorovic said the Movement for Democratic Change was a movement and not a political party and was likely to fall apart as soon as President Robert Mugabe was gone.

813-Tsvangirai, Biti barred from travelling to SADC summit

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, party secretary Tendai Biti and shadow Foreign Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro were barred from leaving Zimbabwe to attend the Southern African Development Community summit by immigration officials at Harare airport.

814-Biti was adamant talks would go nowhere two weeks before signing of GPA

Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti was adamant that there were no talks between the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front and the two factions of the MDC, two weeks before the signing of the Global Political Agreement which ushered in the inclusive government leaving one to wonder whether he was telling United States embassy officials the actual situation on the ground or what they wanted to hear.

815-Kutama spared from food ban because of Mugabe’s son

Kutama, the school next to President Robert Mugabe’s rural home and where he went to school, was spared from the food ban on non-governmental organisations because his son was also going to school there.

816-Biti to raise food aid issue in parliament

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti was planning to raise the issue of the government’s ban on food distribution by non-governmental organisations in Parliament.

817-Tsvangirai upbeat about signing of GPA

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told United States ambassador James McGhee, two days after the signing of the Global Political Agreement, that President Robert Mugabe was committed to making the inclusive government a success but needed to “deal with his people”.

818-Biti says anything Mugabe touches is poisoned

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti was sceptical about the Global Political Agreement that his party signed with the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front on 15 September 2008 because anything Mugabe touched was poisoned.

819-Mugabe, Mutambara biggest winners in GPA

President Robert Mugabe and the leader of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change Arthur Mutambara were the biggest winners in the Global Political Agreement signed on 15 September 2008.

820-Biti says “Tsvangirai’s idiocy is shocking”

Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti said party leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s idiocy was shocking as he had caved in to President Robert Mugabe and had surrendered all the key ministries to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

821-Lawyer says Tsvangirai signed GPA without MDC national council approval

One of the Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s lawyers Innocent Chagonda said Tsvangirai signed the Global Political Agreement with President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the smaller faction of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara without the approval of the party’s national council.

822-Biti says ZANU-PF refusing to give in on ministries

President Robert Mugabe and his negotiators Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche were refusing to concede any ground on the four key ministries that the parties were haggling over, according to Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti.

823-Mugabe and Tsvangirai in a quandary over ministerial posts

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front president Robert Mugabe and his Movement for Democratic Change counterpart Morgan Tsvangirai were in a quandary over the distribution of ministerial posts following the 15 September inclusive government deal.

824-Parliament tied by delay in reaching agreement

Zimbabwe’s Parliament could not function properly until an agreement was reached on the allocation of ministries by the two key parties, the Movement for Democratic Change and the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front.

825-Biti says GPA is doomed to fail

Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti said the Global Political Agreement was dead, just a month after its signing, adding that the only question was when to pronounce it dead.

826-SADC Troika fails to break deadlock

The Southern African Development Community’s troika on politics, defence and security, failed to break the deadlock over the allocation of ministries between the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change.

827-US ambassador says there is bad blood between Biti and Ncube

United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGhee said there was so much bad blood between the two secretaries of the Movement for Democratic Change Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube that they presented their positions as contradictory even when both were saying the same thing.

828-Biti still facing treason charges

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti, who had become one of the key obstacles to the implementation of the Global Political Agreement, had charges of insulting the president and causing disaffection to the armed forces dropped against him but he still faced charges of treason.

829-Biti says MDC now paying lip service to dialogue

With almost three months gone since the signing of the Global Political Agreement but the allocation of ministries still unresolved, Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti told United States embassy officials that the party was now paying lip service to dialogue. Its real goal was internationally supervised elections.

830-MDC says it was not involved in Shiri assassination attempt

The Movement for Democratic Change said it was not involved in the assassination attempt of Air Force chief Perrence Shiri adding that as a party it condemned the use of violence in any form.

831-Biti says he doesn’t know what Motlanthe is talking about

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe told a press conference on 17 December 2008, three months after the signing of the Global Political Agreement, that he hoped an inclusive government would be in place that week but Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti said he did not know what Motlanthe was talking about.

832-MDC lawyer says Mugabe will rule until he is the last man alive in Harare

A lawyer for the Movement for Democratic Change Innocent Chagonda said the party had decided to enter into an inclusive government with the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front because it had now realised that President Robert Mugabe would find ways of maintaining power and would rule until he was “the last man alive in Harare”.

833-US wanted Mugabe out, Mujuru in in inclusive government

The United States wanted South Africa to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe to resign and to be replaced by his deputy Joice Mujuru to form a power-sharing government with the Movement for Democratic Change, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.

834-Biti says Mugabe and ZANU-PF are stupid not to compromise

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti said President Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front were stupid not to offer any compromises to solve the Zimbabwean crisis.

835-Biti sues Herald for US$500 000

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti filed a US$500 000 defamation suit against The Herald for claiming that he was plotting to oust Morgan Tsvangirai as party president.

836-Britain considers putting prosecutor on sanctions list

Britain was considering adding state prosecutor Florence Ziyambi on the European Union sanctions list because she appeared to be the favourite for prosecuting high profile political cases.

837-Biti gets the worst job in the world

Tendai Biti, who had been fighting against the formation of inclusive government since the signing of the Global Political Agreement on 15 September 2008, was named the country’s Minister of Finance and described his job as the worst in the world.

838-Donors set conditions to bail out Tsvangirai and Biti

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Minister of Finance Tendai Biti met with Multi Donor Trust Fund representatives on 16 February to discuss the dire economic situation and the necessary steps to resuscitate the economy.

839-Biti says the government is broke

Finance Minister Tendai Biti told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGhee that the government was broke. It was spending about US$100 million a month but was only earning US$11 million a month.

840-Biti drops levies and charges

Finance Minister Tendai Biti dropped onerous levies and charges introduced by central bank governor Gideon Gono in his January 2009 monetary policy statement.

841-Gono tipped to become Finance Minister way back in 2000

The rumour mill had it way back in 2000 that Gideon Gono, then the managing director of the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe, was top of the list to take over as Minister of Finance from Herbert Murerwa after the June 2000 elections which saw the emergence of the Movement for Democratic Change.

842-Gono says he turned down a cabinet job

Gideon Gono, who at the time was the managing director of the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe, said President Robert Mugabe sounded him out for a cabinet appointment but he turned it down.

843-Gono takes over Financial Gazette

Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe managing director Gideon Gono was rumoured to have taken over the Financial Gazette, one of the most respected papers in the country.

844-Gono calls for granting of title deeds to new farmers

Jewel Bank chief executive Gideon Gono told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan that contradictions in Zimbabwe’s economy could lead to a meltdown in six months.

845-How Zimbabwe was surviving the economic meltdown

Zimbabwe’s economy had plummeted by as much as 40 percent by mid-2003 but the economy was being sustained by remittances from Zimbabweans abroad as well as assistance from Libya and South Africa.

846-Gono appointed central bank governor

The managing director of the Jewel Bank Gideon Gono has been appointed governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe which has been without a leader since April 2003 when Leonard Tsumba was eased out, three months before the end of his term.

847-Murerwa leaves everything to Gono

Finance Minister Hebert Murerwa presented a 2004 budget that was more remarkable for what it omitted than what it included, leaving everything to new central bank governor Gideon Gono.

848-Gono becomes central banker, Finance, and Trade minister melded in one

New central bank governor Gideon Gono was to become central banker, Finance, and Trade minister melded in one after Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa surrendered all the power to him, according to United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan.

849-Everyone waits for Gono

After Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa’s vacuous 2004 budget speech, everyone was now waiting for the government’s new point man, central bank governor Gideon Gono to map the way forward for the country.

850-US embassy says Gono’s bank is a key parallel market player

The United States embassy said while the government was cracking down on parallel market trading, central bank governor Gideon Gono’s Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe continued “to be one of the most brazen parallel market players”.

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