Central bank governor Gideon Gono showed his new financial clout by announcing new measures for exporters which would only allow them to exchange only 25 percent of their earnings at the official rate, down from half, and announced that insolvent banks would be left to collapse.
852-US embassy says Tsvangirai is too optimistic
Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was upbeat about 2004 asserting that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front would be more attentive to international opinion as it fought for economic survival rather than concentrate on attaining a two-thirds majority in parliament.
Central bank governor Gideon Gono said his new policies had unleashed a “shrill” cacophony of covert memos and emissaries to President Robert Mugabe with one high ranking Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front senior official travelling all the way to Malaysia where Mugabe was holidaying to complain about his policy.
854-Good start for currency auctions
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s currency auction got off to a good start with the Zimbabwe dollar going for an average Z$4 200 to the greenback and the central bank only selling one-tenth of the US$5 million it had on offer.
855-Stronger Zimdollar slows inflation
A stronger Zimbabwe dollar following the introduction of foreign currency auctions by the central bank slowed down year-on-year inflation from 620 to 599 percent.
856-Industry complains about auction rate
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries said the central bank should accept no rate lower than Z$5 800 to the greenback at its auctions or relinquish its right to purchase 25 percent of export earnings at the official Z$824.
857-CZI calls for tripartite negotiations
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Anthony Mandiwanza called for the reopening of tripartite negotiations involving the government, business and labour saying the environment had never been more positive.
858-Mugabe expected to retire before 2009
President Robert Mugabe expected to retire as head of state by 2009 though he said he would remain in politics. He said this in an interview with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation on his 80th birthday.
Zimbabwe’s top miners complained that they were being squeezed out and were not benefitting at all from central bank governor Gideon Gono’s new measures for exporters.
860-Mugabe kept in the dark to get things moving
President Robert Mugabe had to be kept in the dark with changes that his lieutenants wanted to implement to improve the economy being characterised in misleading, Orwellian terminology, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.
861-IMF says auction system is not sustainable
The International Monetary Fund said Zimbabwe’s foreign currency auction system was not sustainable because the central bank did not have enough money to meet demand.
862-Kuruneri overshadowed by Gono
Zimbabwe’s new Finance Minister Christopher Kuruneri was more outspoken than his predecessor Herbert Murerwa according to United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan but he was overshadowed by the flamboyant central bank governor Gideon Gono.
863-Gono disappoints exporters but….
Central bank governor Gideon Gono did not devalue the Zimdollar to boost exports as had been anticipated but even the United States embassy admitted that he had made tremendous strides in the five months that he had been at the helm of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Central bank governor Gideon Gono adjusted the diaspora and exporters’ exchange rate by 10 percent to Z$5 200 to the greenback but after two auctions the auction rate averaged Z$5 272 leaving the incentive for people in the diaspora and exporters in the dust.
865-Gono says he is prepared to interfere in any sector
Central bank governor Gideon Gono said he was prepared to interfere in any sector for the sake of Zimbabwe’s economic health.
866-Can black and white farmers join forces?
That was the question United States embassy officials asked eight years ago. It can still be asked today. The question was raised after reports that the Commercial Farmers Union which represented white farmers who were being driven off the land and the Indigenous Commercial Farmers Union which was benefitting from the land reform programme were holding talks either to merge or at least to work closely together.
867-Gono tells his audience what he thinks they want to hear
Central bank governor Gideon Gono tends to tell his audience what he thinks they want to hear. This was the view of United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan after Gono told him that he wanted to expand his advisory council to 29 to include representatives of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
868-Gono fails to arrest economic decline
Six months on the job, Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono had only managed to slow down the country’s economic decline but had not turned it around. In fact, exports had slumped since he took over.
869-Murerwa unwilling to let Zimbabweans face uncomfortable facts
Acting Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa was unwilling to help Zimbabweans confront uncomfortable facts leaving everything to central bank governor Gideon Gono.
870-How ZANU-PF exploits Zimbabweans
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has been able to exploit Zimbabweans because they are gambler-esque: “I lost the last hand, but I might have better luck next time”.
871-Gono appears to have reached the limits of his influence
Central bank governor Gideon Gono, who came on with a lot of promise, appeared to be someone who was disingenuous or who had already reached the limits of his influence seven months later.
872-Harare becomes too expensive for business
Zimbabwe had become too expensive to do business in by mid-2004 that Coca Cola was considering relocating to the South African financial hub Johannesburg because it was cheaper, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.
873- Gono: wolf in sheep’s clothing?
New United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell described central bank governor Gideon Gono as a wolf in sheep’s clothing who had hounded out his enemies while building his own empire.
874-US firms in sanctions busting?
Two United States companies were alleged to be doing business with the Zimbabwean government but it was not clear whether they were busting the sanctions introduced by Washington under its Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act or not.
875-Government starts buying votes for 2005
In what appeared to be a deliberate move to appease voters ahead of the 2005 parliamentary elections, the government started ensuring the availability and affordability of politically sensitive goods and services such as maize-meal, fuel and school fees.
876-US tobacco firm denies sanctions busting
United States tobacco firm Dimon denied that it was buying tobacco from farms occupied by the Zimbabwe Defence Industries but it admitted that it was working with Sentry Financial and the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe, then known as Jewel Bank, on a tobacco-for-grain swap.
877-Gold production expected to increase by 67%
Gold production was expected to increase by 67 percent to 20 tonnes because of a favourable price that the government was paying to the producers.
878-Government urged to emphasise production over politics
The government was urged to emphasize production of tobacco ahead of politics for the economy to recover. Though this was said eight years ago it could equally apply today and in any sector and not just tobacco.
879-Gono says Mugabe is amenable when approached in a proper manner
Central bank governor Gideon Gono told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell that President Robert Mugabe was amenable when approached in a proper manner.
880-Goche negotiated Mugabe exit with MDC
One of the principal negotiators for the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Nicholas Goche was holding talks with the Movement for Democratic Change regarding President Robert Mugabe’s exit, days after the 29 March 2008 elections.
881-Why ZANU-PF changed its mind about Mugabe exit
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front which had agreed that President Robert Mugabe should step down after his defeat in the 29 March 2008 elections changed its mind the very day Mugabe was expected to concede defeat because the Movement for Democratic Change refused to accommodate him for another six months.
882-Goche, Chinamasa and Mnangagwa were prepared to ditch Mugabe
President Robert Mugabe’s top lieutenants, Nicholas Goche, Patrick Chinamasa and Emmerson Mnangagwa were at one time interested in a government of national unity with an interim leader who was not Mugabe, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.
883-Mbeki said Tsvangirai was a western puppet hook, line and sinker
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was the main negotiator in the Zimbabwe crisis, allegedly said Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was a Western puppet “hook, line, and sinker”.
884-Mnangagwa assumed virtual presidency role in runoff
Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed a virtual presidency role as a member of the Joint Operations Command which was reportedly running the country in the run-up to the presidential elections runoff of 2008, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.
885-US ambassador finds no new evidence of violence
United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGhee did not find any new information on the violence that was endemic in Zimbabwe in the run-up to the presidential elections runoff when he visited Mashonaland East two weeks before the polls.
886-Mujuru found Tsvangirai more acceptable than Mnangagwa
Former army commander Solomon Mujuru found Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai more acceptable than Emmerson Mnangagwa his main rival within the Zimbabwe African National Patriotic Front, according to a cable released by Wikileaks.
887-Government lifts ban on NGOs
The government on 29 August 2008 lifted the ban on non-governmental organisations which it imposed on 4 June but it said all NGOs would now be required to provide information on a form called the monitoring and evaluation instrument.
888-Mangoma wanted to be Minister of Finance
The deputy treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change, Elton Mangoma, an accountant by profession, wanted to be the new government’s Minister of Finance according to one of the negotiators, Welshman Ncube, secretary general of the smaller faction of the MDC.
889-Inclusive government the only game in town
Four months after signing the Global Political Agreement, it was apparent that the formation of an inclusive government was the only game in town for the three major political parties in Zimbabwe otherwise the country would plunge into another Somalia.
President Robert Mugabe was looking for a graceful exit, on his own terms, that preserved his legacy, Norway’s deputy director general for Southern and Western Africa in the Foreign Office, Kare Stormark, said just over a month after the formation of the inclusive government.
891-Goche toes the party line through and through
Transport Minister Nicholas Goche told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGhee that he was happy with the cooperation between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change but admitted that the inclusive government had not found favour with the heads of the security forces.
892-Botswana official says Zuma is a big disappointment
A Botswana Foreign Affairs official Zibane Ntakhwana said South African President Jacob Zuma had been the biggest disappointment in the Zimbabwean crisis because he had made very positive noises about taking a tougher line on Zimbabwe before being elected president but had done nothing drastically different from former President Thabo Mbeki since taking over.
893-Goche part of a third “loose” faction in ZANU-PF?
Transport Minister Nicholas Goche was part of a third “loose” faction within the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front which included central bank governor Gideon Gono, according to Norwegian ambassador to Zimbabwe Gunnar Foreland.
894-ZANU-PF desperate to repair relations with US
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front was so desperate to repair relations with the United States government towards the end of 2004 that it sent businessman John Bredenkamp as an emissary to test the waters but at the same time advising embassy officials that the party was prepared to bend over backwards to accommodate the Americans.
895-Zimbabweans still have confidence in the judicial system
Zimbabweans still had confidence in the judicial system with 64 percent saying that they had a lot of trust in the country’s courts despite the so-called breakdown in the rule of law.
896-Shamuyarira scores another victory against Jonathan Moyo!
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front secretary for Information Nathan Shamuyarira was reported to have scored another victory against Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, described by the United States embassy as “rabidly anti-Western”, by forcing the ministry to admit 13 British journalists to cover the English cricket team’s tour of Zimbabwe.
897-Chinamasa and Jonathan Moyo on their way out because of Tsholotsho?
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Information Minister Jonathan Moyo were reported to be on their way out because of their involvement in the Tsholotsho Declaration which was meant to block Joice Mujuru from becoming vice-President, but Chinamasa had a better chance of surviving than Moyo.
898-Gono says he was responsible for Jonathan Moyo’s demise
Central bank governor Gideon Gono told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell that he was responsible for Information Minister Jonathan Moyo’s demise.
899-CFU says plight of white farmers is improving
The President of the Commercial Farmers Union Doug Taylor Freeme said the pace of the fast track land reform had slowed since the demise of hardliners like Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.
900-More trouble for Jonathan Moyo
There was more trouble for Information Minister Jonathan Moyo when the party decided that it would reserve a third of the seats in the 2005 parliamentary elections for women and his Tsholotsho seat was one of those that was going to be affected.
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