All the Wikileaks cables on Zimbabwe

301-Masiyiwa wanted after closure of his paper

Exiled Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa was reportedly wanted for questioning by the police after the closure of his paper, the Daily News, in September 2003.

302-Masiyiwa says Daily News will back in matter of weeks

Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe chairman Strive Masiyiwa was confident that his paper, the Daily News, would be back in matter of weeks.

303-Two blows to the independent media

Former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo at one time mooted amending the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to require that publishers of Zimbabwean newspapers should reside in the country.

304-Econet in the clear

Econet’s local chief executive Douglas Mboweni had to assure United States embassy officials in Harare that the country’s biggest mobile phone network was not going to lose its licence after the state media had indicated that the network owned by Strive Masiyiwa, who also owned of the Daily News, could lose its licence.

305-Fear mars US sponsored business conference

Several members of the American Business Association of Zimbabwe and companies with United States interest told organisers of a business forum organised by ABAZ in October 2007 that they had declined even the lowest level of sponsorship because of fear of recrimination by the government.

306-Econet on expansion warpath

Econet, the country’s largest mobile phone network, was on an expansion warpath in 2008 growing its subscriber base by 40 percent and increasing market share by 30 percent to 1.2 million subscribers though revenue was down by 30 percent in the first half of the year.

307-Masiyiwa business deals questioned

Auditing firm Deloitte appeared to have inflated the total ballots cast at an extraordinary meeting of mobile phone operator Econet in March 2009 to boost the vote in favour of a resolution to enter into a US$93.9 million sale agreement with Econet Wireless Global, a Strive Masiyiwa investment vehicle, according to a diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks.

308-Masiyiwa supports motion to end Kingdom Meikles saga

Econet boss, Strive Masiyiwa, was one of the key shareholders pushing for an end to the Kingdom Meikles saga whose acrimonious marriage had turned messy, according to reports in May 2009.

309-Econet expansion aimed at keeping foreign competition out

Econet was to embark on a US$93.9 million expansion to increase its capacity from 1.2 million subscribers in June to 5 million by the end of 2009.

310-Zimbabweans in the diaspora not keen to invest in the country?

Zimbabweans in the diapora, put at nearly four million, are not keen to invest in their own country while the Zimbabwe African National-Union Patriotic Front is in power because most of them have differences with ZANU-PF.

311-Masiyiwa on war veterans hit list

Businessmen Strive Masiyiwa, Nigel Chanakira, Eddie Cross and Eric Bloch were on a purported war veterans hit list and they took the threats seriously according to a diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks.

312-Masiyiwa and Chanakira take over Daily News

Zimbabwe’s two most successful entrepreneurs, Strive Masiyiwa of Econet Wireless and Nigel Chanakira of Kingdom Financial Holdings, had created a holding company, the Independent Media Group, that had bought controlling shares in Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, the parent company of the Daily News.

313-Herald editor spills the beans about Jonathan Moyo’s interference

Herald editor for only seven months Ray Mungoshi poured his heart out to United States embassy officials in an hour-long meeting on 27 March 2001 about the daily harassment he was getting from Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

314-Government after Masiyiwa

The government was in January 2004 accused of trying to muzzle out Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa, who was now living in South Africa, by shutting down his mobile phone company, Econet, over alleged foreign currency abuses.

315-Short-lived reprieve for Daily News

The Daily News received a short-lived reprieve on 21 January 2004 when High Court Judge Tendai Uchena ordered police to vacate its premises to allow the paper to resume publishing.

316-Daily News staff on Jonathan Moyo’s payroll!

The former chief executive of the Daily News Sam Sipepa Nkomo told United States embassy officials that he had a list of Daily News staff that were on the payroll of Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

317-MDC in dilemma

It was not only the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front that was facing a crisis at the end of 2004 because of the so-called Dinyane debacle in which some party members including former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo were allegedly involved in plotting a “smart coup”, but the main opposition Movement for democratic Change was in a dilemma too.

318-US funded MDC election court challenge

The United States Agency for International Development, a government agency, partly funded the Movement for Democratic Change’s court challenge of the 2002 presidential elections which were won the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front’s Robert Mugabe.

319-Masiyiwa says Gono starved the nation to pay IMF

Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa told United States embassy officials on 31 August 2005 that Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono had “starved” the nation of fuel and other key items to accumulate the $120 million it paid the International Monetary Fund two days earlier.

320-Lawyer says Masiyiwa has not held valid Zimbabwe passport for years

A lawyer with the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Otto Saki said exiled Zimbabwe businessman Strive Masiyiwa had not held a valid Zimbabwean passport for several years. He did not, however, disclose what type of travel document the businessman used.

321-Was Masiyiwa offered MDC presidency?

Exiled businessman Strive Masiyiwa might have been offered the presidency of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change when the party split up but he was on party founder Morgan Tsvangirai’s side.

322-Masiyiwa listed as one of the possible leaders of Third Way

Former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said a group of reform-minded individuals that cut across political lines had in 2007 talked about coming up with a United Front that would be led by a candidate acceptable to both the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change.

323-Masiyiwa had ties to both ZANU-PF and MDC!

Former journalist Sydney Masamvu told South African government officials that exiled businessman Strive Masiyiwa was a strong neutral candidate acceptable to both the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change.

324-Mutasa not afraid of international press

Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front secretary for external affairs Didymus Mutasa and secretary for Information Nathan Shamuyarira were not afraid of the international press, former Finance Minister Simba Makoni told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan.

325-Mutasa and Mugabe differ with Mnangagwa and Chinamasa on elections

President Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF secretary for external affairs Didymus Mutasa were adamant that there would be no Western observers in the 2005 elections while Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa said this would be decided by an independent election commission.

326-Masiyiwa prepares recovery plan with Nkosana Moyo

Businessman Strive Masiyiwa was so confident that change would come to Zimbabwe by December 2007 that he prepared a Zimbabwe Economic Recovery Plan with exiled Zimbabwean economists and other businessmen to speed up the country’s economic recovery.

327-Trevor Ncube’s Third Way

Zimbabwean publisher Trevor Ncube told United States embassy officials on 30 August 2007 that he was so thoroughly disgusted by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change that he believed that only a third way political force could take the country forward.

328-Masiyiwa says MDC will win 2008 elections but needs cash

Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa was confident that the Movement for Democratic Change would win the 2008 elections but the party needed US$10 million to run an effective campaign.

329-US writes off MDC victory, military coup or third way in 2008

United States embassy officials in Harare had written of a victory by the Movement for Democratic Change in the 2008 elections because of internal strife within the party but at the same time they also said a third way which had been suggested by businessmen like Strive Masiyiwa or a military coup were unlikely.

330-US government funded Mbeki to stop Zuma from becoming president

The United States funded former South African President Thabo Mbeki’s failed African National Congress election campaign because it did not want Jacob Zuma to become South African president.

331-Masiyiwa promised to fund MDC 2008 campaign

Exiled Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa promised the Movement for Democratic Change an initial contribution of US$25 000 for their election campaign in 2008 but the money had not been deposited into the MDC account when treasurer Roy Bennett met United States embassy officials on 4 January 2008.

332-Masiyiwa says Jonathan Moyo and Ibbo Mandaza are former CIO

Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa said he did not trust former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo and publisher Ibbo Mandaza because they were both former operatives of the Central Intelligence Organisation. “Their interests are not the Zimbabwean people, but rather themselves,” he said.

333-Mnangagwa beat Mujuru in 2004 but Mugabe rejected the results- Wikileaks

Monica Chinamasa, wife of Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, told a United States embassy contact that Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa had beaten Joice Mujuru in the initial provincial committee votes for the post of vice-president of the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front at the 2004 congress but President Robert Mugabe had rejected the results.

334-Mutasa grateful for sanctions

ZANU-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa told a visiting United States delegation in 2005 that Zimbabwe was “grateful” for sanctions that had been imposed on the country by the United States and the European Union because they had pushed the country to redouble its economic efforts.

335-Makoni urges US to talk to Mutasa to improve relations

Former Finance Minister Simba Makoni told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell to talk to Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic front secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa to improve relations between the two countries once the election dust had settled.

336-CIO officer forces MDC activist to lie naked in his urine

A member of the Movement for Democratic Change who was arrested, detained and tortured together with legislator Job Sikhala said one of his interrogators, who was visibly drunk, urinated on him and forced him to lie naked in a puddle of urine with a metal bucket over his head as shocks were administered.

337-Did MDC plan bombings or was it a hoax?

Charles Mutama, who only two months earlier had told United States embassy officials about his arrest and torture by central intelligence organisation operatives, said the Movement for Democratic Change was planning a series of bomb attacks on police stations, militia bases, and ZANU-PF-owned shops and gas stations in five cities around the country.

338-Bennett predicted shock victory for MDC in 2008

Movement for Democratic Change treasurer Roy Bennett predicted a shock victory for his party in the 2008 saying he had never seen such excitement on the ground since 2000 because people simply wanted Mugabe gone.

339-Masiyiwa says MDC did not have plan for “day after” the election

Econet boss, Strive Masiyiwa, who was one of the advisors of Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai told United States embassy officials on 27 February, a month before the crucial 2008 elections, that the MDC did not have a clear plan for the “day after” the election.

340-Masiyiwa, Chadehumbe lobbied Mamabolo on 2008 elections

Exiled businessmen Strive Masiyiwa and Wellington Chadehumbe were privately lobbying the head of the South African observer mission to the 2008 elections Kingsley Mamabolo, who was South Africa’s former ambassador to Zimbabwe.

341-Murambatsvina showed ZANU-PF was now beyond caring

Operation Murambatsvina in which thousands of Zimbabweans were left homeless had clearly demonstrated that the leadership of the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front would do whatever it needed to to stay in power.

342-Mutasa said he was responsible for Murambatsvina and had no regrets

ZANU-PF politburo member Didymus Mutasa, who was Minister for State Security at the time, “proudly” told a United States delegation that he was among those principally responsible for Operation Restore Order (Murambatsvina) and showed no remorse for the suffering the operation had caused.

343-Makoni says Mugabe is out of touch

President Robert Mugabe was so out of touch with reality that when he was told that most of his ministers had multiple farms, he simply said: “We have to lead by example” but never took any action.

344-MPs panel beaten to pass land bill

A former Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front legislator for Chimanimani, Mike Mataure, says ZANU-PF Members of Parliament were told by President Robert Mugabe to vote for a constitutional amendment that allowed the government to compulsorily acquire land without compensation to save their necks.

345-MDC campaign funds used by party bigwigs!

A Movement for Democratic Change candidate for the Chipinge elections in 2008 said he had only been given $100 for his campaign and suggested that if there was any money at all for the campaign it was probably being used by party bigwigs in Harare.

346-Masiyiwa says 25 ZANU-PF MPs were prepared to cross the floor in 2008

Exiled businessman Strive Masiyiwa told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee that at least 25 ZANU-PF MPs were prepared to cross the floor to join the Movement for Democratic Change once the House of Assembly was convened.

347-Trevor Ncube says Masiyiwa should not be trusted

Publisher Trevor Ncube told United States embassy officials in Pretoria that losing presidential candidate Simba Makoni had been unable to form a coalition with Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change because Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa stood in the way.

348-Masiyiwa says Tsvangirai won 2008 elections

Businessman Strive Masiyiwa told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee that the Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai had won the March 2008 presidential elections so any run-off would not recognise this reality.

349-Trevor Ncube says the MDC is unstrategic and arrogant

Publisher Trevor Ncube accused the Movement for Democratic Change of being arrogant during the political stalemate after the 2008 elections because it was not reaching out to others like Arthur Mutambara, Simba Makoni and Jonathan Moyo.

350-Makoni says Tsvangirai is influenced too much by Masiyiwa, Bennett and Ferris

Presidential aspirant Simba Makoni said he was ready to meet Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai anytime anywhere for negotiations but Tsvangirai was “too much under the influence of advisors Strive Masiyiwa, Roy Bennett and Melinda Ferris”.

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