The European Union was banking on the Southern African Development Community to put pressure on Zimbabwe to honour its obligations under SADC agreements regarding good governance, rule of law, human rights and free elections.
(16 VIEWS)
Two injured Movement for Democratic Change officials Grace Kwinje and Sekai Holland were barred from boarding a flight to Johannesburg for treatment.
(22 VIEWS)
Retired general Solomon Mujuru played an uncharacteristically public role at the funeral of Josiah Tungamirai when he died in August 2005, raising questions as to whether the two were allies.
(34 VIEWS)
The United States embassy said President Robert Mugabe has chosen Joyce Mujuru as vice-President in 2004 making her heir apparent and dumping Emmerson Mnangagwa who had been for years seen as his likely successor.
(14 VIEWS)
The United States embassy said Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had been sidelined at the 2004 Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front congress, and his supporters had not yet conceded defeat and could use Operation Murambatsvina and the continuing economic failures to discredit the ZANU-PF leadership.
(38 VIEWS)
Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai asked the United States to press South Africa for genuine dialogue including a fixed time and designated results such as President Robert Mugabe’s exit and the formation of a transitional government.
(24 VIEWS)
Simba Makoni was one of the youngest cabinet ministers at independence. When he was posted to the Southern African Development Community as secretary-general, there was wide speculation that President Robert Mugabe was grooming him to eventually take over and was giving him the international exposure that he needed. These hopes were dashed when after leaving SADC, Makoni was made chief executive of Zimbabwe Newspapers. But hopes were raised again when he was catapulted to Finance Minister in 2000. He remained a strong contender until he decided to stand against Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008. There are 142 Wikileaks cables on Makoni. Here they are.
(17 VIEWS)
Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, though one of the few ministers from Matabeleland who had won elections after the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change, was considered a political weight to succeed Joseph Msika as vice-president when he died in August 2009.
(21 VIEWS)
Former Finance Minister Simba Makoni who contested the 2008 presidential elections as an independent candidate formally launched his own Mavambo Kusile Dawn party on 30 June 2009.
(68 VIEWS)
Former Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front politburo member, Dumiso Dabengwa, the only high ranking ZANU-PF member to come out and publicly support his former colleague Simba Makoni, said Makoni would never make a clean break from ZANU-PF and was still hoping that he would be called upon to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
(43 VIEWS)
