Movement for Democratic Change treasurer and deputy Minister of Agriculture designate Roy Bennett was sworn in as a senator but President Robert Mugabe resisted swearing him in as a deputy minister.
According to Elton Mangoma who was Economic Planning Minister at the time, the MDC was approaching this in a low key and non-public manner because this was the best way to deal with Mugabe.
Bennett was never sworn in as deputy Minister of Agriculture forcing the MDC to seek a replacement- Seiso Moyo.
Moyo died in December 2012.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09HARARE240, ELTON MANGOMA ON THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
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Reference ID |
Created |
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VZCZCXRO4052
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0240/01 0781530
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191530Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4254
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2715
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2837
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1291
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2102
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2458
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2885
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5324
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2004
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000240
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B.WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019
SUBJECT: ELTON MANGOMA ON THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)
¶1. (C) Minister of Economic Development Elton Mangoma
provided Polecon Chief on March 19 his observations on the
current political landscape.
¶2. (C) Mangoma, who was one of the MDC negotiators in
arriving at the Inter-Party Agreement and was supportive of
the MDC entering into government, expressed cautious
optimism. While acknowledging roadblocks, he averred that
Amendment 19 has greatly constrained Mugabe’s powers and that
the MDC and Prime Minister Tsvangirai were gradually learning
how to assert control of government. He pointed to Minister
of Finance Tendai Biti’s successful downward revision of the
budget (Septel). Biti had met with Mugabe before the cabinet
meeting at which the revised budget was discussed and
convinced him that the revision was necessary. While ZANU-PF
ministers were resistant, Biti had already “cooked” the deal
with Mugabe who then at the cabinet meeting asserted his
authority with the ZANU-PF ministers.
¶3. (C) Biti has been negotiating for budgetary support and
credit with South Africa. Mangoma told us he was relatively
confident that the South Africans would provide a significant
revolving line of credit; budgetary support was more doubtful.
¶4. (C) The MDC has made it clear publicly and privately,
according to Mangoma, that it wants Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
(RBZ) governor Gideon Gono to leave. He said the MDC was
approaching this on a political level through discussions
with Mugabe. Biti was trying to strip Gono of power by
usurping many of the functions of the RBZ. Mangoma said Gono
had asked for a meeting with him; he would tell Gono he
should leave. Mangoma realized Gono’s importance as a symbol
of the worst of ZANU-PF governance and believed he would be
forced out in the not too distant future. He argued,
however, that Gono was becoming powerless and, apart from
symbolism, it was largely irrelevant whether Gono stayed or
left.
¶5. (C) Mangoma stated that the MDC continued to be concerned
about farm invasions, but was uncertain who was orchestrating
them. The matter would be discussed at the next meeting of
the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC).
JOMIC is functioning collegially, according to Mangoma, and
he credited it with facilitating the release of detainees.
(NOTE: Mangoma confirmed that there are three MDC members
still detained in “protective custody” as potential
witnesses. The whereabouts of seven activists are unknown.
END NOTE.)
¶6. (C) Roy Bennett has been sworn in as a Senator but,
Mangoma informed us, Mugabe has resisted swearing him in as a
Deputy Minister of Agriculture. The MDC was approaching this
in a low-key and non-public manner which Mangoma opined was
the best way to deal with Mugabe.
¶7. (C) Turning to sanctions, Mangoma said that as a sop to
ZANU-PF Tsvangirai had referred to eliminating “restrictive
measures” in his inaugural address to Parliament, but wanted
Qmeasures” in his inaugural address to Parliament, but wanted
to avoid saying more. Mangoma argued to us that individual
sanctions should remain, but sanctions on parastatals and
banks should be lifted to free up frozen funds for the
government and loosen credit. He pointed out that
parastatals were now under the MDC Ministry of State
Enterprises and Parastatals.
¶8. (C) Also on the issue of sanctions, Mangoma related that
he had attended a function in honor of the visiting Danish
Minister of Cooperation Development. At the function MDC-M
ministers Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga
were even more vocal than ZANU-PF Miister of Justice Patrick
HARARE 00000240 002 OF 002
Chinamasa in urging that sanctions be lifted.
¶9. (C) COMMENT: As an architect of the current arrangement,
that Mangoma would provide a positive assessment is not
surprising. The evidence he cites in making the case for
optimism, however, is both real and significant. END COMMENT.
DHANANI
(16 VIEWS)
