Stories

Solomon Mujuru was one of the most powerful people in Zimbabwe. He was reported to be one of the few Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leaders who could openly challenge President Robert Mugabe. He was even referred to as a kingmaker. Mujuru had also become one of the richest people in the country with businesses that spanned across the entire economy from mining to retail. But he died a painful death that remains shrouded in mystery. Here is the full list of Wikileaks cables on him.

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Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Welshman Ncube said careless statements by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had provided rich fodder for criticism especially his remarks that President Robert Mugabe would be out of office by December 2000.

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The United States embassy in Harare supported a dinner hosted by then Industry Minister Nkosana Moyo to get the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front and the Movement for Democratic Change talking.

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Welshman Ncube was the second most powerful person within the Movement for Democratic Change when the party was formed in 1999. His political star, however, began to fade when he led a splinter group in 2005 that insisted that the party should contest the senate elections. A constitutional expert, Ncube may have been right in principle, but the move backfired. Though he allowed Arthur Mutambara to lead the party until he took over, the MDC that Ncube now leads only commands 10 seats in Parliament. It could even lose those seats to either his main rival Morgan Tsvangirai or the resuscitated Zimbabwe African People’s Union led by Dumiso Dabengwa. There are 207 Wikileaks cables on him. Here they are.

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Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Welshman Ncube told United States embassy officials that though his party was willing to talk with the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to ease tension within the country, radicals within the party were not interested in dialogue and just wanted President Robert Mugabe to go.

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Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Welshman Ncube believed that President Robert Mugabe was likely to declare a state of emergency rather than allow impeachment proceedings in parliament.

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Former Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo said a grenade attack on the Movement for Democratic Change headquarters in Harare was an inside job.

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A South African legislator Ebrahim Ebrahim told United States embassy officials that the outcome of the 2000 Zimbabwe elections in which the Movement for Democratic Change narrowly lost to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front was a welcome result because a ZANU-PF loss would have been destabilising.

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Retired general Solomon Mujuru was working closely with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the signing of the Global Political Agreement in an effort to marginalise President Robert Mugabe.

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Arthur Mutambara was a firebrand student leader at the University of Zimbabwe. He went on to the United Kingdom to do his PhD and worked for various United States firms and organisations before coming to South Africa where he started his own company. It was while in South Africa that he was approached to lead the pro-senate faction of the Movement for Democratic Change as it was known at the time. Mutambara, it has transpired, was not the first, second, or even third choice. After a dismal performance in the 2008 elections Mutambara became deputy Prime Minister virtually because he was one of the principals to the Global Political Agreement. But he was soon kicked out of the leadership of the party. There are more than 150 cables on him. Here are the first 50.

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