Stories

Although Zimbabwe’s economy had progressed tremendously in the first seven months of 2009 with revenue increasing from US$4 million in January to US$90 million in July, Finance Minister Tendai Biti told a United States treasury official Andy Baukol that Zimbabwe was still a failed state.

(41 VIEWS)

The head of an International Monetary Fund mission to Zimbabwe Vitaly Kramenko said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe remained problematic but the continuation of Gideon Gono as central bank governor and board chair was not critically important as long as the rest of the board was made up of strong, independent members.

(149 VIEWS)

President Robert Mugabe could not fire central bank governor Gideon Gono and attorney general Johannes Tomana because Gono still provided Mugabe with funds while Tomana was a useful tool to harass and distract political opponents.

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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.

(101 VIEWS)

Finance Minister Tendai Biti was adamant that central bank governor Gideon Gono had to leave the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the issue had to be dealt with as soon as possible, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGhee.

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Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met central bank governor Gideon Gono to convince him to step down after a heated debate in cabinet that he should be investigated for the central bank debt.

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Finance Minister Tendai Biti demanded that cabinet should investigate central bank governor Gideon Gono over the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s US$1.2 billion debt.

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The Prime Minister and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai has fought for democracy in Zimbabwe since he became secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions in the 1980s. It was in that role that he was catapulted to the MDC. He has the highest number of Wikileaks cables released on Zimbabwe, more than 800. But whether it was for better or worse, only the public can decide. Here are the first 100.

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The United States embassy said though sanctions on Zimbabwe which affected two banks in which the government had a stake, Agribank and Zimbank, were highly effectual, it was considering recommending that the two banks be removed from the sanctions list because the sanctions were also hurting the banks’ largely rural bases.

(148 VIEWS)

Finance Minister Tendai Biti slashed the 2009 budget from US$1.9 billion to US$1 billion and directed that all revenue be remitted to treasury in a move that was aimed at stripping central bank governor Gideon Gono of his powers.

(73 VIEWS)