The United States embassy in Harare said the death of Information Minister Tichaona Jokonya on 21 June 2006 literally and symbolically reinforced the message that ZANU-PF’s older generation was leaving the scene and President Robert Mugabe was even more isolated.
Jokonya was 67 compared to Mugabe who was 82.
The embassy said Jokonya, a former diplomat, had never exerted the same influence on policy that his predecessor Jonathan Moyo had and speculated that Mugabe might appoint his spokesman George Charamba as the new minister.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 06HARARE765, INFORMATION MINISTER’S PASSING LEAVES NO VOID
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
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VZCZCXRO1911
PP RUEHMR
DE RUEHSB #0765 1781543
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271543Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0256
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1250
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1095
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1256
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0515
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0880
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1308
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3679
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1079
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1718
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC//DHO-7//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1465
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK//DOOC/ECMO/CC/DAO/DOB/DOI//
RUEPGBA/CDR USEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ23-CH/ECJ5M//
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000765
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B. NEULING
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
AFR/SA FOR E. LOKEN
COMMERCE FOR BECKY ERKUL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2011
SUBJECT: INFORMATION MINISTER’S PASSING LEAVES NO VOID
REF: 05 HARARE 663
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher W. Dell under Section 1.4 b/d
¶1. (U) The state media on June 22 announced the June 21
death of Minister of Information and Publicity Tichaona
Jokonya. A former Permanent Representative at the UN and
Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Jokonya
was 67. The minister had been treated in the United States
for an undisclosed ailment last year before being placed on
the sanctions list following his appointment. Jokonya was a
first-time MP from Chikomba, a Mashonaland East ZANU-PF
stronghold where he won his seat in March 2005 by a
comfortable margin of 17,925 to 7,403. In a condolence
message published on the front page of the state-controlled
Sunday Mail, President Mugabe mourned the loss of one of the
nation’s “top diplomats, scholars, administrators and
politicians.”
¶2. (C) Comment: Jokonya’s death literally and symbolically
reinforces the message that ZANU-PF’s older generation is
leaving the scene and that Mugabe is even more isolated.
Jokonya never exerted the same influence on policy or the
state propaganda apparatus as did his notorious predecessor,
Jonathan Moyo. The state media’s message during his tenure
became less focused and coherent, although still relentlessly
anti-Western. There is no word on his ministerial
replacement, but we would not rule out Mugabe appointing his
press spokesperson, George Charamba to the minister,s
position as well. No word yet either on the date of a
parliamentary by-election, which seems unlikely to be of
great political significance given ZANU-PF’s historical sway
over the vacated seat.
DELL
(142 VIEWS)
