Finance permsec resigned to ZANU-PF machinations

The permanent secretary for Finance Nicholas Ncube told a United States embassy official in December 2001 that the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front had been in election mode for almost three years beginning with the failed campaign for a new constitution in 1999.

During that period, he said, all government policies had been considered with the need to win the presidential elections set for 2002 in mind.

Ncube said he and his minister Simba Makoni had been restricted primarily to damage control.

“He shook his head at some of the proposals that have landed on his desk,” a cable dispatched by the embassy official said.

The embassy official had gone to brief Ncube on the fact that the United States would not include Zimbabwe on its Africa Growth and Opportunity Act which offered incentives to African countries.

The news came just a few days after the US had passed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act which imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and its political leaders.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE3715, AGOA DECISION CONVEYED TO GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

131149Z Dec 01

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO8587

PAGE 01       HARARE 03715 131614Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00 CTME-00 DODE-00 EB-00   EUR-00

EXIM-01 E-00     VC-00   FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00

ITC-01   AC-01   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 ACE-00   SP-00

SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 G-00     SAS-00     /006W

——————4B0EE9 131615Z /45

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0535

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003715

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 12/13/11

TAGS: ETRD ECON PHUM PREL ZI

SUBJECT: AGOA DECISION CONVEYED TO GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE

REF: STATE 211333

CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.

REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).

¶1. (U) POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING

POINTS ON DECEMBER 13 TO MINISTRY OF FINANCE PERMANENT

SECRETARY NICHOLAS NCUBE. POLCHIEF REPORTED THAT ZIMBABWE

SIPDIS

WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR AGOA BENEFITS IN 2002, DESCRIBED THE

REASONS ELABORATED IN REFTEL, AND LEFT NCUBE WITH A NON-

PAPER. HE STRESSED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PERMANENT DECISION.

WE CONDUCT AN ELIGIBILITY REVIEW ANNUALLY, AND SIGNIFICANT

PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING USG CONCERNS WOULD STRENGTHEN

ZIMBABWE’S CHANCES FOR ELIGIBILITY IN 2003.

¶2. (C) THE DECISION WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO NCUBE. WHILE HE

WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A DIFFERENT OUTCOME, HE DESCRIBED THE

USG DETERMINATION AS “STRAIGHTFORWARD, BASED PRIMARILY ON

GOOD GOVERNANCE CONCERNS.” HE LAMENTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT

HAS BEEN IN ELECTION MODE FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS, BEGINNING

WITH THE FAILED CAMPAIGN FOR A NEW CONSTITUTION IN 1999.

DURING THAT PERIOD, ALL GOZ POLICIES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED

WITH THE NEED TO WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN MIND. HE

AND FINANCE MINISTER MAKONI HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED PRIMARILY

TO DAMAGE CONTROL — HE SHOOK HIS HEAD AT SOME OF THE

PROPOSALS THAT HAVE LANDED ON HIS DESK — BUT HE HOPED

THAT, ONCE THE ELECTION IS OVER, HE AND HIS BOSS CAN BEGIN

TO NURSE ZIMBABWE’S ECONOMY BACK TO HEALTH.

¶3. (C) COMMENT: LIKE HIS BOSS, SIMBA MAKONI, NCUBE IS A

FRANK INTERLOCUTOR WHO IS USUALLY HONEST ABOUT HIS

UNHAPPINESS OVER THE NATIONAL POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT HERE.

IN THIS MEETING, HE WAS MOST FRUSTRATED THAT ZANU-PF’S

DETERMINATION TO WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS

PREVENTED HIS MINISTRY FROM ADDRESSING THIS COUNTRY’S

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 03715 131614Z

SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, AND HE WAS RESIGNED TO THE FACT

THAT THIS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE UNTIL THE ELECTION.

WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE AGOA DECISION, FOLLOWING SO

CLOSELY ON THE HEELS OF ZDERA’S PASSAGE, WILL LEAD THE GOZ

TO MOVE US UP A NOTCH OR TWO ON THE ENEMIES LIST AND TO

SUBJECT US TO FURTHER ROASTING FROM THE GOVERNMENT-

CONTROLLED PRESS — LED BY INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN

MOYO.

SULLIVAN

CONFIDENTIAL

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