Central bank governor Gideon Gono had ambitious plans after the disputed parliamentary elections of March 2008, according to a cable just released by Wikileaks.
He asked United States ambassador James McGee, however, to arrange a soft landing for him if things did not work out.
At a meeting with the ambassador on 1 July 2008, whose main purpose was to discuss the disappearance of US$14 million from the Global Fund, Gono said the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, including Vice-President Joseph Msika, wanted Mugabe out by the beginning of September.
He was hoping to be appointed Minister of Finance and becoming a member of the ZANU-PF politburo.
He told the ambassador that he wanted to do the “right thing” but when told that the right thing was to walk away from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the government, Gono said he had an obligation to work for his family and his country.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE579, AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH GIDEON GONO
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO7379
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0579/01 1831511
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 011511Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3117
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2106
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2226
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0764
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1503
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1861
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2282
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4713
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1372
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000579
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
STATE PASS TO S/GAC MARK DYBUL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM EAID ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH GIDEON GONO
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) The Ambassador met with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
(RBZ) governor Gideon Gono on July 1. The discussion focused
on GOZ misappropriation of Global Fund money, President
Robert Mugabe’s health, and ZANU-PF politics and plans.
—————————-
Global Fund Misappropriation
—————————-
¶2. (C) The Global Fund transferred about US$14 million to
the RBZ in March 2008. Global Fund recipients, including the
National AIDS Council, the Ministry of Health, the Zimbabwe
Association of Church Related Hospitals, and several
U.S.-funded NGOs had subsequently found it difficult to
withdraw funds with requests for withdrawal ignored by the
RBZ.
¶3. (C) The Ambassador confronted Gono and asked him what had
happened to the money. Gono responded that he was
embarrassed, but the funds had been reprogrammed. Some of
the funds had been used for medical purposes; other monies
had been used for other things. Gono said he had no choice
but to deliver the monies when requested by government. He
promised the Ambassador they would be restored within one
week.
————————-
Mugabe, Gono, and ZANU-PF
————————-
¶4. (C) Gono said Mugabe was physically weak. Despite a
strong public face, he had difficulty getting out of his
chair.
¶5. (C) Gono told the Ambassador he had talked with
vice-president Joseph Msika who said he and others wanted
Mugabe out as executive president (and possibly in a
ceremonial role) by the beginning of September. Gono added
that in a new government he (Gono) was hoping to be a
minister in charge of finance, economic development, and
policy formulation. He would also become a member of the
ZANU-PF Politburo.
¶6. (C) Trying to hedge his bets, Gono asked the Ambassador
for help in arranging a “soft landing” in the event that
ZANU-PF in-fighting left him outside of government. He said
he wanted to do the “right thing.” The Ambassador suggested
that the right thing might be to walk away now from the RBZ
and the government. Gono responded that he felt an
obligation to continue to work for his family and his country.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶7. (C) The misappropriation of Global Fund monies is
disturbing. Money was diverted from those who need it most
to, presumably, the ZANU-PF election effort which included
distributing money to youths to harass, beat, abduct, and
kill MDC officials and supporters.
¶8. (C) Gono continues to attempt to cultivate a relationship
with the Ambassador in the hope that the U.S. will support
him if he is in power in a new government or provide him with
a “soft landing” if he ends up outside. He has occasionally
provided us with useful information and has been of
assistance, e.g., when Embassy officials were held up at a
roadblock during a pre-election trip and when an American was
held incommunicado following the March 29 election. He has
HARARE 00000579 002 OF 002
not, however, demonstrated an inclination to help his fellow
Zimbabweans. He is generally considered one of the powers
behind the throne, along with defense forces chief Chiwenga,
police chief Chihuri, air force chief Shiri, prisons chief
Zimondi, and Emmerson Mnangagwa. Without Gono, the economy,
such as it is, would have trouble functioning–primary
evidence is his misuse of Global Fund money to assist the
despicable election effort of ZANU-PF on behalf of Mugabe.
END COMMENT.
McGee
(54 VIEWS)
