Gono asked US ambassador for soft landing

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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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.

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Global Fund Misappropriation

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¶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.

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Mugabe, Gono, and ZANU-PF

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¶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

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