How Mugabe balanced his cabinet after the 1987 unity with ZAPU

President Robert Mugabe has always survived on how he balances his cabinet.

His Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has always said it is against racialism, tribalism, nepotism and all the other –isms, but the West has always looked at African politics along tribal and ethnic lines.

Here is how the United States embassy viewed Mugabe’s first cabinet after the signing of the unity agreement of December 1987 which merged ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union led by Joshua Nkomo to form ZANU-PF.

Mugabe’s new government consisted of three senior ministers, 21 cabinet ministers, 3 cabinet-rank ministers of state, 15 deputy ministers, 5 ministers of state who worked as “party appointees”, and 3 deputy ministers of state who assisted the “party appointees”.

There were 14 Zeruru, 12 Karanga, 11 Manyika, 8 Ndebele, 3 Whites, 2 Coloureds and an Asian.

The embassy also provided short bios of each member of the new government.

 

Full cable:

Viewing cable 88HARARE1365, THE NEW GOZ: BIO INFORMATION

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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
88HARARE1365	1988-03-14 09:20	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Harare

R 140920Z MAR 88

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7441

INFO DIA WASHDC

USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ5//ECJ2//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 17 HARARE 01365

 

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR

TAGS: PINS PINR KPRP PGOV

SUBJECT: THE NEW GOZ: BIO INFORMATION

 

REF: A) HARARE 17 B) HARARE 394 C) 87 HARARE 6985 D) HARARE 240

 

¶1. (U) SUMMARY. PRESIDENT MUGABE ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY

2, 1988 THE COMPOSITION OF HIS NEW CABINET (REF A).

THIS NEW GOVERNMENT CONSISTS OF THREE SENIOR MINISTERS,

21 CABINET MINISTERS, 3 CABINET-RANK MINISTERS OF STATE,

15 DEPUTY MINISTERS, 5 MINISTERS OF STATE WHO WORK AS

“PARTY APPOINTEES”, AND 3 DEPUTY MINISTERS OF STATE WHO

ASSIST THE “PARTY APPOINTEES”.

 

¶2. (U) AMONG THESE VARIED GROUPS, THERE ARE 14 ZERURU,

12 KARANGA, 11 MANYIKA, 8 NDEBELE, 3 WHITES, 2

COLOUREDS, AND AN ASIAN (REF B). SIX OF THESE 51

APPOINTEES ARE WOMEN. WHILE SOME MINISTERS FROM THE

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT HAVE RETAINED THEIR PORTFOLIOS,

OTHER VETERAN MINISTERS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO NEW

ASSIGNMENTS. SEVERAL PROMINENT PERSONALITIES HAVE ALSO

BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CABINET AND THERE ARE, OF COURSE,

SOME NEW FACES. PROVIDED BELOW ARE BIO SKETCHES FOR ALL

THE MEMBERS OF THIS NEW GOVERNMENT. OTHER APPOINTMENTS,

SUCH AS PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND AMBASSADORS, ARE STILL

TO BE ANNOUNCED. THE BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION PROVIDED IN

THIS REPORT IS THE BEST OVERALL DATA WHICH HAVE HAVE

BEEN ABLE TO ASSEMBLE SINCE THE FORMATION OF THE NEW

GOZ. WE WELCOME COMMENTS AND ADDITIONS AS WELL AS

QUERIES FOR MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL

MEMBERS OF THIS GOVERNMENT. END SUMMARY.

 

THE VICE PRESIDENT

——————

¶3. (U) SIMON VENGESAI MUZENDA: IS A VETERAN NATIONALIST

AND LONG-TIME MUGABE CONFIDANT AND LOYALIST. IN THE

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT HE SERVED AS THE DEPUTY PRIME

MINISTER, A POSITION HE HAS HELD CONTINUOUSLY SINCE

INDEPENDENCE. MUZENDA IS ZANU’S SECOND SECRETARY AND

MEMBER OF THE POLITBURO. IN ADDITION TO BEING NAMED

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER IN 1980, MUZENDA ALSO SERVED UNTIL

JANUARY 1981 AS MUGABE’S FIRST FOREIGN MINISTER.

MUZENDA WAS BORN IN 1922. HE IS MARRIED AND HAD EIGHT

CHILDREN, ONE OF WHOM WAS KILLED DURING THE WAR.

 

¶4. (C) MUZENDA IS FROM THE KARANGA TRIBE AND IS THE

LEADER OF ONE OF THE POLITICAL FACTIONS WHICH NOW

DIVIDES THAT GROUP. IT IS SAID THAT MUZENDA MAY ACTUALLY

BE A MEMBER OF THE TINY VENDA TRIBE, A NON-SHONA GROUP

FROM SOUTHERN ZIMBABWE WHICH WAS ESSENTIALLY

INCORPORATED INTO THE KARANGA. UNLIKE OTHER KARANGAS,

MUZENDA AND HIS FACTION (AS MUGABE LOYALISTS) ARE NOT

CHALLENGING THE ZEZURU POLITICAL ASCENDENCY. IT IS

SAID THAT THERE IS BAD BLOOD BETWEEN MUZENDA AND

JOSHUA NKOMO, AND BETWEEN MUZENDA AND FELLOW KARANGA

EDDISON ZVOBGO. THE ANIMOSITY BETWEEN MUZENDA AND NKOMO

WAS REPORTEDLY EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT BOTH

MUZENDA AND NKOMO EXPECTED TO BE NAMED VICE PRESIDENT.

MUGABE, IT IS RUMORED, MADE MATTERS WORSE BY DELAYING

HIS DECISION ON WHICH MAN TO TAP FOR THE VICE PRESIDENCY

UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT. DESPITE HIS BEING VICE PRESIDENT,

MUZENDA IS NOT GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE THE LIKELY

PERMANENT SUCCESSOR TO MUGABE SHOULD THE LATTER LEAVE

OR BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE, THOUGH HE WOULD LIKELY BE

THE INTERIM LEADER DUE TO HIS NUMBER TWO POSITIONS IN

BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND PARTY.

 

SENIOR MINISTERS

—————-

¶5. (U) MAURICE NYAGUMBO: REMAINS IN CHARGE OF POLITICAL

AFFAIRS IN THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE. HE SERVED IN THE

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT AS THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR

POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND CO-ORDINATION OF COOPERATIVES,

ATTACHED TO THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE. NYAGUMBO IS

ONE OF THE TOP FIVE ZANU PARTY OFFICIALS, IS IN THE

POLITBURO, AND SERVES AS THE PARTY’S SECRETARY FOR

ADMINISTRATION. SINCE INDEPENDENCE, NYAGUMBO SERVED AS

THE MINISTER OF MINES AND ENERGY RESOURCES UNTIL JANUARY

1984 WHEN HE BECAME A MINISTER OF STATE. NYAGUMBO WAS

BORN IN 1924. HE IS MARRIED AND HAS SIX CHILDREN.

NYAGUMBO TRAVELED TO THE US IN 1987 ON A USIA IV GRANT.

 

¶6. (C) NYAGUMBO IS ANOTHER LONG-TIME MUGABE ASSOCIATE

AND WAS HELD IN DETENTION WITH MUGABE UNTIL HIS RELEASE

IN 1975. WHILE IN PRISON, NYAGUMBO SUPPORTED MUGABE’S

BID TO TAKE OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF ZANU FROM NDABANINGI

SITHOLE. NYAGUMBO IS A MANYIKA–THE LEADER OF A MANYIKA

FACTION WHICH IS LOYAL TO MUGABE–AND OPPOSES THE MANYIKA

FACTION LED BY EDGAR TEKERE. LIKE THE KARANGA, THE

MANYIKA ARE DIVIDED BY VARIOUS INTERNAL FACTIONS AND

LACK A SINGLE COMMANDING LEADER. UNLIKE THE KARANGA,

THE MANYIKA HAVE HISTORICALLY ALLIED THEMSELVES WITH

THE ZEZURU. NYAGUMBO IS NOW WELL POSITIONED TO BE A

STRONG CONTENDER FOR EVENTUALLY SUCCEEDING MUGABE AS

PRESIDENT, BUT HE HAS NOT IMPRESSED MANY PEOPLE WITH

HIS ADMINISTRATION OR LEADERSHIP QUALITIES.

 

¶7. (U) BERNARD CHIDZERO IS NOW THE SENIOR MINISTER OF

FINANCE, ECONOMIC PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. HE HAS

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ECONOMIC MINISTRIES

OF INDUSTRY, TRADE AND COMMERCE, LAND AND AGRICULTURE,

AND MINES. HE ALSO SERVES AS HIS OWN FINANCE MINISTER,

THE POSITION HE HELD IN THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT.

CHIDZERO RECIEVED HIS HIGHER EDUCATION IN CANADA,

EARNING AN M.A. AT OTTAWA UNIVERSITY IN 1955, AND A

PH.D. AT MCGILL UNIVERSITY (MONTREAL) IN 1958. HE DID

POST-GRADUATE STUDIES IN OXFORD. BEFORE ENTERING

GOVERNMENT IN 1980 AS MINISTER OF ECONOMIC PLANNING AND

DEVELOPMENT, CHIDZERO HELD SEVERAL POSITIONS IN THE U.N.

ORGANIZATIONS, THE LAST BEING AS DIRECTOR OF THE

COMMODITIES DIVISION OF UNCTAD. CHIDZERO WAS BORN IN

¶1927. HE CONVERTED TO ROMAN CATHOLICISM AS A YOUNG

MAN. HE IS MARRIED TO A CANADIAN AND HAS FOUR CHILDREN.

 

¶8. (C) CHIDZERO, THE SON OF A ZEZURU MOTHER AND A

MALAWIAN FATHER, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE HARARE AREA.

HE WAS OVERSEAS DURING MOST OF THE NATIONALIST STRUGGLE

AND THUS LACKS THE POLITICAL BASE AND LIBERATION

CREDENTIALS TO BE ANYTHING MORE THAN A WELL RESPECTED

TECHNOCRAT. HE IS WIDELY RESPECTED IN THE PRIVATE

SECTOR HERE AND IN THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL COMMUNITY.

HE CLEARLY FAVORS MOST OF THE ECONOMIC REFORMS AND

GROWTH STRATEGIES WHICH THE WORLD BANK RECOMMENDS FOR

ZIMBABWE. HE ALSO FAVORS THE EXECUTION OF AN OPIC

AGREEMENT. DISAPPOINTINGLY, HE WILL NOT FORCEFULLY

ARGUE FOR SUCH ECONOMIC CHANGES IN CABINET IF HE SENSES

THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS ANY RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE

CHANGE.

 

¶9. (U) JOSHUA NKOMO, A VETERAN NATIONALIST AND PRESIDENT

OF ZAPU, IS NOW BACK IN GOVERNMENT AS THE SENIOR

MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL AND URBAN

DEVELOPMENT, WITH ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR

COMMUNITY AND CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT, WOMEN’S AFFAIRS,

AND NATIONAL HOUSING. NKOMO, WHO TURNED DOWN MUGABE’S

OFFER TO MAKE HIM THE PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE AFTER

INDEPENDENCE, FIRST SERVED IN THE GOVERNMENT AS THE

MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS FROM MARCH 1980 TO JANUARY

1981, WHEN HE WAS SHIFTED TO MINISTRY OF PUBLIC

SERVICE. IN THE LATTER POSITION, NKOMO WAS RESPONSIBLE

FOR RESTRUCTURING THE WHITE-DOMINATED CIVIL SERVICE.

NKOMO’S REASSIGNMENT WAS SEEN BY SOME AS A DEMOTION AND

AN ATTEMPT BY THE RULING ZANU CLIQUE TO EXCLUDE ZAPU

MEMBERS FROM MINISTRIES DEALING WITH NATIONAL SECURITY

MATTERS. NKOMO WAS MADE MINISTER WITHOUT PORFOLIO, AND

WAS FINALLY DISMISSED FROM THE CABINET ALONG WITH OTHER

ZAPU MINISTERS IN FEBRUARY 1982. SHORTLY THEREAFTER,

NKOMO WENT INTO EXILE IN THE UK BUT RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE

AFTER A FEW MONTHS. SINCE THEN, NKOMO WORKED

EXCLUSIVELY ON ZAPU BUSINESS AND ENTERED A SERIES OF

DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS WITH MUGAGE FOR THE UNIFICATION

OF ZANU AND ZAPU. THESE NEGOTIATIONS CONCLUDED AT THE

END OF 1987, AND THE “UNITY AGREEMENT” WAS SIGNED ON

DECEMBER 22 (REF C). NKOMO WAS BORN IN 1917. HE BEGAN

HIS POLITICAL CAREER AS A TRADE UNIONIST WITH THE

RAILWAY WORKERS. HE IS MARRIED AND HAS THREE GROWN

CHILDREN.

 

¶10. (C) THERE HAD BEEN RUMORS THAT NKOMO EXPECTED TO BE

APPOINTED TO THE VICE PRESIDENCY WHEN MUGABE WAS

INAUGURATED AS THE NEW EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT ON

DECEMBER 30, 1987. MUGABE, HOWEVER, APPOINTED FORMER

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND ZANU SECOND SECRETARY SIMON

MUZENDA AS THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT, MUCH TO NKOMO’S

CHAGRIN. IT IS EXPECTED, HOWEVER, THAT NKOMO AND

MUZENDA WILL HAVE EQUIVALENT POSITIONS, SUBORDINATE TO

MUGABE, IN THE HIERARCHY OF THE UNIFIED ZANU/ZAPU PARTY

ALTHOUGH SOME OBSERVERS BELIEVE THAT NKOMO WILL

EVENTUALLY EMERGE THE STRONGER. AS THE SENIOR MINISTER

IN CHARGE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,

NKOMO SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO CHANNEL MUCH NEEDED

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT AND ASSISTANCE INTO MATABELELAND

(NKOMO’S HOME TURF) WHICH HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY NEGLECTED

IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENTAL ASSISTANCE AND BLIGHTED BY

DROUGHT AND BANDITRY. NKOMO’S PRIORITIES ARE TO END

UNEMPLOYMENT AND VIOLENCE IN MATABELELAND, AND HE

RECENTLY ADJURED THE BANDITS/DISSIDENTS THERE TO LAY

DOWN THEIR WEAPONS. NKOMO HAS ALSO PUT HIS PERSONAL

PRESTIGE BEHIND THE UNITY OF ZAPU AND ZANU AND IT

APPEARS THAT HE CONTINUES TO BE POPULAR AMONG THE

NDEBELE. NKOMO, HIMSELF, IS FROM THE KALANGA TRIBE

WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY MADE UP OF SHONA-SPEAKING PERSONS

ABSORBED BY THE NDEBELE AT THE TIME OF THE LATTER’S

OCCUPATION OF SOUTHWESTERN ZIMBABWE IN THE LAST

CENTURY. THE KALANGA ARE NOW IDENTIFIED WITH THE

NDEBELE. NKOMO IS ONE OF SEVERAL PROMINENT ZAPU

LEADERS WHO, THOUGH ASSUMED TO BE NDEBELE, IS ACTUALLY

PART OF THE KALANGA SUBGROUP. THERE IS NOT, HOWEVER,

THE SAME AMOUNT OF TRIBAL RIVALRY BETWEEN THE KALANGA

AND THE NDEBELE AS THERE IS AMONG THE VARIOUS

SHONA-SPEAKING SUBGROUPS.

 

CABINET MINISTERS

—————–

¶11. (U) MUGABE NAMED 21 CABINET MINISTERS (UP FROM 18

MINISTERS IN THE PREVIOUS CABINET). THESE MINISTERS ARE:

 

¶12. (U) MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: NATHAN SHAMUYARIRA

— SHAMUYARIRA IS NEW TO THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND TAKES

OVER THIS PORTFOLIO FROM WITNESS MANGWENDE. A

JOURNALIST BY TRAINING, HE SERVED AS THE MINISTER OF

INFORMATION SINCE 1980. SHAMUYARIRA IS A MEMBER OF THE

ZANU POLITBURO AND IS THE PARTY’S SECRETARY FOR

PUBLICITY AND INFORMATION. HE JOINED ZAPU IN 1962, BUT

LEFT IN 1963 TO HELP FOUND ZANU. IN 1964, SHAMUYARIRA

LEFT TO STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY,

AND RECEIVED A BA IN 1967. HE SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK A

POSITION AS A LECTURER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES

SALAAM. SHAMUYARIRA WAS APPOINTED ZANU’S SECRETARY FOR

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS IN 1968. HE LEFT ZANU IN 1971 TO HELP

FOUND FROLIZI, BUT LEFT FROLIZI TO RETURN TO THE

UNIVERSITY OF DAR IN 1973. HE REJOINED ZANU IN 1977 AND

WENT TO MOZAMBIQUE AS THE DIRECTOR OF ZANU’S EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT. HE LATER SERVED AS THE PARTY’S

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY. SHAMUYARIRA IS THE AUTHOR OF

THE BOOK “CRISIS IN RHODESIA” (ANDRE DEUTSCH, 1965). HE

IS MARRIED AND HAS A DAUGHTER.

 

¶13. (C) SHAMUYARIRA IS A ZEZURU BUT HAS NO PERSONAL

POLITICAL CONSTITUENCY. HE IS ESSENTIALLY A TECHNOCRAT

RATHER THAN A POLITICIAN, AND IS DEPENDENT ON MUGABE’S

FAVOR FOR HIS POSITION. AS THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION,

SHAMUYARIRA DISPLAYED A TENDENCY TOWARD DOCTRINAIRE

SOCIALISM AND HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF THE UNITED STATES.

HOWEVER, MANY OBSERVERS DESCRIBE HIM AS MORE OF AN

OPPORTUNIST THAN A COMMITTED IDEOLOGUE. IN THE TWO

MONTHS THAT SHAMUYARIRA HAS BEEN FOREIGN MINISTER,

HE HAS BEEN REASONABLE AND ACCESSIBLE AND CERTAINLY

HAS BEEN AN IMPROVEMENT OVER HIS PREDECESSOR, WITNESS

MANGWENDE. A SOURCE TELLS US THAT SHAMUYARIRA, ALONG

WITH ANOTHER ZEZURU MINISTER, SIDNEY SEKERAMAYI, WERE

THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND BLOCKING THE APPOINTMENT OF

EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, A KARANGA, TO THE MINISTRY OF

DEFENSE. SHAMUYARIRA IS REPORTEDLY ONE OF THE LEADERS

IN THE “GROUP OF 26” WHICH SEEKS TO MAINTAIN AND

STRENGTHEN THE ZEZURU ASCENDENCY ON THE GOZ.

SHAMUYARIRA ALSO REPORTEDLY RESISTED THE ZAPU/ZANU

UNITY ACCORD. HE IS ALSO WIDELY BELIEVED TO BE VERY

CLOSE TO THE SOVIETS, THOUGH FOR OPPORTUNISTIC AND

PRAGMATIC, RATHER THAN IDEOLOGICAL REASONS.

 

¶14. (U) MINISTER OF INFORMATION, POSTS, AND

TELECOMMUNICATIONS (IPT) WITNESS MANGWENDE:

— MANGWENDE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS MINISTER OF FOREIGN

AFFAIRS SINCE 1981. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING INDEPENDENCE

N 1980, MANGWENDE SERVED AS DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER. MANGWENDE STUDIED AT THE

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS DURING THE YEARS OF THE

NATIONALIST STRUGGLE, AND SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF

ZANU’S ZIMBABWE STUDENTS’ UNION. IN 1979 HE WAS

APPOINTED CHIEF ZANU REPRESENTATIVE TO MOZAMBIQUE.

MANGWENDE WAS BORN IN 1946, IS MARRIED, AND HAS NO

CHILDREN.

 

¶15. (C) WHILE MANGWENDE DOES NOT HAVE A PERSONAL

POLITICAL CONSTITUENCY, HE REMAINS IN THE GOVERNMENT

BECAUSE OF HIS MEMBERSHIP IN A PROMINENT ZEZURU CLAN.

MANGWENDE THEREFORE CAN BE EXPECTED TO SUPPORT THE

POLITICAL STATUS QUO WHICH FAVORS THE ZEZURU ASCENDENCY.

HE WAS NOT FAVORABLY REVIEWED AS A FOREIGN MINISTER BY

THE LOCAL DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY. MANGWENDE WAS

DIFFICULT TO REACH, DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH, AND HAS

A DRINKING PROBLEM. HIS LACK OF DIPLOMATIC SKILLS

AND COMPLETE ESPOUSAL OF THIRD WORLD, ANTI-US RHETORIC,

GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DETERIORATION OF US-ZIMBABWE

RELATIONS IN THE 1983-86 PERIOD. SINCE BECOMING

INFORMATION MINISTER, MANGWENDE HAS BEEN FEATURED

PROMINENTLY ON RADIO AND TELEVISION, HAS CRITICIZED

THE IMPORTING OF FOREIGN TELEVISION PROGRAMS, AND HAS

CALLED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL TELEVISION

PRODUCTION INDUSTRY.

 

¶16. (U) MINISTER OF DEFENSE: ENOS NKALA

— NKALA IS NEW TO THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, TAKING OVER

THIS PORTFOLIO FROM MUGABE WHO, SINCE INDEPENDENCE, HAD

SERVED AS HIS OWN DEFENSE MINISTER. NKALA JOINED THE

GOVERNMENT AS THE MINISTER OF FINANCE IN 1980, AND THEN

BECAME THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS IN JULY 1985. HE IS

A MEMBER OF THE ZANU POLITBURO, AND IS THE PARTY

SECRETARY FOR FINANCE. NKALA BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A

JOURNALIST, AND FIRST BECAME INVOLVED IN NATIONALIST

ORGANIZATIONS IN THE LATE 1950’S. HE WAS A FOUNDING

MEMBER OF ZANU, AND WAS DETAINED WITH MUGABE AND OTHER

ZANU LEADERS FROM 1964 TO 1974. NKALA WAS BORN IN

¶1932. HE WAS A WIDOWER; HE REMARRIED IN 1987. HE HAS

THREE CHILDREN FROM HIS FIRST MARRIAGE. NKALA TRAVELED

TO THE US IN 1987 ON A USIS IV GRANT.

 

 

¶17. (C) THOUGH AN NDEBELE, NKALA IS PERSONALLY VERY LOYAL

TO MUGABE AND SUPPORTS THE POLITICAL STATUS QUO (PERHAPS

BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN WINNING POLITICAL

SUPPORT AMONG HIS OWN TRIBE). NKALA HAS LIVED IN

HARARE FOR MANY YEARS AND HIS HOME WAS A MEETING PLACE

FOR THE FOUNDERS OF ZANU. WHILE NKALA WAS DETAINED ALONG

WITH OTHER ZANU LEADERS, HE SUPPORTED MUGABE’S BID TO

REPLACE SITHOLE AS ZANU PRESIDENT. MUGABE IS SAID TO

HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF CONFIDENCE IN NKALA. AS THE

MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS, NKALA WAS CONSIDERED TO BE THE

DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE PERSECUTION OF ZAPU IN THE

LAST YEAR. IT IS ALSO REPORTED THAT NKALA WAS NAMED

TO THE DEFENSE MINISTRY AFTER THE ZEZURU CLIQUE OBJECTED

TO MUGABE’S PLAN TO NAME EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, A KARANGA,

TO THAT POST. SOURCES INDICATE THAT NKALA’S MISSION IS

TO ASSERT CIVILIAN CONTROL OVER THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE

COMMANDS AND CRACK DOWN ON CORRUPTION WITHIN THE

ARMED FORCES.

 

¶18. (U) MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: MOVEN MAHACHI

— MAHACHI, WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE MINISTER OF

LANDS, AGRICULTURE, AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT, HAS TAKEN

OVER THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS FROM ENOS NKALA.

THOUGH HE IS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS OF THE CABINET

(BORN 1948), MAHACHI HAS BEEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SINCE

INDEPENDENCE. HE FIRST SERVED AS DEPUTY MINISTER FOR

LANDS, RESETTLEMENT, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, BECOMING THE

MINISTER IN FEBRUARY 1982. THE AGRICULTURE PORTFOLIO

WAS LATER ADDED TO HIS MINISTRY IN JULY 1985. DURING

THE NATIONALIST STRUGGLE, MAHACHI SERVED AS AN

UNDERGROUND OPERATIVE IN SUPPORT OF ZANU. HE WAS

ARRESTED IN 1975 AND DETAINED UNTIL 1979. MAHACHI IS

MARRIED AND HAS FOUR CHILDREN. HE JOINED THE ANGLICAN

CHURCH AS A YOUNG MAN.

 

¶19. (C) MAHACHI IS A MANYIKA, BUT HE HAS NO INDEPENDENT

POLITICAL BASE. HIS POSITION IN GOVERNMENT IS DUE TO

HIS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH MUGABE. DURING THE

NATIONALIST STRUGGLE, MAHACHI WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN

SECRETLY CONVEYING MUGABE TO MOZAMBIQUE IN 1975 TO

AVOID ANOTHER ARREST. ONCE INSIDE MOZAMBIQUE, MUGABE

CONSOLIDATED HIS CONTROL OVER ZANU/ZANLA AND BECAME

THE PREEMINENT NATIONALIST LEADER. MAHACHI SHOULD

CONTINUE TO HAVE EASY ACCESS TO MUGABE AS HE MANAGES

THE DIFFICULT HOME AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO. AS A MUGABE

LOYALIST, MAHACHI CAN BE EXPECTED TO SUPPORT THE ZEZURU

POLITICAL ASCENDENCY. A SOURCE TELLS US THAT MAHACHI

WAS ALONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECENT RELEASE OF TWO

WHITE CUSTOMS OFFICIALS WHO HAVE BEEN DETAINED FOR THE

LAST TWO YEARS ON SUSPICION OF SPYING FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

IT IS RUMORED THAT MAHACHI WAS REPRIMANDED FOR THIS

ACTION. THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS THAT MAHACHI IS HAVING

TROUBLE WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND THAT THE

COMMISSIONER DOES NOT ALWAYS CARRY OUT MAHACHI’S ORDERS.

SOME OBSERVERS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT MAHACHI MAY BE

“TOO SOFT” FOR HIS CURRENT ASSIGNMENT.

 

¶20. (U) MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, AND RURAL

DEVELOPMENT: DAVID KARIMANZIRA

— TOOK OVER THIS PORTFOLIO FROM MOVEN MAHACHI. HE IS

ANOTHER YOUNG MINISTER (BORN 1947) BUT, UNLIKE MAHACHI,

WAS ONLY APPOINTED TO THE CABINET IN 1985 AFTER HIS

FIRST ELECTION TO PARLIAMENT AS THE MINISTER OF SPORT,

YOUTH AND CULTURE. KARIMANZIRA HAS, HOWEVER, SERVED IN

VARIOUS NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT POSITIONS

SINCE INDEPENDENCE. IN 1980 HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE

UNDERSECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION IN MUGABE’S FIRST

GOVERNMENT AND LATER BECAME DEPUTY MINISTER. HE HAS

ALSO SERVED AS A PROVINCIAL OFFICER FOR ZANU. HE IS A

MEMBER OF THE ZANU CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND IS THE PARTY’S

DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY.

KARIMANZIRA RECEIVED HIS UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN

RHODESIA, AND ALSO STUDIED IN THE UK IN THE LATTER HALF

OF THE 1970’S. DURING THAT TIME HE WAS ACTIVE IN ZANU’S

ORGANIZATIONS IN THE UK. HE IS MARRIED (HIS WIFE WORKS

IN THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE) AND THEY HAVE TWO

CHILDREN.

 

¶21. (C) KARIMANZIRA IS A ZEZURU AND IS CONSIDERED MORE

OF AN APPARATCHIK THAN A POLITICIAN WITH AN INDEPENDENT

BASE. AS A ZEZURU HE CAN BE EXPECTED TO UPHOLD THE

POLITICAL STATUS QUO. KARIMANZIRA HAS THE REPUTATION

FOR BEING CRITICAL OF THE US AND HE HAS THE DUBIOUS

DISTINCTION OF MAKING THE SPEECH AT EMBASSY HARARE’S

FOURTH OF JULY (1986) RECEPTION THAT PROMPTED FORMER

PRESIDENT CARTER TO WALK OUT. KARIMANZIRA DID NOT,

HOWEVER, WRITE THE OFFENDING SPEECH AND WAS SPEAKING

AT THE TIME ON BEHALF OF THE FOREIGN MINISTER.

 

¶22. (U) MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT, AND CULTURE: DAVID

KWIDINI

— HAS TAKEN OVER THIS MINISTRY FROM DAVID

KARIMANZIRA. KWIDINI IS AN NDEBELE WHO, AS A ZAPU MP

AND MEMBER OF THE ZAPU CENTRAL COMMITTEE, CROSSED OVER

TO JOIN ZANU IN MAY 1986. THIS IS KWIDINI’S FIRST

APPOINTMENT TO GOVERNMENT. KWIDINI IS AN EDUCATOR BY

PROFESSION AND IS NOW ALSO SERVING AS THE INTERIM

SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ALL AFRICA PARLIAMENTRAY

COUNCIL ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

 

¶23. (U) MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY

AFFAIRS: EMMERSON MNANGAGWA (ALSO SPELLED MUNANGAGWA)

— TOOK OVER THIS PORTFOLIO FROM EDDISON ZVOBGO, WHO IS

NOW ONE OF THE MINISTERS OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS

ATTACHED TO ZANU HEADQUARTERS. MNANGAGWA IS A VETERAN

ZANLA GUERILLA LEADER WHO, SINCE INDEPENDENCE, HAS

SERVED AS THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY.

MNANGAGWA JOINED ZANU IN 1963, AND WAS AMONG THE FIRST

GROUP OF FIVE ZANU GUERILLAS TO TRAVEL TO THE PRC FOR

TRAINING. HE WAS ARRESTED BY THE RHODESIAN SECURITY

FORCES IN 1965 AND WAS IMPRISONED UNTIL 1974. ONCE

RELEASED, HE WENT TO ZAMBIA AND OBTAINED A LAW DEGREE.

HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE ZAMBIAN BAR IN 1976. MNANGAGWA

IS THE ZANU POLITBURO SECRETARY FOR NATIONAL SECURITY.

HE IS MARRIED AND HAS FOUR CHILDREN.

 

¶24. (C) MNANGAGWA HAS BEEN A LONG-TIME ADVISOR TO

MUGABE ON SECURITY MATTERS, AND SOURCES REPORT THAT HE

EXPECTED TO BE NAMED MINISTER OF DEFENSE OR HOME AFFAIRS

IN THE NEW CABINET. ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES, A

ZEZURU CLIQUE (LED BY NATHAN SHAMUYARIRA AND SIDNEY

SEKERAMAYI) IN THE GOZ PERSUADED MUGABE NOT TO APPOINT

MNANGAGWA, A KARANGA, TO A SECURITY MINISTRY. WE

UNDERSTAND THAT MNANGAGWA WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS

NEW ASSIGNMENT AS JUSTICE MINISTER, ESPECIALLY SINCE

JUSTICE’S MOST IMPORTANT TASK IN RECENT YEARS (I.E.

DRAFTING THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS FOR ENDING

RACIAL REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT AND ESTABLISHING

AN EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY) HAS BEEN COMPLETED. WE HEARD

THAT MNANGAGWA WAS EVEN CONSIDERING AT ONE POINT RETIRING

FROM GOVERNMENT AND GOING INTO PRIVATE BUSINESS, BUT

HE IS NOW SAID TO HAVE ACCEPTED HIS NEW POSITION. IT

IS STILL NOT CLEAR, HOWEVER, IF MNANGAGWA WILL CONTINUE

TO SERVE AS ZANU’S SECRETARY FOR NATIONAL SECURITY.

 

¶25. (U) MINISTER OF STATE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: SYDNEY

SEKERAMAYI

— HAS TAKEN OVER MNANGAGWA’S FORMER POSITION AND

OPERATES OUT OF THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE. SEKERAMAYI IS A

PHYSICIAN BY TRAINING (HAVING BEEN ONE OF THE FIRST

STUDENTS TO BE SPONSORED BY ZANU FOR OVERSEAS STUDIES IN

THE 1960’S; HE STUDIED IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND SWEDEN

WHERE HE OBTAINED HIS M.D.). HE BRIEFLY WORKED IN

SWEDEN BEFORE MOVING TO SET UP HIS MEDICAL PRACTICE IN

ZAMBIA, WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL 1976 WHEN HE WENT TO UK

FOR SPECIALIZED SURGICAL TRAINING. HE WAS RECALLED BY

ZANU TO SERVE WITH ZANLA IN MOZAMBIQUE. HE JOINED THE

ZANU CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN 1977. HE IS NOW A MEMBER OF

THE POLITBURO AND SERVES AS THE PARTY’S SECRETARY FOR

TRANSPORT. IN 1980 SEKERAMAYI BECAME THE MINISTER OF

LANDS, RESETTLEMENT, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT. HE BECAME

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENSE IN FEBRUARY 1982 AND

WAS THE ACTING MINISTER OF HEALTH. HE WAS FORMALLY

APPOINTED AS MINISTER OF HEALTH IN JANUARY 1984 AND HELD

THAT PORTFOLIO UNTIL THE FORMATION OF THIS NEW CABINET.

SEKERAMAYI WAS BORN IN 1944 AND IS MARRIED.

 

¶26. (C) SEKERAMAYI IS A ZEZURU, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN

THE MAIN REASON IN COMBINATION WITH HIS PREVIOUS

EXPERIENCE AS THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENSE, FOR

REPLACING MNANGAGWA AS THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR

NATIONAL SECURITY. WE HAVE HEARD THAT SEKERAMAYI WAS,

ALONG WITH NEW FOMIN SHAMUYARIRA, ONE OF THE LEADERS

OF THE ZEZURU CLIQUE WHICH BLOCKED MNANGAGWA’S APPOINTMENT

AS MINISTER OF DEFENSE. SEKERAMAYI CAN BE EXPECTED

THEREFORE TO SUPPORT THE ZEZURU NOMINATION OF THE GOZ

TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE KARANGA. HE IS AN IMPRESSIVE

INDIVIDUAL IN CONVERSATION AND APPEARS BOTH BRIGHTER

AND MORE ARTICULATE THAN MOST OF HIS COLLEAGUES. HE

MUST BE CONSIDERED AS A POSSIBLE FUTURE PRESIDENT.

 

¶27. (U) MINISTER OF HEALTH: BRIGADIER FELIX MUCHEMWA

— HAS TAKEN OVER FROM SYDNEY SEKERAMAYI AS THE NEW

MINISTER OF HEALTH. MUCHEMWA IS THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF

THE ARMY’S MEDICAL SERVICES, AND SERVED AS THE COMMANDER

OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD UNTIL OCTOBER 1987 WHEN HE WAS

ELECTED AS A NON-CONSTITUENT MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.

MUCHEMWA WAS FORMERLY A ZANLA GUERILLA.

 

¶28. (C) MUCHEMWA IS A MANYIKA AND AS SUCH CAN BE

EXPECTED TO SUPPORT THE POLITICAL STATUS QUO. SOURCES

HAVE TOLD US THAT MUCHEMWA WAS, IN EFFECT, “KICKED

UPSTAIRS” BY MUGABE WHEN MUGABE INCLUDED MUCHEMWA ON

THE ZANU LIST FOR ELECTION TO A NON-CONSTITUENT SEAT

IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. AS A RESULT OF THIS ELECTION,

MUCHEMWA, WHO ONLY BECAME A BRIGADIER IN NOVEMBER 1986,

HAD TO RESIGN FROM THE ARMY. MUCHEMWA APPARENTLY DID

NOT HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION AS A MILITARY OFFICER, AND

IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT HE HAS A DRUG PROBLEM. AS

THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF ARMY MEDICAL SERVICES, MUCHEMWA

SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE ON DEALING

WITH AIDS AND STD. SUCH EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE USEFUL

FOR THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH WHICH IS INCREASINGLY

PREOCCUPIED WITH AIDS IN ZIMBABWE. AS IS THE CASE WITH

THE TWO OTHER MILITARY OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY

APPOINTED TO THE GOZ, MUCHEMWA HOLDS A NON-CONSTITUENT

SEAT IN PARLIAMENT AND DOES NOT HAVE A POLITICAL BASE

OF HIS OWN. (SEE REF D FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON

THE MILITARY OFFICERS IN THE CABINET.)

 

¶29. (U) MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: SIMBARASHE MUMBENGEGWI

— REPLACED HERBERT USHEWOKUNZE. MUMBENGEGWI

PREVIOUSLY HELD A NUMBER OF OTHER CABINET POSTIONS AS

THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, THE

MINISTER OF HOUSING, AND THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC

CONSTRUCTION AND NATIONAL HOUSING, WHICH PORTFOLIO HE

HELD UNTIL THE FORMATION OF THIS CURRENT GOVERNMENT.

MUMBENGEGWI ALSO SERVED AS DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER FROM

INDEPENDENCE TO FEBRUARY 1982 AND HAS ACTED AS FOREIGN

MINISTER ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. HE BECAME ACTIVE IN

POLITICS AS A MEMBER OF ZAPU AND LATER ZANU YOUTH

ORGANIZATIONS. HE ATTENDED UNIVERSITY IN AUSTRALIA AND

RECEIVED A DEGREE IN EDUCATION. FROM 1973 TO 1978 HE

WAS ZANU’S CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE IN AUSTRALIA. BETWEEN

1978 AND 1980 HE WAS THE CHIEF ZANU REP IN ZAMBIA.

MUMBENGEGWI HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SINCE 1980.

MUMBENGEGWI WAS BORN IN 1945, IS MARRIED AND HAS ONE

CHILD.

 

¶30. (C) MUMBENGEGWI IS SAID TO BE A LOYAL CIVIL SERVANT

RATHER THAN A POLITICIAN WITH HIS OWN POLITICAL BASE.

HE IS A KARANGA, SAID TO BE ALLIED WITH THE KARANGA

FACTION LED BY VICE PRESIDENT MUZENDA. HE HAS A

REPUTATION FOR DILIGENT HARD WORK AND HONESTY,

SUGGESTING THAT HE WAS APPOINTED TO CLEAN UP THE MESS

LEFT BY THE CORRUPT, OPPORTUNISTIC USHOWOKUNZE.

 

¶31. (U) MINISTER OF PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION AND NATIONAL

HOUSING: JOSEPH MSIKA

— HAS TAKEN OVER THIS MINISTRY FROM SIMBARASHE

MUMBENGEGWI. MSIKA IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ZAPU AND

PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN THE GOVERNMENT AS THE MINISTER OF

NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER DEVELOPMENT FROM APRIL 1980

TO FEBRUARY 1982 WHEN ZAPU MINISTERS WERE DEPOSED.

BEFORE GOING INTO ZAPU POLITICS, MSIKA WAS TRAINED AS A

CABINET MAKER AND LATER WAS A TRADE UNION OFFICIAL IN

THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY. IN HIS NEW CABINET POSITION MSIKA

WILL BE REPORTING TO SENIOR MINISTER NKOMO, WHO IS ALSO

HIS PARTY LEADER. MSIKA WAS BORN IN 1923. MSIKA WAS

PART OF THE ZAPU DELEGATION WHICH NEGOTIATED THE

ZANU/ZAPU UNITY AGREEMENT.

 

¶32. (C) MSIKA IS A ZEZURU BUT WAS RAISED IN MATABELELAND

AND IS A LONG-TIME ZAPU MEMBER AND OFFICIAL. HE CAN BE

EXPECTED TO SIDE WITH JOSHUA NKOMO AND THE NDEBELES

SHOULD THEY CHALLENGE THE SHONA DOMINANCE OF THE

NATIONAL POLITICAL MACHINERY. MSIKA JOINED ZAPU AT A

TIME WHEN THAT ORGANIZATION HAD MANY ZEZURU MEMBERS AND

WAS NOT CONSIDERED AN NDEBELE TRIBAL ENCLAVE. SUBSEQUENT

DIVISIONS IN ZAPU IN THE EARLY 1960’S CAUSED MANY SHONA

TO SHIFT ALLEGIANCE TO ZANU. MSIKA REMAINED LOYAL TO

ZAPU.

 

¶33. (U) MINISTER OF LABOUR, MANPOWER PLANNING, AND

SOCIAL WELFARE: JOHN NKOMO

— ANOTHER HIGH RANKING ZAPU LEADER WHO HAS BEEN NAMED

TO THE CABINET. NKOMO TAKES OVER AS MINISTER OF LABOUR

FROM FREDRICK SHAVA. NKOMO (WHO IS NOT RELATED TO ZAPU

PRESIDENT JOSHUA NKOMO) PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN GOVERNMENT

AS DEPUTY MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

UNTIL APRIL 1982 WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE MINISTER

OF STATE WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE DEPUTY PRIME

MINISTER. IN THIS CAPACITY IT IS SAID THAT HE DEVELOPED

AN OVERALL KNOWLEDGE OF THE OPERATIONS OF EACH

MINISTRY. NKOMO WAS RELIEVED OF HIS GOVERNMENT

RESPONSIBILITIES BY THE PRIME MINISTER IN NOVEMBER 1984

BECAUSE HE CONTINUED TO SIT ON THE ZAPU CENTRAL

COMMITTEE. NKOMO IS THE ZAPU SECRETARY FOR PUBLICITY

AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE ZAPU DELEGATION WHICH NEGOTIATED

THE ZANU/ZAPU UNITY AGREEMENT. NKOMO TRAVELED TO THE

UNITED STATES IN 1986 AS A USIA IV GRANTEE.

 

¶34. (C) EMBASSY HAS FOUND NKOMO TO BE A USEFUL AND

THOUGHTFUL INTERLOCUTOR. HE SEEMS TO HAVE A CLEAR

UNDERSTANDING OF ZIMBABWE’S PROBLEMS AND IS INCLINED

TO ACT. AS THE NEW MINISTER OF LABOUR, NKOMO HAS

PUBLICALLY STATED THAT THE COUNTRY’S LABOUR RELATIONS

ACT (LRA) NEEDS ADJUSTMENT. IN PRIVATE, HOWEVER, HE

TOLD US THAT THE LRA NEEDS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY OVERHAULED.

NKOMO IS A SHREWD POLITICIAN WHO SOMETIMES APPEARS TO

BE PLAYING BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET AT ONCE. THERE ARE

STORIES THAT HE SPOKE OUT IN ZAPU COUNCILS AGAINST UNITY

WITH ZANU WHILE AT THE SAME TIME KEEPING IN CLOSE

CONTACT WITH ZANU OFFICIALS. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT

NKOMO REMAINED IN HIS PREVIOUS GOZ POSITION UNTIL 1984

WHEN ALL OTHER ZANU OFFICIALS WERE SACKED FROM THE GOZ

IN 1982.

 

¶35. (U) MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION: DZINGAI MUTUMBUKA

— HAS BEEN THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION SINCE 1980, BUT

WITH THE FORMATION OF THIS NEW CABINET, HE HAS LOST

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL

EDUCATION (WHICH HAVE BEEN GROUPED INTO A NEW MINISTRY

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF FAY CHUNG) AND WILL NOW CONTINUE

AS THE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION. MUTUMBUKA IS A

MEMBER OF THE ZANU POLITBURO, AND SERVES AS THE PARTY’S

SECRETARY FOR PRODUCTION, CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT.

MUTUMBUKA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PERSONS TO JOIN ZANU IN

THE 1970’S WHO HAD A HIGHER EDUCATION. HE OBTAINED A

DOCTORATE DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY IN THE UK AND TAUGHT

CHEMISTRY IN ZAMBIA UNTIL HE JOINED THE ARMED STUGGLE IN

¶1974. HE HAS REPRESENTED ZANU AT A NUMBER OF

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. MUTUMBUKA TRAVELED TO THE

UNITED STATES IN 1982 AS A USIA IV GRANTEE.

 

¶36. (C) MUTUMBUKA IS A KARANGA WHO HAS BEEN LOYAL TO

MUGABE AND THE ZEZURU CLIQUE. NONETHELESS, THERE HAS

BEEN SPECULATION THAT AS A KARANGA HE WAS DISCRIMINATED

AGAINST IN THE FORMATION OF THIS NEW CABINET WHEN MORE

THAN HALF OF HIS PORTFOLIO WAS TAKEN FROM HIM. WE HAVE

HEARD THAT MUTUMBUKA IS ANGERED THAT HIS PORTFOLIO HAS

BEEN REDUCED TO HIGHER EDUCATION SINCE THERE IS ONLY ONE

INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION (THE UNIVERSITY IN

ZIMBABWE) FOR HIM TO OVERSEE. THE ISSUE OF WHICH

MINISTRY WILL BE IN CHARGE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING HAS

NOT YET BEEN SETTLED. THERE IS, HOWEVER, AN ALTERNATIVE

EXPLANATION FOR THE REDUCTION OF MUTUMBUKA’S PORTFOLIO.

SINCE 1980 MUTUMBUKA HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY OF MASS EDUCATION WHICH EACH YEAR

TURNS OUT INCREASINGLY LARGE NUMBERS OF “SCHOOL LEAVERS”

WHO EXPECT WHITE COLLAR EMPLOYMENT OR POSITIONS IN THE

UNIVERSITY. BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY CAN ONLY ADMIT A

SMALL NUMBER OF THE SCHOOL LEAVERS EACH YEAR, AND

JOB CREATION OUTSIDE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS BEEN

VIRTUALLY NIL, THE POOL OF ZIMBABWE’S UNEMPLOYED YOUNG

PEOPLE IS GROWING RAPIDLY AND THE GOZ IS NOW VERY

CONCERNED ABOUT THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

OF SUCH AN UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM. IT MAY BE THEREFORE

THAT MUGABE BLAMES MUTUMBUKA FOR THIS “SCHOOL LEAVERS”

CRISIS AND HAS PUNISHED HIM BY TAKING AWAY RESPONSIBILITY

FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION.

 

¶37. MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION: FAY

CHUNG

— HAS TAKEN OVER THIS NEW MINISTRY WHICH WAS SPUN OFF

FROM THE ORIGINAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. CHUNG, A

ZIMBABWEAN OF CHINESE DESCENT, WAS NAMED DEPUTY MINISTER

OF EDUCATION SHORTLY BEFORE HER ELECTION TO PARLIAMENT

AS A NON-CONSTITUENT MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN

OCTOBER 1987. SHE HAD SERVED IN THE MINISTRY’S

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT UNIT FROM 1983 TO 1987. CHUNG

WAS A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER. SHE JOINED

ZANU IN 1973 AND MOVED TO MOZAMBIQUE IN 1975 WHERE SHE

WORKED IN POLITICAL EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT. IN THIS CAPACITY SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR

TEACHER TRAINING AND TEXTBOOK PRODUCTION. CHUNG’S

TEACHER-TRAINING PROGRAM IN MOZAMBIQUE IS SAID TO HAVE

BEEN THE FORERUNNER OF THE CURRENT ZIMBABWE INTEGRATED

NATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION COURSE (ZINTEC), IN WHICH

CHUNG HAS CONTINUED TO BE ACTIVE. SHE ALSO HAD A ROLE

IN DEVELOPING THE ZIMBABWE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION WITH

PRODUCTION (ZIMFEP). CHUNG RECEIVED HER B.A. AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF RHODESIA, AND EARNED AN M.A. AT LEEDS (UK)

UNIVERSITY. SHE WAS BORN IN 1941 AND HAS ONE CHILD.

SHE IS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL TO THE US ON A USIS IV GRANT

IN MID-1981.

 

¶38. (C) CHUNG HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY A LOCAL OPINION

MAGAZINE AS THE “STAR APPOINTEE” IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT,

AND IT IS CLEAR THAT CHUNG’S STAR HAS BEEN ON THE RISE

IN THE LAST YEAR. CHUNG, WHO HAS A REPUTATION FOR

HAVING RADICAL POLITICAL VIEWS, IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN A

LECTURER ON IDEOLOGY FOR THE ZANLA CADRES IN MOZAMBIQUE.

CHUNG REPORTEDLY IS ALSO A DEVOUT CATHOLIC. SHE HAD

HER CHILD DURING HER STAY IN THE BUSH, BUT SHE DID NOT

MARRY, AND THE FATHER’S IDENTITY IS NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN.

WHILE IN MOZAMBIQUE CHUNG WAS REPORTEDLY CLOSE TO MUGABE,

BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT SHE AND MUGABE HAD A SERIOUS

FALLING OUT WHICH RESULTED IN HER BEING IGNORED BY THE

PARTY AND UNEMPLOYED AFTER INDEPENDENCE. THIS INCIDENT

HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED IN THE PRESS WHICH HAS FEATURED

ARTICLES ON HER RECENTLY. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT PROMPTED

CHUNG’S RECENT RETURN TO FAVOR WITH MUGABE. CHUNG DOES

NOT HAVE AN INDEPENDENT POLITICAL BASE AND HER POSITION

RESTS ON THE CONTINUED FAVOR OF MUGABE. HER RAPID

ELEVATION TO THE MINISTRY OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

EDUCATION MAY VERY WELL BE DUE TO THE URGENT NEED FOR

THE GOZ TO RESTRUCTURE THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO REMEDY

THE SCHOOL LEAVER CRISIS.

 

¶39. (U) MINISTER OF COMMUNITY AND CO-OPERATIVE

DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN’S AFFAIRS: TERAI ROPA (JOYCE)

MUJURU A/K/A: TERAI ROPA NHONGO

— IS A MEMBER OF THE ZANU POLITBURO AND SERVES AS

PARTY SECRETARY FOR WOMEN’S AFFAIRS. IN 1980 SHE BECAME

THE FIRST WOMAN AND YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE CABINET WHEN

SHE WAS APPOINTED AS THE MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT, AND

CULTURE. SINCE JANUARY 1981 SHE HAS SERVED AS THE

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN’S

AFFAIRS ATTACHED TO THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE. WITH

THE FORMATION OF THIS NEW GOVERNMENT, MUJURU’S OFFICE

HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A MINISTRY WITH THE ADDITION OF

COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT ADDED TO THE PORTFOLIO. DURING

THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE, MUJURU JOINED ZANLA IN

1973, BECAME A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL STAFF, AND WAS

OVERALL COMMANDER OF THE WOMEN’S DETACHMENT WHEN IT WAS

FORMED IN 1974. MUJURU IS A MEMBER OF THE POLITBURO AND

SERVES AS THE PARTY SECRETARY FOR WOMENS AFFAIRS. SHE

IS MARRIED TO THE ARMY COMMANDER AND HAS THREE CHILDREN,

BUT IS ESTRANGED FROM HIM. SHE IS A ZEZURU AND WAS BORN

IN 1955.

 

¶40. (U) MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND TOURISM:

VICTORIA CHITEPO

 

— IS THE THIRD AND FINAL WOMAN IN THE CABINET. SHE

HAS HELD THIS PORTFOLIO SINCE FEBRUARY 1982, HAVING

PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS DEPUTY MINISTER SINCE JANUARY

¶1981. HER PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENT WAS AS DEPUTY MINISTER

FOR EDUCATION AND CULTURE, TO WHICH SHE WAS APPOINTED IN

¶1980. CHITEPO, A TEACHER BY TRAINING, IS THE WIDOW OF

HERBERT CHITEPO, THE ZANU NATIONAL CHAIRMAN WHO WAS

ASSASSINATED IN ZAMBIA IN 1977. SHE TRAVELED TO THE US

IN 1985 ON A USIA IV GRANT. CHITEPO WAS BORN IN 1927.

 

¶41. (C) CHITEPO IS SAID TO OWE HER POSITION IN GOVERNMENT

TO RESPECT FOR HER LATE HUSBAND. SHE IS A VERY POOR

ADMINISTRATOR. SHE IS A MANYIKA, BUT DOES NOT APPARENTLY

HAVE HER OWN POLITICAL FOLLOWING.

 

¶42. (U) MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, RURAL AND URBAN

DEVELOPMENT: ENOS CHIKORWORE

— HAS HELD THIS PORTFOLIO SINCE FEBRUARY 1982. HE

PREVIOUSLY WAS APPOINTED AS DEPUTY MINISTER IN JANUARY

¶1981. CHIKOWORE BECAME ACTIVE IN POLITICS IN THE LATE

1950’S AND JOINED ZANU IN 1963. AFTER BEING DETAINED HE

WENT TO ZAMBIA WERE HE SERVED AS THE PARTY’S FIRST

SECRETARY FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND WAS ACTIVE IN THE

RECRUITING OF CADRES. HE LEFT TO STUDY IN THE UK IN

1967 AND RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE IN 1980 WHERE HE WAS

ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY AS A REPRESENTATIVE

FROM MASHONALAND WEST. CHIKOWORE WAS BORN IN 1936 AND

IS A ZEZURU.

 

¶43. (U) MINISTER OF ENERGY, WATER RESOURCES AND

DEVELOPMENT: KUMBIRAI KANGAI

— HAS ALSO RETAINED HIS FORMER CABINET POSITION.

KANGAI JOINED THE GOVERNMENT IN 1980 AND FIRST SERVED AS

THE MINISTER OF LABOR. HE LATER BECAME THE MINISTER OF

ENERGY, WATER RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, THE POSITION HE

CONTINUES TO HOLD. A TEACHER BY PROFESSION, KANGAI

JOINED ZANU IN 1963 BUT WENT TO THE US IN 1964 WHEN HE

LOST HIS TEACHING POSITION FOLLOWING AN ARREST FOR

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. HE STUDIED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

CALIFORNIA (CAMPUS UNKNOWN) UNTIL 1972, AND SERVED AS

ZANU’S CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA DURING PART

OF THAT TIME. HE WENT TO ZAMBIA IN 1973 AND WAS ELECTED

AS A MEMBER OF THE ZANU REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (DARE).

KANGAI, A MANYIKA, WAS BORN IN 1938.

 

¶44. (U) MINISTER OF MINES: RICHARD HOVE

— BECAME THE MINISTER OF MINES IN JULY 1985, AND HE

RETAINS THAT PORTFOLIO IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT. HOVE

ENTERED THE GOVERNMENT IN 1980 AS THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC

SERVICE. HE BECAME THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS IN

1981, AND THE MINISTER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE IN 1982.

DURING THE EARLY 1960’S, HOVE WAS STUDYING BUSINESS AT

THE UNIVERSTIY OF BOMBAY. AFTER JOINING UP WITH ZANU IN

LUSAKA, HE WAS APPOINTED THE PARTY’S CHIEF

REPRESENTATIVE TO WESTERN EUROPE. HE WAS RECALLED TO

LUSAKA IN 1971 AND WAS NAMED THE SECRETARY FOR EXTERNAL

AFFAIRS AND ELECTED TO THE REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL. HOVE

LATER MOVED TO MOZAMBIQUE WITH OTHER ZANU OFFICIALS

WHERE HE CONTINUED TO SERVED AS THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. HOVE, A KARANGA ATTACHED TO THE

FACTION LED BY VICE PRESIDENT MUZENDA, WAS BORN IN

¶1935. HE IS MARRIED AND HAS FOUR CHILDREN.

 

¶45. (U) MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY: CALLISTUS

NDLOVU

— HAS BEEN REAPPOINTED TO THIS MINISTRY, A POSITION

WHICH HE HAS HELD SINCE JULY 1985. PRIOR TO THIS

ASSIGNMENT, NDLOVU WAS APPOINTED MINISTER OF

CONSTRUCTION IN JANUARY 1982, AND LATER TOOK OVER THE

MINISTRY OF MINES FROM MAURICE NYAGUMBO IN JANUARY

¶1984. NDLOVU SWITCHED HIS PARTY AFFILIATION FROM ZAPU

TO ZANU IN JUNE 1974 AND WAS APPOINTED AS THE ZANU

CHAIRMAN IN MATABELELAND NORTH. NDLOVU IS A TEACHER BY

PROFESSION, HAVING BEEN EDUCATED IN LESOTHO. HE WAS

DETAINED IN 1967, AFTER WHICH HE LEFT ON FELLOWSHIP TO

STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE AT N.Y.U. FROM 1967 TO 1980 HE

WAS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND POLITICAL

SCIENCE, AND WAS DIRECTOR OF THE AFRICAN STUDIES

INSTITUTE AT HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY. NDLOVU ALSO SERVED AS

ZAPU’S CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE AT THE UN FROM 1973 TO 1979.

BEFORE BECOMING A MINISTER IN 1982, NDLOVU WAS AN

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS MANAGER WITH UNION CARBIDE. HE

TRAVELED TO THE US IN 1981 ON A USIA IV GRANT. NDLOVU

IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE NDEBELE, BUT IT IS SAID THAT HE

IS ACTUALLY FROM THE KALANGA TRIBE (WHICH WAS VIRTUALLY

INCORPORATED INTO THE NDEBELE). HE WAS BORN IN 1936 AND

IS MARRIED WITH FOUR CHILDREN.

 

¶46. (C) NDLOVU REPORTEDLY REMAINS A FAVORITE OF ZAPU

LEADER JOSHUA NKOMO DESPITE NDLOVU’S DEFECTION TO ZANU.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF HIS DEFECTION FROM ZAPU HE HAS

LITTLE POLITICAL SUPPORT IN MATABELELAND.

 

¶47. (U) MINISTER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE: OLIVER

MUNYARADZI

— HAS ALSO BEEN REAPPOINTED TO HIS PREVIOUS POSITION.

HE BECAME THE MINISTER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE IN JULY

¶1985. HE FIRST ENTERED GOVERNMENT IN 1980 WHEN HE WAS

APPOINTED DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE. IN 1982 HE BECAME

MINISTER OF HEALTH. MUNYARADZI WAS APPONTED MINISTER OF

STATE FOR ENERGY IN 1984 AND IN NOVEMBER OF THE SAME

YEAR HE BECAME THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND WATER

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH HE HELD UNTIL HIS

APPOINTMENT TO HIS PRESENT POSITION AS COMMERCE MINISTER

IN 1985. HE WAS SEVERELY INJURED IN AN AUTOMOBILE

ACCIDENT IN 1986 WHICH AFFECTED HIS CAPACITY TO WORK.

HE HAS NOT RETURNED TO FULL EFFECTIVENESS SINCE THE

ACCIDENT. MUNYARADZI IS A PHYSICIAN BY TRAINING. HE

GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DURBAN AND RECEIVED

SPECIAL SURGICAL TRAINING IN THE UK IN 1969. UPON HIS

RETURN HE WAS ACTIVE IN ZANU INTERNAL POLITICS AND WAS

DETAINED IN 1976. IN 1978 HE BECAME A SENIOR LECTURER

IN SURGERY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODESIA. MUNYARADZI IS

MARRIED AND HAS THREE SONS. HE WAS BORN IN 1933 AND IS

A KARANGA.

 

¶48. (U) MINISTER OF NATIONAL SUPPLIES: SIMBI MUBAKO

— MUBAKO HAS SERVED AS MINISTER OF NATIONAL SUPPLIES

SINCE JULY 1985. MUBAKO IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE

BEST EDUCATED MEMBERS OF THE CABINET. HE BEGAN HIS

CAREER AS A JOURNALIST AND WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF

THE WEEKLY NEWS AND OPINION MAGAZINE “MOTO”. HE LATER

OBTAINED LAW DEGREES AT TRINITY COLLEGE (DUBLIN), AND

CONTINUED LAW STUDIES IN LONDON. HE WAS A LECTURER IN

LAW AT SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY (UK) FROM 1976 TO 1979.

HE WAS A PROFESSOR AND DEAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO

UNTIL HE RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE IN 1980 AND WAS APPOINTED

AS MINISTER OF JUSTICE IN MUGABE’S FIRST CABINET. HE

WAS LATER APPOINTED AS THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS IN

1984 AND HELD THAT POSITION UNTIL HE WAS APPOINTED AS

THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL SUPPLIES IN 1985. MUBAKO IS

THOUGHT TO BE A KARANGA. HE WAS BORN IN 1936, IS

MARRIED, AND HAS THREE CHILDREN.

 

¶49. (U) MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: CHRIS

ANDERSON

— ANDERSON, CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE THE BEST LAWYER

IN ZIMBABWE, RETAINS HIS PORTFOLIO AS THE MINISTER OF

STATE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, A POSITION HE HAS HELD SINCE

¶1982. ANDERSON BECAME A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE

RHODESIAN FRONT IN 1974. HE WAS APPOINTED MINISTER OF

JUSTICE IN THE SMITH GOVERNMENT IN 1978 AND LATER BECAME

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE IN THE MUZOREWA GOVERNMENT IN

¶1979. ANDERSON CONTINUED TO SERVE IN PARLIAMENT AFTER

INDEPENDENCE IN 1980, BUT HE LEFT THE RHODESIAN FRONT IN

1982 TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT. MUGABE APPOINTED HIM

MINISTER OF STATE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE THAT SAME YEAR.

ANDERSON IS THE FORMER HEAD OF THE BAR AND CONTINUES TO

SIT AS AN INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT. BORN IN

JOHANNESBURG IN 1935, ANDERSON CAME TO RHODESIA WITH HIS

FAMILY IN 1938. HE TRAVELED TO THE US IN 1985 ON A USIA

IV GRANT. ANDERSON IS MARRIED AND HAS THREE CHILDREN.

 

¶50. (C) AS A MEMBER OF THE RF, ANDERSON WAS KNOWN FOR

ESPOUSING RACIST VIEWS. HE DID A COMPLETE ABOUT FACE

IN 1982. HE IS THOUGHT TO BE KEPT IN HIS MINISTERIAL

POSITION BY MUGABE IN AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE INTEGRITY

WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE. HE HAS NO POLITICAL BASE IN

THE WHITE COMMUNITY AND IS NOT REGARDED BY WHITES AS

“THEIR SPOKESMAN” IN GOVERNMENT. HE IS AN AVID FLY

FISHERMAN.

 

¶51. (U) MINISTER OF STATE FOR NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS:

JOSEPH CULVERWELL

— CULVERWELL IS NEW TO THE CABINET, HAVING PREVIOUSLY

SERVED AS THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION. HE IS THE

ONLY “COLOURED” MINISTER. A TEACHER BY PROFESSION,

CULVERWELL WAS EDUCATED IN SOUTH AFRICA AND BRITAIN. HE

WAS IMPRISONED FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES IN 1967 AND

FOLLOWING HIS RELEASE WENT TO WORK AS A TEACHER IN THE

UK. DURING THIS TIME IT IS SAID THAT HE WAS ACTIVE

ASSISTING ZIMBABWEANS WHO WERE IN EXILE IN BRITAIN.

CULVERWELL RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE IN 1980 TO CAMPAIGN FOR

ZANU. AFTER THE ELECTION HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE

SENATE. CULVERWELL HAS SERVED CONTINUOUSLY IN THE

SENATE SINCE 1980 AND SINCE 1981 HE HAS SERVED AS DEPUTY

MINISTER FOR EDUCATION.

 

¶52. (C) CULVERWELL, A COLOURED, IS REPORTEDLY NOT VERY

POPULAR WITH THE COLOURED POPULATION IN ZIMBABWE. HIS

POLITICAL POSITION IS DUE TO HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

WITH MUGABE AND OTHER ZANU BOSSES FOR WHOM HE DID FAVORS

AND RAN ERRANDS DURING THE LANCASTER HOUSE CONFERENCE IN

LONDON. IT IS NOT AT ALL CLEAR WHAT CULVERWELL IS

EXPECTED TO DO IN THIS NEWLY CREATED POSITION AND EVEN

THE LOCAL PRESS HAS SUGGESTED THAT IT IS A “DO NOTHING”

JOB. CULVERWELL IS WELL KNOWN AS AN “OLD ROGUE” WHO IS

USUALLY SEEN IN THE COMPANY OF LADY FRIENDS MUCH YOUNGER

THAN HE. HE IS A FREQUENT VISITOR TO LOCAL NIGHT SPOTS,

THOUGH HAS GIVEN UP SMOKING AND ALCOHOL FOR HEALTH REASONS.

 

DEPUTY CABINET MINISTERS

————————

¶53. (U) FIFTEEN DEPUTY CABINET MINISTERS HAVE BEEN

APPOINTED TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT (UP FROM THE ELEVEN

DEPUTY MINISTERS WHICH WERE FEATURED IN THE PREVIOUS

GOVERNMENT). NOT ALL MINISTRIES HAVE DEPUTY MINISTERS,

AND WE HAVE OBSERVED THAT THE MINISTRIES WHICH DEAL MOST

DIRECTLY WITH NATIONAL SECURITY (SUCH AS FOREIGN

AFFAIRS, DEFENSE, AND HOME AFFAIRS) DO NOT/NOT HAVE

DEPUTY MINISTERS. WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE

ABSENCE OF DEPUTY MINISTERS IS TYPICAL FOR CERTAIN KEY

MINISTRIES BECAUSE, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE MINISTER FROM

A KEY MINISTRY, MUGABE APPOINTS ANOTHER OF HIS CLOSEST

MINISTERS TO ACT IN THE PLACE OF THE ABSENT MINISTER

RATHER THAN ALLOW THE MANAGEMENT OF A KEY MINISTRY TO

FALL TO A DEPUTY MINISTER. THE DEPUTY MINISTERS IN THE

CURRENT GOVERNMENT ARE:

 

¶54. (U) KENNETH BUTE, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY AND

COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN’S AFFAIRS:

— BUTE IS NEW TO THE GOVERNMENT AND HIS PORTFOLIO IS A

NEW ADDITION TO THE GOZ SINCE HIS IS ONE OF THE NEWLY

CREATED MINISTRIES. BUTE ONLY RECENTLY GOT INVOLVED IN

NATIONAL POLITICS, HAVING BEEN FIRST ELECTED TO THE

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN 1985 AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE

GOROMONZI DISTRICT. HE IS NOT GENERALLY WELL KNOWN AND

IS SAID TO BE A BUSINESSMAN BY PROFESSION. HE IS A

ZEZURU.

 

¶55. (U) GEORGE CHINENGUNDU, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR JUSTICE,

LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS:

— CHINENGUNDU IS ALSO OCCUPYING A NEWLY CREATED

POSITION. HE IS, HOWEVER, A VETERAN OF THE PREVIOUS

GOVERNMENT, HAVING PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE DEPUTY

MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TOWN PLANNING SINCE

¶1982. CHINENGUNDU MADE THE NEWS IN 1986 BY DISSOLVING

THE WEDZA DISTRICT COUNCIL FOR MALADMINISTRATION. HE IS

A LAWYER BY PROFESSION AND MADE HIS POLITICAL REPUTATION

BY REPRESENTING POLITICAL PRISONERS DURING THE

NATIONALIST STRUGGLE. HE WAS NOT OTHERWISE BEEN VERY

ACTIVE IN POLITICS. CHINENGUNDU IS ALSO A SENATOR. HE

IS A MANYIKA.

 

¶56. (U) CHARLES DUKE, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR MINES:

— DUKE IS NEW TO THE GOVERNMENT AND IS OCCUPYING

ANOTHER NEWLY-CREATED POSITION. HE IS A GEOLOGIST BY

TRAINING. DUKE, A WHITE, WAS FORMERLY A MEMBER OF

PARLIAMENT WITH THE OPPOSITION CONSERVATIVE ALLIANCE OF

ZIMBABWE (CAZ) PARTY. IN 1985 HE BECAME THE FIRST WHITE

MP TO CROSS OVER TO JOIN ZANU.

 

¶57. (C) DUKE IS CONSIDERED AN OPPORTUNIST AND A POLITICAL

LIGHTWEIGHT. HE IS NOT PARTICULARLY WELL REGARDED IN

THE WHITE COMMUNITY.

 

¶58. (U) JOCK KAY, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR LANDS, AGRICULTURE

AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT:

— KAY IS ALSO NEW TO GOVERNMENT AND IS OCCUPYING

ANOTHER NEWLY-CREATED POSITION. KAY IS THE OTHER WHITE

DEPUTY MINISTER AND, LIKE DUKE, HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST

WHITE CAZ MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT TO CROSS THE AISLE AND

JOIN ZANU. KAY IS A COMMERCIAL FARMER FROM THE WEDZA

DISTRICT.

 

¶59. (C) FELLOW WHITES, INCLUDING THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS,

ARE NOT VERY IMPRESSED WITH KAY’S APPOINTMENT. KAY IS

INEXPERIENCED IN GOVERNMENT AND HIS PROFESSIONAL

COMPETENCE IS ALSO QUESTIONABLE. THE WHITE COMMERCIAL

FARMERS GENERALLY DOUBT THAT KAY WILL BE CAPABLE OF

SAFEGUARDING THEIR INTERESTS EVEN IF HE WISHES TO.

KAY HAS BEEN A LONG-TIME, WELL-MEANING AND FAITHFUL

EMBASSY CONTACT.

 

¶60. (U) AMINA HUGHES, DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT:

–HUGHES RETAINS THIS PORTFOLIO WHICH SHE HAS HELD

SINCE 1985. HUGHES, COLOURED, IS FROM MATABELELAND.

SHE FIRST BECAME INVOLVED IN POLITICS AFTER INDEPENDENCE

IN 1980 AND WAS ELECTED AS THE SECRETARY FOR THE ZANU

WOMEN’S LEAGUE IN MATABELELAND NORTH. HUGHES IS ALSO TO

BE ACTIVE IN WOMEN’S AFFAIRS. SHE WAS DEFEATED IN THE

1985 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AS A ZANU CANDIDATE IN

BULAWAYO BUT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY APPOINTED TO THE SENATE

AND BECAME THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT. HUGHES IS

SAID TO BE A PROTEGE OF THE FORMER MINISTER OF

TRANSPORTATION, HERBERT USHEWOKUNZE. SHE TRAVELED TO

THE US IN 1986 ON A USIA IV GRANT. HUGHES IS A WIDOW

WITH TWO ADULT SONS.

 

¶61. (U) MOTON MALIANGA, DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRADE AND

COMMERCE:

— MALIANGA, A VETERAN OF THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT, IS

NEW TO THIS POSITION AND REPLACES CHIMBINDZAYI

SANYANGARE (WHO HAS BEEN DROPPED FROM THE GOVERNMENT).

SINCE JANUARY 1981, MALIANGA SERVED CONTINUOUSLY AS THE

DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING. HE IS

A VETERAN NATIONALIST, FIRST BECOMING INVOLVED IN

NATIONALISTS POLITICS IN THE LATE 1950’S. HE WAS

ARRESTED IN 1962 AND, UPON HIS RELEASE A YEAR LATER,

JOINED ZANU AND BECAME THE PARTY REPRESENTATIVE IN

CAIRO. MALIANGA RETURNED TO RHODESIA IN LATE 1964 AND

WAS ARRESTED AGAIN. WHILE IN PRISON, HE STUDIED

BUSINESS AND LAW BY CORRESPONDENCE. HE WAS RELEASED IN

1971 AND BECAME OF MEMBER OF THE ANC CENTRAL COMMITTEE.

HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ANC NEGOTIATING TEAMS AT THE

VICTORIA FALLS TALKS AND AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

MALIANGA WAS NOT ACTIVE IN POLITICS IN THE LATTER

1970’S; HE RE-EMERGED IN 1980 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED AS A

ZANU MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. MALIANGA WAS BORN IN 1930.

HE IS A MANYIKA.

 

¶62. (U) KENNETH MANYONDA, DEPUTY MINISTER OF

INFORMATION, POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS:

— MANYONDA IS NEW TO THE CABINET, AND TAKES THIS

POSITION FROM NAOMI NHIWATIWA, WHO HAS RECENTLY BEEN

APPOINTED AS A MINISTER OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS

ATTACHED TO ZANU HEADQUARTERS. MANYONDA IS A MEMBER OF

PARLIAMENT AND PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF

PERSONNEL FOR THE POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CORPORATION (PTC), A PARASTATAL WHICH OPERATES UNDER THE

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. HE IS A FORMER TRADE UNIONIST

AND IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN THE ZANU YOUTH

ORGANIZATION. MANYONDA IS A MANYIKA.

 

¶63. (U) ROBERT MARARE, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR PUBLIC

CONSTRUCTION AND NATIONAL HOUSING:

— MARARE IS ONE OF THE TWO INCUMBENT DEPUTY MINISTERS

WHO CONTINUES TO HOLD THE SAME PORTFOLIO. HE HAS BEEN

DEPUTY MINISTER FOR PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION SINCE 1982.

MARARE IS ANOTHER VETERAN NATIONALIST WHO FIRST BECAME

INVOLVED IN POLITICS IN THE EARLY 1950’S. HE WAS

ARRESTED AND DETAINED AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE

STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE AND WAS A ZANU DELEGATE TO THE

GENEVA CONFERENCE. MARARE WAS ELECTED AS A ZANU MEMBER

OF PARLIAMENT IN 1980. MARARE WAS BORN IN 1919 AND IS

MARRIED WITH SEVEN CHILDREN. HE IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE

ZEZURU.

 

¶64. (U) LTC. HERBERT MAHLABA (ALSO KNOWN AS BY HIS NOM

DE GUERRE: “CLEMENCE GAZA”), DEPUTY MINISTER OF LABOUR,

MANPOWER PLANNING AND SOCIAL WELFARE:

— MAHLABA IS ALSO NEW TO THE GOVERNMENT AND HE

OCCUPIES ANOTHER NEWLY CREATED POSITION. MAHLABA IS A

MILITARY OFFICER BY PROFESSION, HAVING PREVIOUSLY BEEN A

ZANLA COMBATANT DURING THE NATIONALIST STRUGGLE.

MAHLABA HAS RECENTLY RECEIVED A GOOD DEAL OF PUBLIC

ATTENTION AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ZIMBABWE-MOZAMBIQUE

FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION (ZIMOFA), WHICH HAS BEEN RAISING

RELIEF AID IN ZIMBABWE FOR MOZAMBIQUE. MAHLABA ONLY

RECENTLY BECAME INVOLVED IN POLITICS WHEN HE WAS ELECTED

TO A NON-CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY SEAT IN OCTOBER 1987.

MAHLABA WAS REQUIRED TO RESIGN HIS COMMISSION AT THE

TIME OF HIS ELECTION TO PARLIAMENT. HE IS AN KARANGA.

 

¶65. (C) MAHLABA WAS AN UNDISTINGUISHED ARMY OFFICER WHO

HAS THE REPUTATION FOR BEING A “NICE GUY” WITH A PLEASANT,

ALMOST JOLLY, PERSONALITY. HE ALSO HAS BEEN SUSPECTED OF

SKIMMING OFF ZIMOFA FUNDS FOR PERSONAL USE AND IS

BELIEVED TO BE CORRUPTIBLE. MAHLABA MAY HAVE BEEN

APPOINTED SIMPLY TO SHOW THAT KARANGAS ARE BEING ELEVATED

TO SENIOR GOVERNMENT POSITIONS BUT, AS A NON-CONSTITUENT

MP WITH NO PERSONAL POLITICAL BASE, HE IS ESSENTIALLY A

POLITICAL NONENTITY WHO MAY EVENTUALLY FADE AWAY. IN THE

MEANWHILE, ANOTHER KARANGA OFFICER WAS SHIFTED OUT OF

THE ARMY. (SEE REF D FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE

MILITARY OFFICERS IN THE CABINET.)

 

¶66. (U) TICHAENDEPI MASAYA, DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE,

ECONOMIC PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT:

— MASAYA IS NEW TO THE CABINET, TAKING OVER THIS

POSITION FROM MOTON MALIANGA WHO IS NOW DEPUTY MINISTER

OF TRADE AND COMMERCE. MASAYA IS A STATISTICIAN BY

TRAINING AND HAS LECTURED IN ECONOMICS AT THE UNIVERSITY

OF ZIMBABWE SINCE 1981. HE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE

NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE BOARD AND IS THE CHAIRMAN OF

THE POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (PTC), THE

COMMUNICATIONS PARASTATAL WHICH OPERATES UNDER THE

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. MASAYA IS SAID TO BE ACTIVE IN

HARARE DISTRICT POLITICS, AND WAS ELECTED TO PARLIAMENT

IN 1985 TO REPRESENT THE NYANGA DISTRICT OF MANICALAND.

HE IS A MANYIKA.

 

¶67. (U) SWITHUN MOMBESHORA, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR HEALTH:

— MOMBESHORA SERVED AS THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS

AND AGRICULTURE IN THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT. HE HAS

TAKEN OVER AS DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH FROM EDWARD

PSWARAYI WHO IS NO LONGER IN GOVERNMENT. MOMBESHORA WAS

REPORTEDLY ACTIVE IN ZANU YOUTH POLITICS AND LATER

ASSISTED ZANLA BY ORGANIZING FINANCES AND SUPPLIES

INSIDE THE COUNTRY DURING THE NATIONALIST STRUGGLE. HE

IS A PHYSICIAN BY TRAINING AND WAS ACTIVE IN THE 1980

ELECTION CAMPAIGN. MOMBESHORA TRAVELED TO THE US IN

1983 ON A USIA IV GRANT. HE WAS BORN IN 1945 AND IS

MARRIED WITH TWO DAUGHTERS AND ONE SON. MOMBESHORA IS A

ZEZURU.

 

¶68. (U) LOT SENDA MOYO, DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL

GOVERNMENT, RURAL AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT:

— MOYO IS NEW TO THE GOVERNMENT AND REPLACES GEORGE

CHINENGUNDU (WHO IS NOW THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE)

IN THIS POSITION. MOYO IS ONE OF TWO ZAPU MEMBERS OF

PARLIAMENT AND NDEBELES WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE

GOVERNMENT AS A DEPUTY MINISTER. AS IS THE CASE WITH

MANY ZAPU POLITICIANS, MOYO HAS DEVOTED HIMSELF ALMOST

EXCLUSIVELY TO PARTY BUSINESS AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE

ONE OF THE ZAPU “OLD GUARD”.

 

¶69. (U) CHARLES NDLOVU, DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT

AND CULTURE:

— NDLOVU IS NEW TO THE CABINET AND TAKES OVER THIS

POSITION FROM AMOS MIDZI WHO IS NO LONGER IN

GOVERNMENT. NDLOVU, A ZEZURU, WAS ONCE A DISC JOCKEY

WITH THE RHODESIAN BROADCASTING CORP. HE LEFT FOR

MAPUTO IN THE MIND-1970’S WHERE HE BECAME A BROADCASTER

ON “THE VOICE OF FREE ZIMBABWE”. IN THE EARLY 1980’S,

HE WAS NAMED HEAD OF PRODUCTION SERVICES IN THE MINISTRY

OF INFORMATION, AND IN 1985 HE BECAME HEAD OF THE

PARASTATAL CENTRAL FILM LABORATORIES. HE IS ALSO THE

HEAD OF THE ZANU YOUTH WING. IN 1985 HE WAS ELECTED AS

A ZANU MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.

 

¶70. (C) NDLOVU IS CONSIDERED A PARTY HACK WITH FAIRLY

CLOSE TIES TO MUGABE. AS HEAD OF THE YOUTH WING OF THE

PARTY, HE HAS HAD VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH EAST BLOC

NATIONS, NORTH KOREA AND CHINA, ALL OF WHOM HAVE

SUPPORTED THE YOUTH WING. HOWEVER, HE IS ALSO VERY

ACCESSIBLE TO US AND AN OCCASIONALLY USEFUL CONTACT WITH

THE PARTY’S IDEOLOGICAL WING. HE WAS MOVED FROM THE

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION TO CENTRAL FILM LABS IN 1985

AFTER A SCANDAL IN WHICH AN ALLEGED ZDOLS 50,000 WAS

EMBEZZLED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION SERVICES

THROUGH A FALSE PAYROLL SCHEME. THE DEPARTMENT’S

ACCOUNTANT COMMITTED SUICIDE, BUT NDLOVU–WHO IS WIDELY

THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED–WAS SAVED,

PROBABLY THROUGH HIS TIES WITH MUGABE. THOUGH MARRIED,

NDLOVU IS WELL KNOWN AS A WOMANIZER AND HEAVY DRINKER.

HE IS A REGISTERED MEMBER OF THE NORTON COUNTRY CLUB

(HE HAS A FARM IN THE AREA) UNDER HIS PRE-REVOLUTIONARY

NAME OF WEBSTER SHAMU.

 

¶71. (U) EDWARD NDLOVU, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR ENERGY, WATER

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT:

— NDLOVU IS NEW TO THE GOVERNMENT AND IS OCCUPYING A

NEWLY-CREATED POSITION. HE IS CONSIDERED ANOTHER OF THE

ZAPU “OLD GUARD” AND IS A ZAPU MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FROM

GWANDA. NDLOVU IS THE SECOND OF TWO ZAPU MPS AND

NDEBELES WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE GOVERNMENT AS

DEPUTY MINISTERS IN THE WAKE OF THE ZANU/ZAPU UNITY

AGREEMENT. PRIOR TO ENTERING GOVERNMENT HE HAS MOSTLY

DEVOTED HIMSELF TO ZAPU POLITICS.

 

¶72. (C) NDLOVU IS AN OLD FRIEND OF THE US AND A REGULAR

CONTACT OF THE EMBASSY. HE IS A THOUGHTFUL POLITICAL

OBSERVER AND A HARDCORE PRAGMATIST.

 

¶73. (U) HENRY POTE, DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND

TECHNOLOGY:

— POTE IS NEW TO THE GOVERNMENT AND IS OCCUPYING A

NEWLY-CREATED POSITION. HE IS A ZANU MEMBER OF

PARLIAMENT FROM CHIREDZI. POTE IS NOT WELL KNOWN

NATIONALLY OR IN HARARE, AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT HE WAS

SELECTED FOR A POSITION IN THE GOVERNMENT TO BE A

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NDAU-SPEAKING POPULATION OF THE

LOW VELDT IN MASVINGO PROVINCE. POTE IS A KARANGA,

HOWEVER, AND THERE IS SOME THOUGHT THAT HE IS ACTUALLY

OF VENDA DESCENT. THE VENDA IS A SMALL TRIBE IN THE LOW

VELDT THAT IS NOT OF SHONA ORIGIN BUT WAS ESSENTIALLY

INCORPORATED INTO THE KARANGA.

 

 

MINISTERS OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS (PARTY

APPOINTEES)

——————————————— ————

 

¶74. (U) THE MINISTERS OF STATES FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS

ARE NEWLY CREATED FORMED TO ACCOMMODATE FOUR FORMER

MINISTERS AND ONE FORMER DEPUTY MINISTER WHO ARE NO

LONGER IN GOVERNMENT. THESE MINISTERS OF STATE FOR

POLITICAL AFFAIRS ARE OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED AS “PARTY

APPOINTEES”; THEY REPORT TO MAURICE NYAGUMBO, THE SENIOR

MINISTER FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS IN THE PRESIDENT’S

OFFICE. THOUGH THEY ARE CONSIDERED PARTY APPOINTEES,

THE SALARIES OF THESE MINISTERS OF STATE FOR POLITICAL

AFFAIRS ARE PAID FOR BY THE GOVERNMENT. THESE MINISTERS

OF STATE WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THREE DEPUTY MINISTERS OF

STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS.

 

¶75. (U) ERNEST KADUNGURE: PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN THE

CABINET AS THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENSE SINCE

JANUARY 1984. PRIOR TO THAT HE WAS APPOINTED MINISTER

OF YOUTH, SPORT AND CULTURE IN 1981. IMMEDIATELY AFTER

INDEPENDENCE, KADUNGURE SERVED AS THE MINISTER OF

TRANSPORT AND POWER. KANDUNGURE JOINED ZAPU IN 1962 BUT

IN 1964 MOVED TO ZAMBIA TO WORK. HE JOINED THE ARMED

STRUGGLE IN 1968 AND SERVED IN ZANLA. HE BECAME A

MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN 1977 AND BECAME THE

PARTY SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND CULTURE. HE LATER WAS

APPOINTED AS THE PARTY’S FINANCE SECRETARY. KADUNGURE

IS CURRENTLY A ZANU MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, THE PARTY

SECRETARY FOR YOUTH AND A MEMBER OF THE POLITBURO. AS A

MINISTER OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS, KANDUNGURE WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING THE GOVERNMENT’S NATIONAL

SERVICE WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ALLEVIATING THE

GROWING UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE LARGE NUMBER

OF “SCHOOL LEAVERS”. THIS NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME IS

SUPPOSED TO CONCENTRATE ON MILITARY SERVICE AND

AGRICULTURAL TRAINING. KANDUNGURE WAS BORN IN 1942, IS

MARRIED AND HAS ONE CHILD. HE IS A ZEZURU.

 

¶76. (C) A SOURCE TELLS US THAT MUGABE PROBABLY RELIEVED

KANDUNGURE FROM HIS PREVIOUS POSITION AS THE MINISTER

OF STATE FOR DEFENSE BECAUSE OF POOR PERFORMANCE.

 

¶77. (U) NAOMI NHIWATIWA: PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE

DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION, POSTS AND

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SINCE APRIL 1982. PRIOR TO THAT SHE

SERVED AS THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ROADS AND ROAD

TRANSPORTATION, AND THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN’S AFFAIRS. AFTER COMPLETING HER

SECONDARY EDUCATION IN RHODESIA, NHIWATIWA WENT TO

COLLEGE IN THE UNITED STATES. SHE RECEIVED A DEGREE IN

NUTRITION FROM LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, NEBRASKA (SIC), AND A

MASTER’S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY AT WAYNE STATE (DETROIT).

SHE LATER RECEIVED A PH.D. IN COMMUNICATIONS FROM NYU.

NHIWATIWA RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE FOLLOWING THE LANCASTER

HOUSE AGREEMENT AND WAS ELECTED AS A ZANU MEMBER OF

PARLIAMENT. NHIWATIWA TRAVELED TO THE US IN 1982 ON A

USIA IV GRANT. SHE IS A MANYIKA. NHIWATIWA WAS BORN IN

1942 AND IS UNMARRIED.

 

¶78. (C) NHIWATIWA HAD THE REPUTATION FOR BEING SOMETHING

OF A “PLAYGIRL” WHICH, ALONG WITH ALLEGATIONS OF POOR

PERFORMANCE AS A DEPUTY MINISTER, IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN

THE MAIN REASON FOR HER DEMOTION.

 

¶79. (U) FREDERICK SHAVA: IS THE FORMER MINSTER OF

LABOUR, MANPOWER PLANNING AND SOCIAL WELFARE, A POSITION

HE HAS HELD SINCE JANUARY 1981. DURING THE NATIONALIST

STRUGGLE, SHAVA WAS STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY IN LONDON.

HE WAS ZANU CHAIRMAN IN THE UK AND WAS LATER NAMED IN

1977 AS CHIEF ZANU REPRESENTATIVE IN EUROPE. HE

PARTICIPATED IN THE LANCASTER HOUSE CONFERENCE, RETURNED

TO ZIMBABWE IN JANUARY 1980 AND WAS ELECTED TO

PARLIAMENT. THOUGH SHAVA IS A KARANGA, HE IS IDENTIFIED

WITH THE ZEZURU CLIQUE. HE IS MARRIED AND HAS THREE

CHILDREN. SHAVA IS 40 YEARS OLD.

 

¶80. (U) HERBERT USHEWOKUNZE: WAS THE MINISTER OF

TRANSPORTATION IN THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT, A POSITION HE

HELD SINCE JANUARY 1984. A MEDICAL DOCTOR BY

PROFESSION, USHEWOKUNZE SERVED AS ZIMBABWE’S FIRST

MINISTER OF HEALTH UNTIL 1981. HE THEN SERVED AS THE

MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS UNTIL LATE 1982. USHEWOKUNZE

STUDIED MEDICINE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND WAS THE FIRST

AFRICAN TO OPEN A MEDICAL PRACTICE IN MATABELELAND. HE

JOINED THE YOUTH WING OF ZANU IN 1963 AND HELPED

ORGANIZE THE UNDERGROUND CELLS. IN 1976 HE JOINED UP

WITH THE ZANU LEADERSHIP IN MOZAMBIQUE, BECAME A MEMBER

OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, AND WAS NAMED THE PARTY

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH. USHEWOKUNZE IS MARRIED AND HAS

TEN CHILDREN. HE WAS BORN IN 1938 AND IS A ZEZURU.

 

¶81. (C) USHEWOKUNZE IS POPULAR AMONG THE ZEZURU AND ONE

OF THE FEW MEMBERS OF THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT WITH HIS

OWN POWER BASE. HE ALSO HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING VERY

INEFFICIENT AND VERY CORRUPT.

 

¶82. (U) EDDISON ZVOBGO: WAS THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE,

LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS IN THE PREVIOUS

GOVERNMENT. IN THAT POSITION, WHICH HE HELD SINCE 1982,

ZVOBGO WAS IN CHARGE OF PREPARING THE CONSTITUTIONAL

CHANGES WHICH LED TO THE ABOLITION OF RACIAL

REPRESENTATION IN THE PARLIAMENT AND THE CREATION OF THE

EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY. IN HIS NEW POSITION AS A MINISTER

OF STATE FOR PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, ZVOBGO IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING THE REORGANIZATION OF ZANU TO

ACCOMMODATE THE RECENTLY INCORPORATED ZAPU. IN JUNE

1960 ZVOBGO WAS APPOINTED CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE OF THE

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NDP – THE NATIONALIST

SUCCESSOR TO THE BANNED ANC) AT THE UN. HE ATTENDED

TUFTS UNIVERSITY. ZVOBGO RETURNED TO RHODESIA IN 1963

AND WAS A FOUNDER OF ZANU. HE SERVED AS THE DEPUTY

SECRETARY GENERAL OF ZANU UNTIL 1977. ZVOBGO WAS

DETAINED, DURING WHICH TIME HE STUDIED LAW AND WAS

ADMITTED TO THE BAR. HE RETURNED TO THE US IN 1972 TO

CONTINUE HIS STUDIES AT THE FLETCHER SCHOOL (TUFTS) AND

HARVARD LAW. HE LATER TAUGHT AS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

AT THE LEWIS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW IN ILLINOIS.

ZVOBGO WAS A LEGAL ADVISOR FOR ZANU AT THE GENEVA

CONFERENCE AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE ZANU DELEGATION AT

THE LANCASTER HOUSE CONFERENCE. HE RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE

IN 1980 AND WAS THE ZANU ELECTION CHAIRMAN. ZVOBGO

TRAVELED TO THE US IN 1987 ON A USIA IV GRANT. HE IS

MARRIED TO ANOTHER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, JULIA ZVOBGO,

AND HAS FOUR CHILDREN. ZVOBGO WAS BORN IN 1935 AND IS A

KARANGA.

 

¶83. (C) ZVOBGO WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW MEMBERS OF THE

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT WITH A POPULAR BASE OF SUPPORT

(IN HIS CASE IN MASVINGO PROVINCE). HE WAS FORMERLY

ZANU PARTY CHAIRMAN OF MASVINGO AND A MEMBER OF THE

POLITBURO BUT WAS RELIEVED OF THESE POSTS IN 1986

AS A RESULT OF A POWER STRUGGLE WITH FELLOW KARANGA

AND THEN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MUZENDA. HE HAS A

SERIOUS DRINKING PROBLEM WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED

TO HIS DEMOTION.

 

DEPUTY MINISTERS OF STATE

————————-

¶84. (U) GENERAL JEVAN MASEKO: IS THE FORMER ARMY CHIEF

OF STAFF FOR ADMINISTRATION AND QUARTERMASTER. AS A

DEPUTY MINISTER OF STATE, MASEKO’S MILITARY EXPERIENCE

SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY USEFUL AS HE WILL BE WORKING UNDER

MINISTER OF STATE KANDUNGURE IN THE PREPARATION OF A

NATIONAL SERVICE PLAN. HE LEFT THIS POSITION AND

RESIGNED HIS COMMISSION TO BECOME A NON-CONSTITUTENT

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IN NOVEMBER 1987. MASEKO IS A

FORMER ZIPRA COMBATANT WHO ENTERED THE NEW ZIMBABWE

NATIONAL ARMY AT INDEPENDENCE. HE IS AN NDEBELE.

 

¶85. (C) MASEKO IS SAID TO BE A PLEASANT FELLOW BUT IS

CONSIDERED TO BE A MEDIOCRE OFFICER. THOUGH HE HAS BEEN

TO SOME EXTENT COOPTED BY THE SHONA HIERARCHY, HE IS

SAID TO STILL BE POPULAR AMONG THE NDEBELE AND MAINTAIN

SOME UNOFFICIAL CONTACTS WITH ZAPU. AS A NON-CONSTITUENT

MP HE LACKS A CLEARLY DEFINED POLITICAL BASE SO HIS

FUTURE WILL DEPEND ON THE CONTINUED GOOD FAVOR OF MUGABE.

BY ENTERING THE PARLIAMENT MASEKO HAD TO RESIGN HIS

COMMISSION, SO THE SENIOR NDEBELE OFFICER HAS LEFT THE

ARMY. (SEE REF D FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE MILITARY

OFFICERS IN THE CABINET.)

 

¶86. (U) SHUVAI MAHOFA: IS ONE OF TWO WOMEN WHO NOW

SERVE AS DEPUTY MINISTERS OF STATE. MAHOFA IS A MEMBER

OF PARLIAMENT FROM MASVINGO PROVINCE. DURING THE

INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE MAHOFA SERVED IN AN UNDERGROUND

DETATCHMENT WHICH PROVIDED LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE

NATIONALIST GUERILLAS. SINCE INDEPENDENCE SHE HAS BEEN

ACTIVE IN WOMEN’S AFFAIRS AND WAS ELECTED SECRETARY FOR

WELFARE AND TRANSPORTATION IN THE ZANU WOMEN’S LEAGUE.

SHE FREQUENTLY TRAVELS WITH THE DELEGATIONS LED BY THE

PRESIDENT’S WIFE. MAHOFA IS A KARANGA.

 

¶87. (U) OPAH MUCHINGURI: HAS ONLY RECENTLY COME TO

PUBLIC PROMINENCE. IN NOVEMBER 1987 SHE WAS ELECTED TO

A NON-CONSTITUENT PARLIAMENTARY SEAT, AND IN JANUARY

1988 SHE RECEIVED HER FIRST APPOINTMENT TO THE

GOVERNMENT AS A DEPUTY MINISTER FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS.

BEFORE HER ELECTION TO PARLIAMENT SHE WORKED AS A

PRIVATE SECRETARY TO PRIME MINISTER MUGABE. MUCHINGURI

JOINED THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE WHEN SHE LEFT HIGH SCHOOL

IN 1975. SHE RECEIVED TRAINING IN SECRETARIAL SKILLS

AND ACCOUNTING AND SERVED AS THE SECRETARY FOR THE ZANLA

HIGH COMMAND. AFTER INDEPENDECE SHE WORKED BRIEFLY IN

THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE BEFORE LEAVING IN 1981 FOR

STUDIES IN THE UNITED STATES. SHE GRADUATED FROM

MINNESOTA STATE IN 1983 WITH A DEGREE IN PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY EARNED A MASTER’S DEGREE

IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT USC. SHE RETURNED TO

ZIMBABWE IN JANUARY 1986 AND TOOK UP A POSITION IN THE

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE. MUCHINGURI IS SAID TO BE VERY

CLOSE TO MUGABE. SHE IS A MANYIKA.

 

¶88. (C) MUCHINGURI ESSENTIALLY DROPPED OUT OF SIGHT

FOR THE FOUR YEARS THAT SHE WAS A STUDENT IN THE US.

THERE HAS BEEN SPECULATION THAT SHE DELIBERATELY LEFT

THE COUNTRY BECAUSE SHE WAS A SURVIVOR OF THE AUTOMOBILE

ACCIDENT WHICH KILLED ZANLA COMMANDER JOSIAH TONGONGARA

IN 1980. WHILE THE OFFICIAL INQUIRY RULED THAT

TONGONGARA’S DEATH WAS AN ACCIDENT, DOUBTS CONTINUED

AND SOME FELT THAT MUCHINGURI KNEW MORE THAN HAD BEEN

TOLD TO THE PUBLIC. MUCHINGURI KEPT A LOW PROFILE FOR

THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF AFTER HER RETURN TO ZIMBABWE

IN 1986. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE WITH FAY CHUNG,

MUCHINGURI’S STAR HAS BEEN ON THE RISE SINCE HER

ELECTION TO PARLIAMENT IN NOVEMBER 1987. WE BELIEVE

THAT MUCHINGURI’S RISE IS DUE TO HER REPORTEDLY CLOSE

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MUGABE. WE SUSPECT THAT SHE

HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS A DEPUTY TO THE MINISTERS OF STATE

FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS SO THAT SHE CAN SPY ON THIS

COLLECTION OF ERSTWHILE PARTY LEADERS AND POTENTIAL

RIVALS TO MUGABE.

 

 

RAWLINGS

 

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