Kasukuwere said Mugabe must be phased out for ZANU-PF to survive

Mount Darwin legislator Saviour Kasukuwere told United States embassy officials that President Robert Mugabe and his cronies must be phased out for the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to survive.

He said the first step was to get his two aged vice-presidents Simon Muzenda and Joseph Msika to step down.

That would provide a stepping stone for younger men such as Simba Makoni or Sydney Sekeramayi to move up into a position to become the party’s candidate for president.

Kasukuwere brushed off sentiments that Makoni was a technocrat saying he had his own support base and had enough connections within the business sector.

He also suggested that Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa and Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa were contenders for vice-president and eventually president.

Kasukuwere said Mnangagwa had earned a great deal of respect across the political spectrum for his even-handedness in overseeing parliament, an opinion that did not go down well with the embassy officials who immediately commented that Kasukuwere must be one of Mnangagwa’s few vocal supporters.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE6189, AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE RULING PARTY

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021437Z Nov 00

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PAGE 01       HARARE 06189 01 OF 02 021438Z

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——————99F0FF 021438Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7505

INFO NSC WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 006189

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/10

TAGS: PGOV PINR ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE RULING PARTY

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PAGE 02       HARARE 06189 01 OF 02 021438Z

“YOUNG TURK”

REFTEL: HARARE 5829

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS: 1.5

(B) AND (D).

¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ON NOVEMBER 1, AMBASSADOR AND POLOFF

MET WITH NEW ZANU-PF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SAVIOUR

“TYSON” KASUKUWERE TO DISCUSS A VARIETY OF ISSUES,

INCLUDING DEVELOPMENTS IN HIS PARTY. KASUKUWERE, A

YOUNGISH BUSINESSMAN WITH STRONG PARTY TIES, SAID THAT

THE LAND ISSUE HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION AND THAT

FARMLAND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM WHITE FARMERS BY

FORCE. HE ALSO PLAINLY STATED THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE AND

HIS CRONIES MUST BE PHASED OUT OF THEIR LEADERSHIP ROLE

AND PROPOSED THAT THE TWO VICE-PRESIDENTS SHOULD STEP

DOWN AS A FIRST STEP. THE MP STRUCK A MORE MODERATE

TONE THAN HIS “OLD GUARD” COUNTERPARTS IN PARLIAMENT,

BUT HE IS STILL VERY MUCH A ZANU-PF LOYALIST WITH A

SHADY BACKGROUND. END SUMMARY.

—————

MP DEBATES LAND

—————

¶2. (C) ON NOVEMBER 1, AMBASSADOR AND POLOFF (NOTETAKER)

MET WITH THE NEW ZANU-PF MP FOR MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH

SAVIOUR “TYSON” KASUKUWERE, TO DISCUSS A VARIETY OF

ISSUES, INCLUDING LAND AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN HIS

PARTY. ON LAND, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE ISSUE HAD

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PAGE 03       HARARE 06189 01 OF 02 021438Z

BECOME POLITICIZED AND HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO BECOME

“EVERYTHING” IN POLITICAL DEBATE. COMMERCIAL FARMLAND

SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FORCEFULLY FROM THEIR OWNERS, BUT

THERE IS A NEED FOR LAND REDISTRIBUTION, KASUKUWERE

OFFERED. WHEN ASKED BY THE AMBASSADOR ON THE WAY

FORWARD ON LAND REFORM, THE MP SAID THAT ZIMBABWE WILL

AT SOME POINT HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DONORS TO FINANCE

FARM PURCHASES. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THAT DONORS

WERE VERY UNLIKELY TO RESUME FUNDING UNTIL LAW AND ORDER

HAD BEEN RESTORED ON THE FARMS. KASUKUWERE STATED THAT

SQUATTERS MUST BE REMOVED FROM FARMS NOT DESIGNATED FOR

COMPULSORY ACQUISITION, IMPLYING THAT SQUATTERS ON

DESIGNATED PROPERTIES SHOULD REMAIN.

——————————

NEW DEAL ON MUGABE SUCCESSION?

——————————

¶3. THE CONVERSATION TURNED TO ZANU-PF INTERNAL POLITICS

AND THE SUCCESSION ISSUE. KASUKUWERE OPENLY STATED THAT

PRESIDENT MUGABE AND HIS CRONIES MUST BE PHASED OUT IN

ORDER FOR ZANU-PF TO SURVIVE. THE MP SUGGESTED THAT

SOME IN THE PARTY ARE TRYING TO GET THE TWO AGED VICE-

PRESIDENTS, SIMON MUZENDA AND JOSEPH MSIKA, TO STEP DOWN

AS A FIRST STEP. THAT WOULD THEN PROVIDE A STEPPING

STONE FOR YOUNGER MEN SUCH AS SIMBA MAKONI OR SYDNEY

SEKERAMAYI TO MOVE UP INTO A POSITION TO BECOME THE

PARTY’S CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. WHEN ASKED ABOUT

MAKONI’S POWER BASE, KASUKUWERE SAID THAT MAKONI HAS

ENOUGH CONNECTIONS WITH BUSINESS AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF

POLITICS TO MAKE HIM THE NEXT PRESIDENT. HE IS NOT A

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PAGE 04        HARARE 06189 01 OF 02 021438Z

TECHNOCRAT, AS MANY HAVE SAID, BUT HAS HIS OWN BASE OF

SUPPORT. KASUKUWERE SUGGESTED THAT SPEAKER OF

PARLIAMENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA AND FORMER HOME AFFAIRS

MINISTER DUMISO DABENGWA ARE ALSO CONTENDERS FOR VICE-

PRESIDENT, AND EVENTUALLY, PRESIDENT. MNANGAGWA HAS

EARNED A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT ACROSS THE POLITICAL

SPECTRUM FOR HIS EVENHANDEDNESS IN OVERSEEING

PARLIAMENT, THE MP OPINED. (COMMENT: MNANGAGWA’S

EVENHANDEDNESS HAS BEEN SELECTIVE. HE STILL QUELLS

DEBATE AND MANIPULATES PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE IN ZANU-

PF’S FAVOR WHEN CRITICAL VOTES ARE ON THE LINE. THE

SPEAKER IS ALSO REPUTED TO BE FEARED AND DISLIKED BY

SENIOR MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY. KASUKUWERE’S REMARKS

SUGGEST THAT HE MUST BE ONE OF MNANGAGWA’S FEW VOCAL

SUPPORTERS. END COMMENT.) EVERYONE IN ZANU-PF CAN

“READ THE SIGNS” THAT CHANGE IS COMING, EVEN THE OLD

GUARD, KASUKUWERE SAID. THE PARTY CANNOT AFFORD TO

POSTPONE REFORM ANY LONGER, BUT, NONETHELESS, IT MUST BE

CARRIED OUT IN A MANAGED WAY, THE MP REMARKED.

—————————

LOCAL ELECTIONS AND THE DRC

—————————

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H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01   NSAE-00

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——————99F110 021438Z /38

R 021437Z NOV 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7506

INFO NSC WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 006189

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/10

TAGS: PGOV PINR ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE RULING PARTY

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 06189 02 OF 02 021438Z

“YOUNG TURK”

¶4. (C) KASUKUWERE WRAPPED UP BY SAYING THAT THE GOZ IS

DELAYING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN HARARE AND OTHER CITIES

UNTIL ZANU-PF CAN WORK OUT A PLAN TO WIN THEM. IF

ELECTIONS WERE HELD TOMORROW, THE MDC WOULD CLEARLY

SWEEP EVERY CITY COUNCIL AND MAYORSHIP, THE MP ADMITTED.

HE ALSO AFFIRMED THAT HE IS CHAIRMAN OF THE DEFENSE AND

HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN PARLIAMENT, AND THAT HE HAS

SPOKEN WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE ABOUT WITHDRAWING

ZIMBABWE’S TROOPS FROM THE DRC. HE SAID, WITHOUT

ELABORATING, THAT SOME TROOPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT

BACK HOME.

¶5. (C) COMMENT: KASUKUWERE STRUCK A MORE MODERATE TONE

IN HIS REMARKS THAN HIS “OLD GUARD” COUNTERPARTS, AND

CLEARLY INDICATED BY WHAT HE TOLD US THAT HE COULD BE

CONSIDERED A “YOUNG TURK” IN THE PARTY (REFTEL).

HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN HIS LOYALTY TO ZANU-PF IS

WAVERING, OR THAT HE IS CONSIDERING CLOSE COOPERATION

WITH THE MDC. OTHER SOURCES HAVE TOLD US THAT THE

BRAWNY KASUKUWERE DIRECTED THE CAMPAIGN OF PRE-ELECTION

VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION IN HIS MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH

DISTRICT, ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY AFFECTED AREAS. IT

UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTED TO HIS SWEEPING VICTORY OVER HIS

MDC RIVAL. HIS COMMENTS ABOUT GETTING THE VICE-

PRESIDENTS TO RESIGN ARE INTERESTING AND IT IS NOT

UNTHINKABLE THAT SUCH A PLAN MAY BE UNDER CONSIDERATION

WITHIN THE PARTY. HOWEVER, IF THE OLD GUARD IS SOON

REPLACED BY THE YOUNGER GENERATION, IT MAY NOT

NECESSARILY HARBINGER A WHOLESALE CHANGE IN HOW ZANU-PF

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PAGE 03       HARARE 06189 02 OF 02 021438Z

RUNS THE COUNTRY. END COMMENT.

¶6. (C) BIO NOTE: SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE IS APPROXIMATELY

35-40 YEARS OLD. HE ORIGINALLY HAILS FROM MARONDERA

DISTRICT, WHERE HIS FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN THE 1970S

LIBERATION WAR. HE ATTENDED UNIVERSITY IN BERLIN BEFORE

JOINING THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO),

WHERE HE SERVED FOR 8-9 YEARS. KASUKUWERE JOINED THE

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE IN 1995 BEFORE BEING ELECTED TO

PARLIAMENT IN 2000. HE OWNS A TRUCKING BUSINESS IN

MUTARE (FAR FROM HIS PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY OF MOUNT

DARWIN SOUTH–HE LIKES TO KEEP BUSINESS AND POLITICS

“SEPARATE,” HE TOLD US.) HE HAS GOOD ACCESS TO FINANCE

MINISTER SIMBA MAKONI, WHOM HE AND BUSINESS PARTNERS

APPROACHED RECENTLY FOR HELP IN OBTAINING FINANCING FOR

HIS BUSINESS OPERATIONS. HE IS MARRIED WITH THREE YOUNG

CHILDREN. END BIO NOTE.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

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