Mount Darwin Legislator Saviour Tyson Kasukuwere thought that Youth Development Minister Border Gezi was “smart” to which Movement for Democratic Change secretary –general Welshman Ncube replied that that would make Gezi even more dangerous.
Kasukuwere, Ncube, Fletcher Dulini-Ncube and Daniel Ncube were having dinner at Industry and International Trade minister Nkosana Moyo’s house.
It was no ordinary dinner, however. The dinner was funded by United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald as well as ambassadors of Germany, Australian, Canada and France.
It was aimed at beginning a conversation between Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and Movement for Democratic Change parliamentarians.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE6318, SYMBOLIC MEETING BETWEEN 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.
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6961
PAGE 01 HARARE 06318 091550Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00
CTME-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00
EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 FRB-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /010W
——————9D1A98 091551Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7604
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006318
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: 11/09/10
SUBJECT: SYMBOLIC MEETING BETWEEN ZIMBABWE
PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION
REFS: A) HARARE 6189, B) HARARE 6082
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR MCDONALD SUPPORTED A DINNER
HOSTED BY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
NKOSANA MOYO NOVEMBER 7 AIMED AT GETTING ZANU-PF AND MDC
PARLIAMENTARIANS TALKING TO EACH OTHER. AMONG THE
GUESTS WERE TWO MDC AND TWO ZANU-PF MPS. THE ATMOSPHERE
WAS CORDIAL AND BOTH SIDES SPOKE FRANKLY OF THEIR OWN
DELEGATIONS’ FAILINGS IN PARLIAMENT. MINISTER MOYO
SOUGHT TO GET BOTH SIDES TALKING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT
WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE ZIMBABWE’S INTERNATIONAL
TRADE RELATIONS. NO BREAKTHROUGH MATERIALIZED, NOR WAS
ANY EXPECTED, BUT THE AMBASSADOR AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS
IN THIS PROCESS INTEND THIS TO BE THE FIRST OF A SERIES
OF LESS-FORMAL MEETINGS TO GET THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT
AND OPPOSITION TALKING BEFORE THE TENSIONS BETWEEN THEM
COMES TO BLOWS. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) AMBASSADOR, ALONG WITH THE AMBASSADORS FROM
GERMANY, AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND FRANCE, SUPPORTED A
DINNER HOSTED BY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL
TRADE NKOSANA MOYO AT MOYO’S RESIDENCE NOVEMBER 7. THE
INVITED GUESTS WERE WELSHMAN NCUBE, MDC SECRETARY-
GENERAL AND MP FOR BULAWAYO NORTHEAST, FLETCHER NCUBE,
MDC INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND TRADE SHADOW MINISTER AND MP
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 06318 091550Z
FOR LOBENGULA-MAGWEGWE, TYSON KASUKUWERE, ZANU-PF MP FOR
MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH, AND DANIEL NCUBE, ZANU-PF MP FOR
ZHOMBE DISTRICT.
¶3. (C) THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DINNER WAS TO BEGIN A
CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE ZANU-PF AND MDC
PARLIAMENTARIANS, WHO HAVE SHOWN FEW SIGNS OF
COOPERATION IN THIS NEW SESSION OF PARLIAMENT. THE
VITRIOL HAS REACHED A NEW LEVEL FOLLOWING THE
INTRODUCTION OF THE MDC’S PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT
MOTION (REF B). THE ATMOSPHERE WAS CORDIAL AND THE
DISCUSSION CENTERED AROUND PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
BEFORE TURNING TO INDIVIDUAL PARLIAMENTARIANS. BOTH
SIDES POINTED OUT THE “INCOMPETENT” MPS IN THEIR
RESPECTIVE DELEGATIONS AND MUSED ABOUT HOW SOME STILL
HAD NOT GOTTEN UP TO SPEED. MINISTER MOYO REMARKED THAT
HE BELIEVED LANDS, AGRICULTURE AND RESETTLEMENT MINISTER
JOSEPH MADE TO BE INCOMPETENT. ON THE OTHER HAND,
KASUKUWERE SAID HE THOUGHT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MINISTER
BORDER GEZI WAS “SMART,” TO WHICH WELSHMAN NCUBE REPLIED
THAT WOULD MAKE GEZI EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. (COMMENT:
GEZI, THE FORMER MASHONALAND CENTRAL GOVERNOR,
PERSONALLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY DIRECTED THE CAMPAIGN OF
PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN HIS PROVINCE. KASUKUWERE ALSO
IS REPORTED TO HAVE DIRTY HANDS FROM THE PRE-ELECTION
PERIOD [REF A] END COMMENT.)
¶4. (C) AS PART OF HIS AGENDA FOR THE DINNER, MINISTER
MOYO SOUGHT TO BUILD BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT FOR LAYING THE
POLICY GROUNDWORK TO QUALIFY FOR AFRICAN GROWTH AND
OPPORTUNITY ACT (AGOA) CONCESSIONS. THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 06318 091550Z
COMMISSIONER REPORTED TO DCM THAT THE MAIN INITIATIVE IN
THE CARDS WAS A POSSIBLE JOINT TRIP TO WASHINGTON TO
PLEAD ZIMBABWE’S CASE. SUBSEQUENTLY, MINISTER MOYO
BROACHED THE POSSIBLE TRIP TO THE AMBASSADOR, WHO
COUNSELED THAT THE EFFORT NOT BE UNDERTAKEN UNTIL LATE
FEBRUARY OR MARCH 2001 WHEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS IN
PLACE. HE ALSO ADVISED THE MINISTER TO MANAGE
EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE THE AGOA DECISION RELATED TO
ZIMBABWE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE REVERSED OR OVERTURNED
SOON.
¶5. (C) COMMENT: ALTHOUGH NO BREAKTHROUGHS WERE SEEN AT
THIS DINNER, AS EXPECTED, WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE BOTH
SIDES ENGAGED IN A CORDIAL AND FRANK DISCUSSION.
WELSHMAN NCUBE, AN MDC MODERATE, IS WELL THOUGHT OF BY
BOTH SIDES AND COULD BE A KEY PERSON IN FUTURE BI-
PARTISAN MEETINGS. MINISTER MOYO IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT
INTERLOCUTOR AND CLEARLY WANTS ZIMBABWE TO QUALIFY FOR
AGOA. THE AMBASSADOR ENVISIONS A SERIES OF THESE LESS
FORMAL, CONFIDENCE-BUILDING GATHERINGS, AND WILL BE
WORKING WITH HIS DIPLOMATIC COLLEAGUES TO JUMPSTART THE
DIALOGUE BETWEEN ZANU-PF AND MDC BEFORE THE TENSION
BETWEEN THEM COMES TO BLOWS. END COMMENT.
MCDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
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