Former Finance Minister Simba Makoni told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan that President Robert Mugabe was not interested in accommodating the Movement for Democratic Change but in crushing it.
Sullivan said though Makoni had been fired as Finance Minister he was still in the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front politburo and usually provided accurate inside information.
He said Makoni’s comments were consistent with comments projecting ZANU-PF’s lack of seriousness in the MDC-ZANU-PF talks.
Mugabe had said that his party was open to dialogue with the MDC but wanted the party to “wean itself” from its Western backers.
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo had said interparty talks could only happen if the MDC distanced itself from “colonial masters” but even then he did not contemplate the removal of ZANU-PF from power.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 04HARARE312, MAKONI CONFIRMS TALKS A RUSE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000312
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, TEITELBAUM
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY
PARIS FOR C. NEARY
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2014
SUBJECT: MAKONI CONFIRMS TALKS A RUSE
Classified By: Political Officer Kimberly Jemison for reasons 1.5 b/d.
¶1. (C) Following a conversation he had with former Minister
of Finance and Economic Development and Politburo member
Simba Makoni on February 19, during which Makoni expressed
regret that nothing was being done by ZANU-PF to resolve the
political crisis besieging Zimbabwe, the Ambassador asked for
clarification during a February 20 dinner. The Ambassador
asked specifically whether GOZ failure to move toward
dialogue reflected Mugabe’s ambivalence or bad faith on the
subject. Makoni reflected on his answer and admitted that
based on his observations over the last several years Mugabe
had laid no groundwork within the Politburo to encourage
political accommodation with the MDC. The party line,
according to Makoni, has been to crush the opposition.
(Comment: Makoni has been straightforward with the Embassy in
the past and has been in favor of addressing the political
crisis while still maintaining his loyalty to ZANU-PF. End
comment.)
¶2. (C) With respect to the economic situation, Makoni was
positive about the economic measures recently adopted but
admitted that without political stability, they would not
achieve the desired results. Makoni also thought removing
the responsibility of lands from Minister of Agriculture
Joseph Made was a positive step. Makoni said John Nkomo was
a much more reliable and moderate person than Made and would
most likely try to rationalize the land redistribution
process, using the Utete report as a guide. Makoni claimed
that over the last few years, Made has been intent on
creating chaos and turmoil about the land process by
regularly publishing new farm acquisition lists that included
already acquired lands and by keeping the land issue on the
front page. Makoni concurred with the Ambassador that the
Utete Commission’s treatment of the Abuja agreement
attributing responsibility for its failure to donors was not
accurate. Makoni admitted that the one man-one farm
principle touted in Abuja in September 2001 was a ruse to get
the international community off the GOZ,s back and not meant
to be policy. Makoni surmised that under Nkomo the one
man-one farm policy would only be applied to new farmers and
not result in return of land to white farmers.
¶3. (C) Comment: Though estranged from Mugabe, Makoni remains
in the Politburo and offers inside confirmation of the lack
of Mugabe’s commitment towards political accommodation with
the MDC. His comments are consistent with recent high-level
public comments projecting the party,s lack of seriousness
on talks. In a birthday interview February 20, President
Mugabe asserted that his party was open to dialogue with the
MDC but rejected MDC policies and said it would have to
&wean itself8 from western backers. Information Minister
Jonathan Moyo was more explicit in a Lusaka interview
February 21, in which he asserted that interparty talks could
only happen if the MDC distanced itself from &colonial
masters8 and, even then, would not contemplate removal of
ZANU-PF from power. Makoni,s conclusions about the
limitations of one man-one farm implementation are consistent
with the GOZ’s failure to repeat its Abuja pledge, while
vowing to remove multiple farms from new farmers. End
comment.
SULLIVAN
(15 VIEWS)
