Political analysts Ibbo Mandaza who was linked to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front said the Movement for Democratic Change was fractured, weak and irrelevant so he did not think talks with ZANU-PF would go anywhere.
Instead, Mandaza said focus was on whether President Robert Mugabe would survive the onslaught against him since seven of the 10 party provinces were now opposed to him.
The party was holding a crucial extra-ordinary congress in December which had been called specifically to decide whether Mugabe should stand as the presidential candidate in the 2008 elections or not.
Mandaza had earlier predicted that Mugabe would not last until September 2007 but seemed to have backtracked on this.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 07HARARE680, MANDAZA AND MOYO ON SADC TALKS, MUGABE
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO7049
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0680/01 2121525
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 311525Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1737
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1663
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1533
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1667
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0313
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0933
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1296
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1724
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4141
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1493
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2157
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0788
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1884
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000680
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S.HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E.LOKEN AND L.DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B.PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2012
SUBJECT: MANDAZA AND MOYO ON SADC TALKS, MUGABE
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Glenn Warren under 1.4 b/d
——-
Summary
——-
¶1. (C) SADC talks between the GOZ and MDC are unlikely to
bear fruit according to Ibbo Mandaza and Jonathan Moyo.
Although the MDC has made discussions on a new constitution
the cornerstone of the talks, and although the first agenda
item agreed to in South Africa in June was constitutional
discussions, the GOZ has decided that any such discussions
should take place within Parliament and not South Africa. On
an exit for Mugabe, both Mandaza and Moyo believe that strong
opposition to Mugabe continues within ZANU-PF; in particular,
opponents are mobilizing at the provincial level. The key
marker will be the ZANU-PF Congress in December. If Mugabe
feels he has lost support, he will announce his intention to
retire before the Congress. End Summary.
ngQ|
KQQQMP and former Minister of Information
Jonathan Moyo.
———————-
SADC Talks in Jeopardy
———————-
¶3. (C) According to Moyo, after ZANU-PF negotiators Patrick
Chinimasa and Nicholas Goche had agreed in South Africa in
June to an agenda that included as its first item
constitutional talks, the ZANU-PF Central Committee and
cabinet agreed that any constitutional talks should take
place within Parliament. Since the MDC had placed a priority
on negotiating a new constitution, Moyo thought the talks
would stall over this issue, which would play into Mugabe’s
strategy of giving the appearance of participation, but
making no genuine effort to resolve the current political and
economic crisis. Moyo also opined that a crucial problem
with the talks was that there were no terms of reference for
the mediation to define the discussions. Therefore, the
talks would continue to focus on what should be discussed
rather than substantive issues.
¶4. (C) Mandaza also felt the talks were going nowhere. The
MDC was fractured and weak and almost irrelevant; it’s only
strength was as an anti-Mugabe platform. Mandaza strongly
believed there should be86aN'(@j
have been few recent reports of internal ZANU-PF dissension,
strong opposition to Mugabe continues. In June, Mandaza told
the South Africa Institute of International Affairs that
Mugabe would be gone by September. He expressed less
certainty on July 27, but claimed that at least seven (of 10)
ZANU-PF provincial executive committees now opposed Mugabe.
Both interlocutors agreed that the ZANU-PF Congress in
December would be the crucial marker. Recognizing he had
opposition within the party, Mugabe had sidestepped a vote on
his endorsement as the ZANU-PF presidential candidate at the
HARARE 00000680 002 OF 002
Central Committee meeting in March; to run he would need
nomination by the Congress in December. (Note: Others have
told us a Congress is necessary only if the party intends to
nominate a candidate other than Mugabe; as the head of the
party he is the presumptive nominee. End Note.) If he felt
his support was weak, he would avoid a possibly humiliating
vote and announce his intention to step down before the
Congress.
¶6. (C) Mandaza and Moyo were of two minds regarding the
effect of the recent price controls on support for Mugabe and
ZANU-PF. Mandaza thought the food shortages resulting from
the controls would increase pressure for change from within
ZANU-PF. Moyo, on the other hand, thought that in the short
term Mugabe’s argument that shortages were caused by outside
influences would have traction among Zimbabwe’s poor. Even
when the shelves were full, he said, most Zimbabweans
couldn’t afford the available goods.
——-
Comment
——-
¶7. (C) Over the last nine months we have reported on
dissension within ZANU-PF, including efforts by the military
to convince Mugabe to step aside, and opposition from the
Mujuru camp. Some of this has spilled out publicly to the
press. Recently, however, there have been few such reports.
And with his recent action in imposing price controls and his
speech this week at the opening of Parliament indicating he
would run for reelection, Mugabe has sought to portray
himself as firmly in control. Nevertheless, there is
dissension in the ranks, significantly in provincial
executive committees. Since Mugabe has not received the
endorsement of his party, a behind the scenes struggle is
likely to continue, with the outcome becoming known sometime
before the Congress in December.
DHANANI
(33 VIEWS)
