MDC pressured into signing constitutional amendment

The Movement for Democratic Change was pressured into agreeing to Constitutional Amendment Number 18 which harmonised presidential, parliamentary and local government elections according to IDASA analyst Sydney Masamvu. 

According to a cable released by Wikileaks, Masamvu was told by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube of the smaller MDC faction on 4 October 2007 that that South African negotiators led by Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi, Director General in the Presidency Frank Chikane, and Advocate Mojanku Gumbi travelled to Harare 29-30 September to hammer out an agreement with ZANU-PF and MDC officials on a new constitution.

Masamvu was not aware if President Robert Mugabe had approved the agreement.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 07PRETORIA3519, POSSIBLE AGREEMENT REACHED ON NEW ZIMBABWEAN

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VZCZCXRO7132

RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN

DE RUEHSA #3519 2772109

ZNY SSSSS ZZH

R 042109Z OCT 07

FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2159

INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1240

RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0554

RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0188

RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1324

RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1179

RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0495

RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0090

RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4935

RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9250

RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC

RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

S E C R E T PRETORIA 003519

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S S. HILL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017

TAGS: PGOV ZI SF

SUBJECT: POSSIBLE AGREEMENT REACHED ON NEW ZIMBABWEAN

CONSTITUTION

REF: HARARE 882

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4(

b) and (d).

¶1. (S) According to IDASA analyst Sydney Masamvu (strictly

protect), representatives of the Zimbabwean ruling party

(ZANU-PF) and both the Tsvangirai and Mutambara factions of

the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) reached an agreement

29-30 September on a new Zimbabwean Constitution. MDC

negotiator Welshman Ncube and MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai

separately told Masamvu on 4 October that South African

negotiators Minister of Provincial and Local Government

Sydney Mufamadi, Director General in the Presidency Frank

Chikane, and Advocate Mojanku Gumbi traveled to Harare 29-30

September to hammer out an agreement with ZANU-PF and MDC

officials on a new constitution, which has until now been one

of the opposition’s main demands. (BIO NOTE: Sandra Botha,

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament for the Democratic

Alliance told PolOff on 27 September that Gumbi told her on

25 September that she was no longer acting as presidential

advisor to President Mbeki. END NOTE)

¶2. (S) Masamvu told PolOff that he did not know if Mugabe had

approved the agreement. Masamvu was not given details of the

new constitution, but was told that it is a combination of

the rejected 2000 version, the rejected 2003-2004

constitution agreed to by current negotiators Patrick

Chinamasa of ZANU-PF and the MDC’s Welshman Ncube, and the

National Constitutional Assembly’s draft proposal. In return

for ZANU-PF’s concessions on the Constitution, MDC is to

publicly ask the international community to lift sanctions

against the current regime. (EMBASSY HARARE NOTE: On 26

September, in a briefing to Harare diplomats, Tsvangirai was

explicit that the MDC would not ask for, nor acquiesce in, a

lifting of sanctions until free and fair elections had been

held (reftel). END NOTE.)

¶3. (S) According to Masamvu, negotiations continue on

electoral laws (though the opposition said they feel they

have made significant headway), the diaspora vote, and the

repeal or reform of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA)

and the Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act

(AIPPA). The agreement is to be kept under tight wrap until

all parties go back to their constituents to “consult,” but

President Mbeki hopes to publicly announce the breakthrough

settlement by the end of October.

Bost

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