MDC was prepared to accommodate Gono to get rid of Tomana

The Movement for Democratic Change was prepared to accept the retaining of central bank governor Gideon Gono in return for the firing of attorney-general Johannes Tomana because Tomana was “much more destructive”.

This was said by Gorden Moyo, then Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, after a meeting of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai with South African President Jacob Zuma.

Moyo said President Robert Mugabe might be willing to let Tomana go to retain Gono. The two were key outstanding issues in the Global Political Agreement.

Tomana was accused of selectively prosecuting MDC parliamentarians.

Moyo also said at the meeting of the principals- Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara -Mugabe seemed to be wanting to back out on the previously agreed transfer of six of the 10 governor’s posts to the MDC.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 09HARARE671, MDC LOOKS TO ZUMA VISIT AND UPCOMING SADC SUMMIT

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VZCZCXRO5928

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ZNY CCCCC ZZH

O 190815Z AUG 09

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4821

INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2984

RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3099

RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1528

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RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2277

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000671

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR B. WALCH

DRL FOR N. WILETT

ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU

ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS

STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS

STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2018

TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ZI

SUBJECT: MDC LOOKS TO ZUMA VISIT AND UPCOMING SADC SUMMIT

TO RESOLVE ISSUES

Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

——-

SUMMARY

——-

¶1. (C) Gordon Moyo, the Minister of State in the Prime

Minister’s Office, briefed the Embassy on outstanding Global

Political Agreement (GPA) issues and efforts to have SADC and

SADC Chair (and South African President) Jacob Zuma resolve

them. These issues include the long-standing dispute over

the appointments of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor

Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana, the

targeted prosecutions of MDC-T parliamentarians and other

officials, and the failure to appoint new governors. END

SUMMARY.

¶2. (C) Moyo met August 14 with Embassy officials and Peter

Quaranto, a member of Senator Russell Feingold’s staff, who

was on a fact finding trip to Zimbabwe.

———————————————

Tsvangirai Preparing for Upcoming SADC Summit

———————————————

¶3. (C) According to Moyo, following Tsvangirai’s

face-to-face with Zuma in South Africa earlier this month,

Tsvangirai was hopeful the South African President would

press for resolution of the contested appointments of RBZ

Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana.

Moyo thought President Robert Mugabe might be willing to

compromise by retaining Gono and replacing Tomana. The MDC

would accept this as it considered Gono largely marginalized,

while Tomana — who has been responsible for the selective

prosecution of MDC parliamentarians — was much more

destructive.

¶4. (C) Moyo also informed us that at an August 12 principals

meeting of Mugabe, Tsvangirai, and Arthur Mutambara, Mugabe

indicated he might back out of the previously agreed upon

transfer of six of the ten governor posts to the MDC

factions. According to Moyo, Mugabe said that he would,

“have to think about it.” The Tsvangirai camp believes

Mugabe wants to put the issue back on the table and then

concede it during a Zuma visit to Zimbabwe on August 27.

(NOTE: Zuma is coming to an agricultural show in Zimbabwe

but will presumably also discuss political issues with the

principals. END NOTE.) This would make Mugabe appear

reasonable while allowing Zuma to declare that progress had

been achieved.

———-

Next Steps

———-

¶5. (C) Tsvangirai has invited Mugabe, along with all

ministers, deputy ministers and permanent secretaries, to

attend a retreat in eastern Zimbabwe this weekend to review

the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and promote cohesion.

In advance of a SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government

to be held September 2 to September 8, Tsvangirai will

undertake a regional tour to lobby SADC leaders on

outstanding issues. Moyo named soon-to-be SADC Chair and DRC

President Joseph Kabila and Tanzanian President Jakaya

Kikwete as points of focus for this outreach.

¶6. (C) Clearly concerned about the selective prosecution of

Q6. (C) Clearly concerned about the selective prosecution of

MPs, Tsvangirai presented Mugabe with a dossier implicating

ZANU-PF officials and members with 2008 election violence,

according to Moyo. Tsvangirai implied he would go public if

HARARE 00000671 002 OF 002

prosecutions of MDC members did not stop. Mugabe said he

would study the file.

——-

COMMENT

——-

¶7. (C) Frustrated by the lack of progress in numerous

arenas, Tsvangirai, who has been criticized by his own party

for being insufficiently assertive, is pressing Mugabe and

ZANU-PF for compliance with the GPA, and is also appealing to

SADC to more forcefully assume its role as guarantor of the

GPA. Mugabe remains obstinate. ZANU-PF is counter attacking

by accusing the MDC of failure to carry out GPA commitments

to work for the elimination of sanctions and the cessation of

broadcasting by “pirate radio stations,” (including VOA).

With regard to SADC, there are reports that Zuma may be more

willing to exert pressure on Mugabe than was his predecessor,

Thabo Mbeki. We have yet to see evidence of this.

Furthermore, the SADC Chair will soon pass to the Congo’s

Kabila, and there is little reason to believe Kabila will

lean on Mugabe. END COMMENT.

DHANANI

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