The appointment of Sydney Sekeramayi as Defence Minister in a cabinet reshuffle in August 2001 was viewed by the United States embassy as a way of placating the “unhappy powerbroker” Solomon Mujuru.
The reshuffle which came after the deaths of two ministers Border Gezi and Moven Mahachi and the departure of Nkosana Moyo was viewed as a small step up for Sekeramayi, who the embassy said had been sidelined at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
The embassy said Sekeramayi was an old rival of presidential heir apparent Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“The Defence Ministry is a small step up for Sekeramayi, and since he is a friend of the unhappy powerbroker Solomon Mujuru, Sekeramayi’s appointment may indicate that Mugabe sees a need to placate the old baron,” the embassy said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE2364, ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT RESHUFFLES CABINET
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
091346Z Aug 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTO7616
PAGE 01 HARARE 02364 091346Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 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 IRM-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————0FC709 091346Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9435
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002364
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT RESHUFFLES CABINET
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL OFFICER TODD FAULK FOR REASONS:
1.5 (B) AND (D).
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 02364 091346Z
¶1. (U) INDEPENDENT PRESS REPORTS INDICATE THAT
PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS RESHUFFLED HIS CABINET TO FILL
THREE POSITIONS LEFT VACANT BY THE DEATHS OF TWO
MINISTERS AND THE RESIGNATION OF ANOTHER. THE OFFICIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE ON STATE RADIO TODAY (AUGUST 9)
AFTER THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY AT STATE HOUSE.
¶2. (U) BELOW ARE THE NEW MINISTRY CHIEFS:
— DEFENSE: MINES AND ENERGY MINISTER SYDNEY SEKERAMAYI
REPLACES ACTING DEFENSE MINISTER JOYCE MUJURU AND
PERMANENTLY FILLS THE POST LEFT VACANT BY THE DEATH OF
MOVEN MAHACHI.
— MINES AND ENERGY: DEPUTY ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EDWARD
CHINDORI-CHININGA REPLACES SEKERAMAYI.
— YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, GENDER AND EMPLOYMENT CREATION:
NEWLY ELECTED BINDURA MP AND FORMER MASHONALAND CENTRAL
GOVERNOR ELLIOT MANYIKA FILLS THE MINISTERIAL POSITION
LEFT OPEN BY THE DEATH OF BORDER GEZI.
— INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE: ACTING INDUSTRY
MINISTER AND FORMER HIGHER EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
MINISTER HERBERT MURERWA OFFICIALLY FILLS THE
MINISTERIAL SLOT VACATED BY NKOSANA MOYO, WHO RESIGNED
IN MARCH.
— HIGHER EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY: FORMER EDUCATION
MINISTER SAMUEL MUMBENGEGWI REPLACES MURERWA.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 02364 091346Z
— EDUCATION, SPORTS AND CULTURE: DEPUTY EDUCATION
MINISTER AENEAS CHIGWEDERE MOVES INTO THE TOP POST,
REPLACING MUMBENGEGWI.
¶3. (U) AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ABEDINICO
NCUBE, THE ZANU-PF DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP IN PARLIAMENT,
MOVES INTO THE NEWLY RECONSTITUTED POST OF DEPUTY
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER.
¶4. (C) COMMENT: PRESIDENT MUGABE HAD APPARENTLY WAITED
TO MAKE SURE ELLIOT MANYIKA WAS ELECTED TO PARLIAMENT
BEFORE ANNOUNCING HIS LONG-OVERDUE CABINET RESHUFFLE.
IT LOOKS LIKE MANYIKA IS ON THE FAST-TRACK TO IMPORTANT
THINGS IN GOVERNMENT AND THE RULING PARTY, FOLLOWING IN
LOCK-STEP THE METEORIC RISE OF BORDER GEZI. THE ONLY
BIG SURPRISE IN THE RESHUFFLE IS THE APPOINTMENT OF
SEKERAMAYI AS DEFENSE MINISTER. SEKERAMAYI IS AN OLD
RIVAL OF PRESIDENTIAL HEIR APPARENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA,
AND AT ONE POINT HIS POLITICAL FUTURE APPEARED DIM. HE
WAS SIDELINED AT MINES AND ENERGY TO MAKE WAY FOR
MNANGAGWA. THE DEFENSE MINISTRY IS A SMALL STEP UP FOR
SEKERAMAYI, AND SINCE HE IS A FRIEND OF THE UNHAPPY
POWERBROKER SOLOMON MUJURU, SEKERAMAYI’S APPOINTMENT MAY
INDICATE THAT MUGABE SEES A NEED TO PLACATE THE OLD
BARON. END COMMENT.
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