Mugabe placated Mujuru!

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

TAGS: PGOV PINR ZI

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.

HOOKS

CONFIDENTIAL

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