Mugabe was ready to concede defeat in 2008

President Robert Mugabe was prepared to concede defeat after the 2008 elections and sent “emissaries” to Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to discuss security and to negotiate a government of national unity that would include his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

A cable just released by Wikileaks which was dispatched on 1 April 2008, two days after the elections, says this information was relayed to United States ambassador James McGee by exiled businessman Strive Masiyiwa.

McGee also said he had spoken to Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono who had told him that ZANU-PF felt that Mugabe would not win and the military would not intervene.

Gono, however, hoped that he would be appointed prime minister in a negotiated government of national unity.

Publisher Trevor Ncube told the ambassador that Tsvangirai had offered the position of prime minister to Simba Makoni.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08HARARE256, THE END GAME

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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000256

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STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS

STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018

TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC ZI

SUBJECT: THE END GAME

REF: HARARE 255 AND PREV.

Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)

1.. (C) According to South African businessman Strive

Masiyiwa, who had spoken to Morgan Tsvangirai, President

Robert Mugabe is prepared to concede defeat. Mugabe had sent

“emissaries” to Tsvangirai to discuss security and to try to

negotiate a government of national unity that would include

ZANU-PF.

¶2. (C) The Ambassador talked again with Reserve Bank

Governor Gideon Gono (Reftel) who acknowledged that ZANU-PF

felt that Mugabe could not win. He also said that the

military would not intervene. Gono was hoping for a

negotiated government of national unity with himself as prime

minister. He hoped for a negotiated resolution after results

are declared–presumably with Tsvangirai receiving less than

50 percent–as the Bank has no funds for a runoff.

¶3. (C) In postponing its 12 pm press conference, the MDC

said officially it was for “positive” reasons.

¶4. (C) We also learned from publisher Trevor Ncube that

Tsvangirai had offered the position of prime minister to

SIPDIS

Simba Makoni contingent on constitutional changes.

¶5. (C) Comment. While there have been a number of ups and

downs in recent days, and we realized it’s not over until

it’s over, we are increasingly confident that we’re in the

end game.   End Comment.

MCGEE

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