Mujuru asked MDC for amnesty in return for coalition government

Former army commander Solomon Mujuru approached the Movement for Democratic Change without the knowledge of President Robert Mugabe to agree to a complete amnesty of current and past government officials and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic front leaders in return for a coalition government way back in 2000.

Mujuru is reported to have sent Goodson Nguni as his emissary to negotiate with the MDC as there was a threat that ZANU-PF could provoke an upsurge in violence in order to have a pretext to crack down on the MDC.

The campaign of terror was allegedly going to be led by Brigadier General Ruwodo and some 160 central intelligence organisation officers.

The MDC executive had discussed Nguni’s proposal on 20 September but did not reach any conclusion.

Some felt it was proper to negotiate than to allow ZANU-PF to destroy the country.

Others were not interested in any compromise and were determined to bring Mugabe to justice.

Another group said amnesty could be granted to anyone except Mugabe.

 

Full cable:


Viewing cable 00HARARE5346, FORMER ARMY COMMANDER REPORTEDLY APPROACHES MDC

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

00HARARE5346

2000-09-21 16:01

2011-08-30 01:44

CONFIDENTIAL

Embassy Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

 

211601Z Sep 00

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2369

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 05346 01 OF 02 211600Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00   EUR-00   FBIE-00 VC-00   H-01

TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00   L-00    VCE-00   AC-01   NSAE-00

OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00

P-00     SP-00   SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00

DSCC-00 PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00

/009W

——————88267A 211600Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7165

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 005346

 

SIPDIS

 

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/10

TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM ZI MDC

SUBJECT: FORMER ARMY COMMANDER REPORTEDLY APPROACHES MDC

SECRETLY WITH AMNESTY DEAL PROPOSAL

 

 

SIPDIS

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 05346 01 OF 02 211600Z

CLASSIFIED BY DCM EARL IRVING. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND

(D).

 

SUMMARY

——-

 

1. (C) SOLOMON MUJURU, RETIRED COMMANDER OF THE ARMY,

RECENTLY SENT AN EMISSARY TO THE MDC, WITHOUT PRESIDENT

MUGABE’S KNOWLEDGE, ACCORDING TO A SENIOR MDC OFFICIAL.

THE EMISSARY INFORMED THE MDC OF THE GOZ’S INTENTION TO

PROVOKE VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS NATIONWIDE AS A PRETEXT FOR

CRACKING DOWN ON THE OPPOSITION PARTY AND ITS SUPPORTERS.

TO AVOID THIS BLOODY SCENARIO, MUJURU URGED THE MDC TO

AGREE TO A COMPLETE AMNESTY FOR CURRENT AND PAST GOZ

OFFICIALS AND ZANU-PF LEADERS. IN EXCHANGE, THE GOZ WOULD

DISCUSS FORMING A COALITION GOVERNMENT WITH THE OPPOSITION.

IF GENUINE, MUJURU’S OFFER COULD BE A SIGN OF INCREASING

DESPERATION AMONG ZANU-PF STALWARTS, WHO SEE THEIR LOSS OF

POWER AS INEVITABLE AND WANT TO ENSURE THEIR IMMUNITY FROM

PROSECUTION FOR PAST MISDEEDS. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT COULD

BE A TRAP INTENDED TO IMPLICATE THE MDC IN A PLOT TO

OVERTHROW MUGABE, AND JUSTIFY INTENSIFICATION OF THE

CRACKDOWN ON THE MDC. THE MDC IS PROCEEDING CAUTIOUSLY AND

HAS NOT DECIDED HOW TO RESPOND. END SUMMARY.

 

PRETEXT FOR A CRACK-DOWN

————————

 

2. (C) IN A SEPTEMBER 21 CALL ON DCM AND POLOFF, SENIOR

MDC ADVISOR CLIVE PUZEY SAID THE MDC WAS RECENTLY

APPROACHED BY AN EMISSARY FROM SOLOMON MUJURU, RETIRED

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 05346 01 OF 02 211600Z

COMMANDER OF THE ARMY, WHO RETAINS SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE

OVER THE CURRENT ARMY COMMANDER, GENERAL VITALIS

ZVINAVASHE, WHOM HE INSTALLED IN HIS CURRENT POSITION, AND

THE ARMED FORCES. THE EMISSARY, GOODSON NGUNI (STRICTLY

PROTECT), IS A DISTANT RELATIVE OF A MEMBER OF PRESIDENT

MUGABE’S FAMILY, WHO HAS BEEN A RELIABLE SOURCE OF

INFORMATION FOR THE MDC ON THE THINKING OF SENIOR GOZ

LEADERS, ACCORDING TO PUZEY. NGUNI, THE MDC OFFICIAL SAID,

HAD APPROACHED THE MDC IN THIS CASE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE

OF PRESIDENT MUGABE. (COMMENT: POST HAS NO INFORMATION IN

ITS FILES CONCERNING NGUNI. END COMMENT.)

 

3. (C) NGUNI REPORTED ON THE GOZ’S PLAN, NOW UNDERWAY, TO

PROVOKE A GENERAL UPSURGE IN VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT ZIMBABWE

IN ORDER TO HAVE A PRETEXT TO CRACK DOWN ON THE MDC AND ITS

SUPPORTERS. ACCORDING TO NGUNI, ONE BRIGADIER RUWODO (AS

SPELLED BY PUZEY), WHO WAS BROUGHT OUT OF RETIREMENT TO

MASTERMIND THE LAND OCCUPATIONS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE

PRIOR TO THE JUNE ELECTIONS, HAS BEEN SUMMONED AGAIN BY

PRESIDENT MUGABE TO CONDUCT A SIMILAR CAMPAIGN OF TERROR.

(COMMENT: POST IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH A BRIGADIER RUWODO.

THE NAME THAT COMES THE CLOSEST IN OUR FILES IS THAT OF

RETIRED BRIGADIER RICHARD RUWONDO, WHOSE LAST KNOWN

POSITION WAS DEPUTY CHIEF OF FINANCE OF THE ARMY. A BANKER

BY TRAINING, RUWONDO IS UNLIKELY TO BE MIXED UP IN THIS

ENTERPRISE. END COMMENT.) NGUNI SAID 160 CENTRAL

INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO) OPERATIVES HAD ALREADY BEEN

SENT TO KEY POINTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO CARRY OUT THIS

PLAN. WHEN PEOPLE POURED INTO THE STREETS IN PROTEST, THE

ARMY WOULD SHOOT WHOMEVER IT HAD TO SHOOT, PUZEY QUOTED

NGUNI AS SAYING.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 05346 01 OF 02 211600Z

 

AMNESTY DEAL

————

 

4. (C) THERE WAS A WAY TO AVOID SUCH A BLOODY SCENARIO,

NGUNI CONTINUED. SENIOR ZANU-PF LEADERS GREATLY FEARED

LOSING POWER, AS THEY HAD DONE MUCH WORSE THINGS THAN MOST

OBSERVERS SUSPECTED, AND WERE NOT WILLING TO SPEND TIME IN

PRISON. IF THE MDC WERE WILLING TO AGREE TO A COMPLETE

AMNESTY AND TO DROP ITS PROPOSAL FOR A TRUTH AND

RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE, ZANU-PF WOULD BE PREPARED TO

DISCUSS FORMING A COALITION GOVERNMENT WITH THE MDC, AND

PRESIDENT MUGABE WOULD BE CONVINCED TO RETIRE.

 

5. (C) ACCORDING TO PUZEY, THE MDC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DISCUSSED NGUNI’S PROPOSAL ON SEPTEMBER 20 BUT DID NOT

REACH ANY CONCLUSIONS. SOME FELT THAT AGREEING TO THE

AMNESTY WAS PREFERABLE TO ALLOWING ZANU-PF TO DESTROY THE

COUNTRY. OTHERS WITHIN THE MDC, HOWEVER, ARE NOT

INTERESTED IN COMPROMISE AND ARE DETERMINED TO BRING TO

JUSTICE PRESIDENT MUGABE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE

GOVERNMENT. YET A THIRD CURRENT, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE

NDEBELE, A BULWARK OF MDC SUPPORT, BELIEVES AMNESTY MAY BE

GRANTED TO ANYONE BUT MUGABE. ASKED WHETHER HE WAS

CONFIDENT THAT MUJURU COULD DELIVER ON THE PROPOSED DEAL,

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2370

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 05346 02 OF 02 211600Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00 ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00   EUR-00   FBIE-00 VC-00   H-01

TEDE-00 INR-00   IO-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01   NSAE-00

OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00

P-00     SP-00   SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00

DSCC-00 PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00   SWCI-00

/009W

——————882684 211600Z /38

O 211601Z SEP 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7166

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 005346

 

SIPDIS

 

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/10

TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM ZI MDC

SUBJECT: FORMER ARMY COMMANDER REPORTEDLY APPROACHES MDC

SECRETLY WITH AMNESTY DEAL PROPOSAL

 

SIPDIS

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 05346 02 OF 02 211600Z

PUZEY SAID NO. IF MUJURU WERE SERIOUS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL,

THOUGH, PUZEY COULD ARRANGE A MEETING WITH MORGAN

TSVANGIRAI.

 

SIPDIS

 

STRONGER MDC TIES TO PRETORIA

—————————–

 

6. (C) PUZEY REPORTED THAT TSVANGIRAI HAD RETURNED THE

PREVIOUS WEEK FROM A THREE-DAY VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA ELATED

ABOUT HAVING MADE SERIOUS INROADS WITH THE PRETORIA

GOVERNMENT. THE MDC PRESIDENT SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT

OF TIME WITH FM ZUMA AND FINANCE MINISTER ERWIN, AS WELL AS

OTHER KEY CABINET MINISTERS TO WHOM TSVANGIRAI PREVIOUSLY

HAD HAD LITTLE ACCESS. TSVANGIRAI, PUZEY SAID, HELD LONG

DISCUSSIONS WITH NELSON MANDELA, WHO UNDERTOOK TO SPEAK TO

SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIALS AND LIBYAN PRESIDENT QADHAFI ABOUT

BRINGING MORE PRESSURE TO BEAR ON PRESIDENT MUGABE.

ACCORDING TO PUZEY, MANDELA ALSO OFFERED TO ARRANGE A

MEETING FOR TSVANGIRAI WITH KOFI ANNAN.

 

COMMENT

——-

 

7. (C) WE FIND EXTREMELY CREDIBLE — AND TROUBLING —

NGUNI’S WARNING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO PROVOKE

VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AS A PRETEXT

TO CRACK DOWN. THE GOZ (ZANU-PF) UNLEASED A CAMPAIGN OF

TERROR PRIOR TO THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AND IS QUITE

CAPABLE OF DOING SO AGAIN. PRESIDENT MUGABE AND HIS

CRONIES ARE WAKING UP TO THE FACT THAT THEIR 20-YEAR HOLD

ON GOVERNMENT IS INCREASINGLY THREATENED AS THE ECONOMY

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 05346 02 OF 02 211600Z

CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE AND THE MDC GAINS STRENGTH, AND

THEY WILL USE WHATEVER TACTICS NECESSARY TO STAY IN POWER.

 

8. (C) WE ARE UNSURE, HOWEVER, WHAT TO MAKE OF MUJURU’S

BACK CHANNEL OFFER TO THE MDC. ON ONE HAND, IT COULD BE A

SIGN THAT SENIOR ZANU-PF OFFICIALS REALIZE THAT IT IS ONLY

A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE PARTY LOSES ITS MONOPOLY ON

POWER, AND ARE ANXIOUS TO STRIKE A DEAL PROTECTING THEM

FROM PUNISHMENT FOR THEIR MISDEEDS. MUJURU’S PROPOSAL OF

AN AMNESTY OFFER IN EXCHANGE FOR NOT ORCHESTRATING FURTHER

VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT SMACKS OF BLACKMAIL, BUT COULD

REFLECT INCREASING DESPERATION ON THE PART OF SENIOR ZANU-

PF STALWARTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT COULD BE A TRAP

DESIGNED TO IMPLICATE THE MDC IN A PLOT TO OVERTHROW

MUGABE, THUS JUSTIFYING AN INTENSIFICATION OF THE GOZ

CRACKDOWN ON THE OPPOSITION. THE QUESTIONABLE COMPONENT IN

MUJURU’S AMNESTY PROPOSAL IS MUGABE’S EXIT. EVEN IF

MUJURU’S OFFER WERE GENUINE AND THE MDC DECIDED TO MAKE THE

DEAL, IT IS NOT AT ALL CLEAR HOW MUJURU PLANS TO CONVINCE

MUGABE TO STEP DOWN, ALTHOUGH THE RETIRED GENERAL’S

SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE OVER THE ARMED FORCES WOULD PROVIDE

POWERFUL LEVERAGE.

 

MCDONALD

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

>

(39 VIEWS)

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