Mutsekwa against land seizures

Co-Minister of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa was one of the top Movement for Democratic Change ministers who spoke against continued farm invasions at a cabinet meeting on 24 March 2009, two months after the formation of the inclusive government.

According to Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Gorden Moyo, there had been a “fiery” debate at the cabinet meeting with the MDC asserting that farm invasions must stop.

MDC ministers who spoke against the invasions were Moyo himself, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, Information Communications Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa, and Mutsekwa.

They were supported by Vice President Joice Mujuru and Transport Minister Nicholas Goche from the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

According to the United States embassy farm seizures and evictions had accelerated since the formation of the inclusive government because ZANU-PF was trying to get the MDC to take what might be perceived as an anti liberation, pro-Western position.

It was also a desire to loot machinery and other farm equipment and a last-gasp seizure of farms in the event that rule of law was ultimately restored.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 09HARARE257, MDC ON LAND SEIZURES, POLITICS

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000257 

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 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2019 

TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: MDC ON LAND SEIZURES, POLITICS 

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

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MDC Minister of State 

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¶1. (C) Gorden Moyo is the Minister of State in Prime 

Minister Tsvangirai's office. He serves as a chief of staff 

for Tsvangirai, helping to coordinate MDC policy and serving 

as a liaison with ZANU-PF. Moyo offered us his observations 

March 26 on land seizures and the political situation. 

¶2. (C) According to Moyo, a "fiery" debate took place at the 

Cabinet meeting on March 24 with the MDC asserting that farm 

invasions were occuring and should stop, and that white 

farmers were being illegally evicted. Leading the MDC charge 

were Moyo, Minister of Finance Tendai Biti, Minister of 

Information Communications Technology Nelson Chamisa, and 

Minister of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa. Although most 

ZANU-PF ministers, led by Minister of Justice Patrick 

Chinamasa pushed back and argued that legal processes were 

being followed and that there was no need for action, Vice 

President Joice Mujuru and Minister of Transport and 

Infrastucture Development Nicholas Goche sided with the MDC. 

Mujuru said the invasions and evictions would have a negative 

effect on the winter wheat crop. Goche was concerned that 

violations of Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion 

(BIPPA) agreements through the seizure of foreign-owned farms 

would adversely impact Zimbabwe's foreign relations. 

¶3. (C) Ultimately, Mugabe and Cabinet agreed to refer the 

issue to the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee 

(JOMIC) for documentation of specific violations, and also to 

initiate a farm audit. Government principals Mugabe, 

Tsvangirai, and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara will 

meet March 30 on the land issue. The MDC will demand that 

Mugabe issue a public statement condemning the invasions and 

ordering that they cease. If Mugabe does not do so, the MDC 

will ask for the intervention of SADC. 

¶4. (C) Turning to the political economy, Moyo said inability 

to pay civil servant salaries and at the same time meet 

recurring expenditures and make capital investments was 

crippling the government and weakening the MDC. He said 

payment in forex of February salaries had been credited to 

the MDC and, demonstrating it could produce, had given it 

leverage with ZANU-PF. Government was now in a financial 

squeeze. It had been unable to fully pay March salaries and 

the potential inability to pay fuel and energy bills could 

soon result in petrol shortages and increased power outages. 

As a result, Moyo opined, the MDC had lost its leverage as 

ZANU-PF (or at least the hardliners) sat on the sidelines 

gleefully watching MDC ministers struggle with the financial 

situation. Moyo feared that there could soon be 

demonstrations and teacher strikes directed at the MDC. 

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COMMENT 

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¶5. (C) Farm seizures and evictions have accelerated since 

Tsvangirai's inauguration on February 11 due to a combination 

QTsvangirai's inauguration on February 11 due to a combination 

of factors: ZANU-PF's political tactic of trying to get the 

MDC to take what may be perceived as an anti-liberation, 

pro-Western position, a desire to loot machinery and other 

farm appurtenances; and a last-gasp seizure of farms in the 

event that rule of law is ultimately restored. The MDC has 

belatedly addressed this issue (by some estimates only about 

100 white farms remain), but we're dubious that ZANU-PF will 

sincerely cooperate in dealing with the probem. 

¶6. (C) According to the IMF, government reenues are 

HARARE 00000257 002 OF 002 

sufficient to pay civil service salaries, but inadequate 

payment mechanisms are preventing this being done in a timely 

manner. Even if salaries can be paid, there is little left 

for recurring government expenses and capital investment to 

improve, for example, the water and energy infrastructure. 

The MDC is increasingly fearful that ZANU-PF--and more 

importantly the Zimbabwean people--will blame it for failing 

to deliver. 

DHANANI

(38 VIEWS)