The media has been awash with reports that President Robert Mugabe has terminal cancer and has less than two years to go, but he has already outlived his expected term in office and the first predicted date of death.
News about Mugabe’s health was leaked by central bank governor Gideon Gono to former United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee in June 2008, three weeks before the presidential elections run-off.
Mugabe lost the first round to Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai necessitating a run- off but Tsvangirai pulled of out because of massive violence that accompanied the campaign for the run-off.
Gono told McGee on 4 June 2008 that Mugabe’s cancer had “metastasized”- spread through his body- and, according to doctors, he would die in three to five years.
Though he has been in and out of hospital of late, Mugabe had already survived the cancer for more than three years since Gono’s disclosure.
In his comment to the news, McGee said given Mugabe's health, and the desire of many within his Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front that he step down because of the state of the economy, it was likely the latest date Mugabe would stay in office, assuming he won on June 27, was December 2009.
Mugabe won the election after Tsvangirai pulled out but did not step down at the 2009 party congress.
McGee repeated his earlier sentiments that Gono was trying to paint himself as the good guy “aware of the perfidious activity of ZANU-PF but not responsible for it”.
“We continue to hear reports, however, that Gono plays an integral role in the Joint Operation Command (JOC) responsible for running the country,”he wrote.
”Furthermore, Gono as Governor of the RBZ, has been able to keep the economy running through his monetary machinations, including the printing of money. That said, he remains a useful contact to facilitate approaches to the GOZ in times of crisis,” he said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE492, AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH GIDEON GONO
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Reference ID |
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VZCZCXRO3227
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0492 1581452
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 061452Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2999
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2034
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2155
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSUTR] NK*{FISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1297
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000492
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2018
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH GIDEON GONO
REF: 07 HARARE 795
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) Gideon Gono, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
(RBZ), told the Ambassador on June 4 that President Robert
Mugabe has prostate cancer that has metastasized and,
according to doctors, will cause his death in three to five
years. According to Gono, Mugabe's doctor had recommended he
cut back on his activities. (NOTE: Gono told us last year
that Mugabe was ill and that his doctor had urged him to step
down immediately. Mugabe had told his doctor, according to
Gono, that he would leave office after the election (reftel).
END NOTE.)
¶2. (C) Gono acknowledged the ongoing violence and said he
was appalled. It was "brother against brother and sister
against sister" for political purposes. An uncle had even
been the victim of ZANU-PF thugs.
¶3. (C) Turning to the economy, Gono said the GOZ was rapidly
going broke. It was desperate for hard currency to pay its
expenses. His attempt to devalue by introducing the "willing
seller, willing buyer" mechanism was not working.
¶4. (C) The Ambassador raised the recently imposed
restrictions on CARE and other NGOs. Gono said the
government's rationale was based on its belief that NGOs were
distributing food on a political basis to garner MDC support,
and that NGO purchases of grain was driving up the price to
the detriment of the GOZ's Grain Marketing Board. The
Ambassador replied this was nonsense and stressed the
humanitarian crisis that could result from the GOZ's actions.
Gono promised to take up the matter with Minister of Labor
and Social Welfare Nicholas Goche or facilitate a meeting
between the Ambassador and Goche. (NOTE: On June 5, the day
after the Ambassador's meeting with Gono, Goche announced the
suspension of activities of all NGOs and PVOs. The
announcement was not restricted to organizations engaged in
humanitarian work. END NOTE.)
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶5. (C) Given Mugabe's health, and the desire of many within
ZANU-PF that he step down because of the state of the
economy, it is likely the latest date Mugabe will stay in
office, assuming he wins on June 27, is December 2009. This
is when ZANU-PF will hold its scheduled Congress to re-elect
officers. It is also quite possible that after a June win,
ZANU-PF will begin the succession game resulting in a
departure for Mugabe earlier than December 2009.
¶6. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: As always, Gono in his meeting
with the Ambassador attempted to portray himself above the
fray — aware of the perfidious activity of ZANU-PF but not
responsible for it. We continue to hear reports, however,
that Gono plays an integral role in the Joint Operation
Command (JOC) responsible for running the country.
Furthermore, Gono as Governor of the RBZ, has been able to
keep the economy running through his monetary machinations,
including the printing of money. That said, he remains a
useful contact to facilitate approaches to the GOZ in times
of crisis, such as the detention of our diplomats on June 5
(septel). END COMMENT.
McGee
(111 VIEWS)
