The Insider

Midlands Province was described as a model in land reform because black and white farmers were working together and provincial governor Cephas Msipa had convinced the government not to compulsorily take over white-owned dairy farms because this would lead to milk shortages.

(152 VIEWS)

The secretary-general of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change Welshman Ncube told United States embassy officials that pressure on President Robert Mugabe from the United States and the European Union was working but Mugabe preferred that any solution for the Zimbabwe crisis should come from Africa so that he could say he had stood up to the West and Africans had helped him to solve Zimbabwe’s problems.

(112 VIEWS)

Francis Nhema was described by the United States embassy as a failed banker when he was appointed Minister of Environment and Tourism in 2000 and had probably landed the post because he was the son-in-law of Vice-President Joshua Nkomo.

(55 VIEWS)

Former United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell described Movement for Democratic Change leader Welshman Ncube as a deeply divisive and destructive player who needed to be pushed off the stage.

(69 VIEWS)

The secretary general of the Morgan Tsvangirai faction of the Movement for Democratic Change Tendai Biti told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell that South African mediation team leader Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi “hit through the roof” after reviewing the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front’s position paper on negotiations with the MDC.

(80 VIEWS)

President Robert Mugabe tried to put former army commander Solomon Mujuru under surveillance in 2007 but the Central Intelligence Organisation refused to do so and told him.

(113 VIEWS)

Sikhanyiso Ndlovu was a popular educationist running his own Zimbabwe Distance Education Colleges until he decided to go into politics as the Member of Parliament for Mpopoma. But his career was short-lived because he lost his seat in 2000 to little known Milton Gwetu of the Movement for Democratic Change. The people of Mpopoma loved him but they told him he had to leave ZANU-PF if he wanted them to vote for him. He couldn’t. From then on he survived at the mercy of President Robert Mugabe. He did that for the next eight years until he was fired with most of the other losers in January 2009. There were 18 cables on him and here they are:

(94 VIEWS)

Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu was one of the nine ministers from the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front that President Robert Mugabe axed as he prepared for the setting up of an inclusive government.

(56 VIEWS)

Idasa analyst Sydney Masamvu had a copy of the 10-page document on the concerns of the two Movement for Democratic Change formations sent to South African President Thabo Mbeki and handed it over to United States embassy officials in Pretoria who in turn emailed it to their embassy in Harare.

(63 VIEWS)

Pretoria was so desperate to get analytical information on Zimbabwe that Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad asked Idasa analyst Sydney Masamvu to give him a five-page analysis about the situation in Zimbabwe in 10 days.

(68 VIEWS)