The Insider

In a typical example of how much power President Robert Mugabe wields, a court ordered war veterans to move off the farms that they had occupied but Mugabe, who was in Havana at the time, told CNN that nothing of the sort was going to happen.

(55 VIEWS)

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front chairman John Nkomo assured United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald in the run up to the 2000 parliamentary elections that no harm was going to come to Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai but at the same time he warned the opposition leader to be careful.

(104 VIEWS)

The United States embassy felt that John Nkomo who had just been appointed Minister of Labour under the unity government was a useful and thoughtful interlocutor and a shrewd politician who appeared to be playing both sides of the street at once.

(100 VIEWS)

President Robert Mugabe was a stumbling block to any change but increased calls for his resignation could have the unintended effect of strengthening his resolve to stay in power, a United States research institute said way back in 2003.

(50 VIEWS)

The Southern African Development Community had betrayed Zimbabweans by failing to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe to abandon his ruinous policies that had brought the country to its knees, the Daily News said in 2003.

(86 VIEWS)

Edgar Tekere was the second most powerful person in the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front at independence. But he lost favour because of his outspokenness against corruption and the party’s drive for a one-party state. He challenged President Robert Mugabe in the 1990 elections but this political career began to fade after that. Though he formed the Zimbabwe Unity Movement, most people felt that he remained ZANU-PF at heart. He just did not agree with the way the party was being run. There are four cables that mention his name. Here they are.

(44 VIEWS)

President Robert Mugabe has been described as a spiritual descendant of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin whose reign of terror is reported to have entrenched the cult of African strongmen “who plunder their countries’ natural wealth for their personal gratification, all the while repressing their own people with sadistic, almost bestial glee….”.

(128 VIEWS)

The Daily News on Sunday said though South African President Thabo Mbeki had brokered the exit of Liberian leader Charles Taylor he should be aware that quiet diplomacy did not work with President Robert Mugabe.

(70 VIEWS)

The Daily News urged African leaders to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe to step down in 2003 after Liberian leader Charles Taylor had been forced to step down.

(65 VIEWS)

The Daily News said way back in 2003 that President Robert Mugabe should negotiate not only with the Movement for Democratic Change but even with the devil himself if that was the only way to break the country’s political impasse and allow Zimbabwe a chance to make a fresh beginning.

(47 VIEWS)