Robert Mugabe Wikileaks cables – Part Twenty-Nine

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was at one time during the inclusive government so upset with President Robert Mugabe that he called him a tyrant in front of a United States congressional delegation and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official.

United States embassy officials said Tsvangirai was more forceful and candid than the conciliatory tone he had adopted since joining the government.

They said Tsvangirai described Mugabe as a tyrant who had ignored democratic principles and become isolationist because of his belief that the West had shunned him due to his land reform programme.

He acknowledged Mugabe’s role in bringing about independence but said his record during the past ten years was indefensible as he had turned against his own people.

Tsvangirai said that Mugabe wanted to be remembered as a liberation hero but he was tarnishing his own image.

Despite these misgivings the inclusive government lasted until 2013 when the country went for harmonized elections which Tsvangirai lost dismally.

The MDC says Mugabe stole the elections but academic articles and a new book on Why Mugabe won says the MDC lost because it did not prepare adequately for the elections.

Its leaders were also exposed as being no better than those from the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front because their lavish lifestyles and womanising on the party of Tsvangirai.

“[Morgan Tsvangirai] has been the most successful opposition leader in Zimbabwe’s history, building a viable party within a handful of years, beating Mugabe in the first round of the presidential election in 2008,” the authors of Why Mugabe won say.

“He is respected for his personal courage, and his refusal to make the death of his wife in a suspicious car accident into political capital.

“But Tsvangirai has personal and political flaws.

“His party split in 2006 over arguments about his leadership style.

“After entering the coalition GNU in 2009, he was often described as indecisive and easily manipulated by Mugabe and his colleagues.

“Stories of his colourful love life after the death of his wife added to the impression that his mind was not fully on his job as Prime Minister, and the growing comfort and corruption among his MDC colleagues in government caused anger among his supporters, many of whom felt betrayed by their leaders,” the book says.

Below are the first 580 Wikileaks cables on Mugabe- only 45 more to go.

Coming next all the 726 Wikileaks cables of Morgan Tsvangirai

Continued next page

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