Robert Mugabe Wikileaks cables – Part Twenty-Two

The road to the formation of  Zimbabwe’s inclusive government which saw the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front being forced to work together with the two main factions of the Movement for Democratic Change one led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the other by Arthur Mutambara from 2009- 2013 was fraught with bitter in-fighting within the key players.

One of the rumours that made its way to the United States embassy in Harare was that then Rural Housing Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa had grabbed President Robert Mugabe by the lapels over the distribution of security ministries.

According to the rumors Mnangagwa was forcibly subdued by Mugabe’s bodyguards and was injured in the process to such an extent that he had to be hospitalised.

The embassy, however, said it was unable to confirm the physical altercation.

“Nevertheless, there appears to have been a serious rift between Mugabe and Mnangagwa over the allocation of ministries,” the embassy said.

“Mnangagwa is loathe to allow any of the security apparatus to pass to the MDC. Sources have also told us that Defense Forces chief Constantine Chiwenga and Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono are opposed to the MDC assuming responsibility for Home Affairs.

“They fear the ministry and police would investigate them for corrupt activities.”

The ministry was ultimately shared by the two key parties, ZANU-PF and MDC-T and had co-ministers until the end of the inclusive government,

ZANU-PF, however, remained in charge of Defence which was given to Mnangagwa and Security which was given to Sydney Sekeramayi.

The MDC-T was given the service ministries like Finance, Labour, Health and the Public Service.

Below are the first 440 Wikileaks cables on Mugabe- 186 more to go.

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