Shumba forms political party

Former Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front provincial chairman for Masvingo Daniel Shumba formed his own political party called the United People’s Party on 24 June 2006.

The new party was, however, not connected with the United People’s Movement in which he and former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo had been said to be members of the national executive.

Shumba was one of the six ZANU-PF provincial chairmen who were fired after the Tsholotsho meeting at which they are reported to have planned to block Joice Mujuru from becoming ZANU-PF vice-president.

Only 800 people attended the launch of the party

Full cable:

Viewing cable 06HARARE764, FORMER ZANU-PF OFFICIAL LAUNCHES NEW OPPOSITION

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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000764

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COMMERCE FOR BECKY ERKUL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2011

TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ASEC ZI

SUBJECT: FORMER ZANU-PF OFFICIAL LAUNCHES NEW OPPOSITION

PARTY

Classified By: Ambassador Chris W. Dell under Section 1.4 b/d

¶1. (U) Daniel Shumba, a former ZANU-PF provincial chairman

for Masvingo, officially launched the United People,s Party

(UPP) on June 24 in Harare before a smaller than advertised

crowd of approximately 800 supporters. (N.B. Shumba was one

of the six provincial chairmen forced out of the ruling party

last year in connection with a botched attempt to back

Emmerson Mnangagwa over Joyce Mujuru as the second vice

president and heir apparent to succeed President Mugabe.)

Poloff and several other diplomats were in attendance at the

scheduled 9:00 a.m. launch, which did not get underway until

noon. The UPP,s party administrator told poloff that the

delay and the small crowd were due to the ruling party,s

interference with the prearranged chartered bus

transportation to the event.

¶2. (U) In well-received remarks to the crowd, Shumba, the

interim UPP president, blasted ZANU-PF for having condemned

Zimbabweans “to poverty, hunger and destitution” as a result

of Operation Murambatsvina, economic collapse and failed land

reform. Adding that the government had lost its legitimacy

to rule, Shumba called for it immediate resignation and new

and fair elections. Shumba laid out a near-term game plan

for the UPP, including a road show to all the provinces

before holding a national congress around July 31 to name an

interim executive team. The party would then contest local

government elections slated for August 2006.

¶3. (C) Comment: The UPP is not to be confused with Jonathan

Moyo’s United People’s Movement (UPM) but like the UPM its

ability to make an impact on Zimbabwe’s political scene is

doubtful. An egotistical businessman who lost his telecom

concession in the wake of his party suspension, Shumba would

seem to lack the financial wherewithal, public trust or

distinguishing message to attract meaningful support from an

opposition field still dominated by the Morgan Tsvangirai and

his anti-senate MDC faction.

DELL

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