Minister of Water Samuel Sipepa Nkomo said while most of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front cabinet members were difficult to deal with, Environment Minister Francis Nhema and Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi were moderates whom the Movement for Democratic Change could work with.
He said Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who was formerly Minister of Water, also supported MDC programmes and was very critical of ZANU-PF.
She had even supported Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s revision of the budget downwards a position that was ultimately supported by President Robert Mugabe though most ZANU-PF ministers opposed the revision.
Nkomo said that while Mugabe remained influential, he was constrained by ZANU-PF hardliners such as Patrick Chinamasa, Nicholas Goche and the service chiefs.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09HARARE239, OBSERVATIONS OF MDC MINISTER OF WATER
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Reference ID |
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VZCZCXRO3642
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0239/01 0781001
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191001Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4252
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2713
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2835
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1289
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2100
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2456
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2883
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5322
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2002
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000239
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B.WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019
SUBJECT: OBSERVATIONS OF MDC MINISTER OF WATER
Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)
¶1. (C) Polecon Chief spoke with Minister of Water Sam Nkomo
on March 19. Nkomo is an MDC MP from Matabeleland North and
is the brother of John Nkomo, the ZANU-PF party chairman and
a Minister of State in the president’s office. He offered
observations on the current situation.
¶2. (C) Nkomo said the Ministry of Water, like other
ministries, is “broke.” He is centralizing the purchase of
treatment chemicals to achieve economies of scale and
discounts. Until now, ministers and ZANU-PF insiders have
sold chemicals to the government to their own benefit. He
estimates that a year’s supply of chemicals would be US$28
million.
¶3. (C) Nkomo is a professional accountant and his permanent
secretary, whom he described as competent and hard-working,
has an agricultural background. Many technically qualified
people have left the ministry in the last several years. He
would welcome technical assistance from a water expert to
give him a good overview of Zimbabwe’s water problems and
what is needed to correct them.
¶4. (C) ZANU-PF cabinet members are for the most part set in
their ways and difficult to deal with, according to Nkomo.
He excepted Minister of the Environment Francis Nhema and
Minister of Tourism Walter Mzembi whom he described as
moderates with whom the MDC could work. Nkomo thought
political and economic progress would be difficult given
ZANU-PF intransigence; the MDC’s goal was to get to free and
fair elections, which it was confident it could win, and to
provide as many services as possible until then to maintain
and gain support.
¶5. (C) Nkomo, who has been a strong Tsvangirai supporter,
told us that Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara had been
a positive force in cabinet and had been caucusing with MDC-T
ministers. The other two MDC-M ministers, Welshman Ncube and
Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, had not caucused with MDC-T
and had taken a more neutral role in cabinet meetings.
¶6. (C) Turning to ZANU-PF politics, Nkomo said he had spoken
privately recently with Vice President Joice Mujuru, who was
formerly Minister of Water. He said she was critical of
ZANU-PF and supported MDC programs to liberalize the economy
and expand political space. He recounted the cabinet’s
discussion of Minister of Finance Tendai Biti’s downward
revision of the budget which was presented to Parliament
yesterday (Septel). Most ZANU-PF ministers opposed the
revision and wanted to delay consideration by Parliament.
Mujuru supported the MDC position which was ultimately
supported by President Mugabe as well. Nkomo opined that
while Mugabe remains influential, he is constrained by
ZANU-PF hardliners such as Patrick Chinamasa, Nicholas Goche
and the service chiefs.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶7. (C) Nkomo’s comments on Mujuru tracks with what we have
been hearing. Joice Mujuru has had private contacts with the
Qbeen hearing. Joice Mujuru has had private contacts with the
MDC and she and her husband Solomon would not be sad to see
Mugabe go. (Solomon Mujuru has remained largely on the
sidelines since his unsuccessful attempt to force Mugabe’s
retirement in December 2007.) While there are fissures
within ZANU-PF and the party appears to be weakening, a clean
break by Mujuru and her followers does not appear to be on
the horizon. END COMMENT.
HARARE 00000239 002 OF 002
DHANANI
(21 VIEWS)
