Sipepa Nkomo said MDC could work with Mzembi

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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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000239

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STATE PASS TO USAID FR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019

TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI

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

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