Categories: Stories

The John Nkomo Wikileaks cables

John Nkomo is one of the political survivors from the former Zimbabwe African People’s Union. His rise within the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has always been viewed with suspicion. He was reportedly too close to President Robert Mugabe. Rumours even said he was related to Mugabe through his brother Albert. Despite all the odds he rose first to national chairman and then vice-president of the party, the highest post any former ZAPU official has ever held. There are about 130 Wikileaks cables on him. Here is the first batch.

122-Mugabe usurps Tsvangirai

121-Jonathan Moyo completes phoenix-like return to ZANU-PF

120-Biti said Mujuru and Mnangagwa are unelectable

119-ZANU-PF an old party with problems

118-VP Mujuru held clandestine meeting with US ambassador

117-ZANU-PF not ready for a woman president

116-Why Tsvangirai refused to meet Mbeki and Mugabe

115-Mnangagwa loses again

114-Nkomo wins

113-John Nkomo of little value to Mugabe

112-Nkomo elected chair of succession committee

111-BBC correspondent complained about CIO meddling

110-Sipepa Nkomo says Mai Mujuru was very critical of ZANU-PF

109-Mugabe, Tsvangirai reward loyalty for cabinet picks

108-Mugabe outmanoeuvred MDC to increase size of cabinet

107-Mai Mujuru tried to outmanoeuvre Mnangagwa during unity talks

106-Manicaland a hotbed of opposition to Mugabe

105-Mujuru wanted Mugabe to go because his business was being affected

104-Zvoma forced to terminate US support to parliament

103-Nkomo asked Motlanthe for help to ease Mugabe out

102-SA opposed extension of Mugabe’s term- Masamvu

101-US funded programme helped expose corruption?

100-Gono would be massacred if he entered politics- Shamuyarira

99-ZANU-PF knew how to fix the economy but….

98-Tsvangirai leads march on parliament

97-Mutare bishop felt Mujuru was key to any political agreement

96-Nkomo warned NGOs not to dabble in politics

95-Gono said Mutasa had no place after Mugabe

94-Bennett said Tsvangirai was the MDC’s only chance

93-Embassy wanted Nkomo’s wife added to sanctions list

92-Mugabe relies on the same cast of characters

91-Makoni said Mugabe respected and liked self-made businesspersons

90-MDC MPs admit support for party is more of opposition to ZANU-PF

89-CFU president preferred a moderate ZANU-PF to an MDC government

88-MDC MPs on why Mugabe was more tolerant in 2005

87-CFU said plight of white farmers is improving

86-Mnangagwa beat Mujuru in 2004 but Mugabe rejected the results- Wikileaks

85-Mnangagwa Zimbabwe’s Gorbachev!

84-Nkomo oft-cited to take over from Mugabe?

83-Pressure on white farmers boiling

82-Embassy says Mugabe covered up for Mnangagwa!

81-Gono called Mugabe on speakerphone for CFU president

80-Nkomo was powerless on land reform

79-CFU wanted to merge with ICFU to save its members

78-Nkomo and Jonathan Moyo sparred over multiple farm ownership

77-Government threatened to nationalise Save Valley Conservancy

76-John Nkomo and Jonathan Moyo did not see eye-to-eye

75-Who paid for Mugabe’s Borrowdale home?

74-US ambassador says John Nkomo is too timid to assert himself

73-Can black and white farmers join forces?

72-Nkomo dodged ambassador on key issues

71-Speedier evictions without Made

70-Tourism holds Zimbabwe’s best potential for recovery

69-Did government plan to nationalise conservancies?

68-Nkomo said he wanted to end multiple farm ownership

67-Makoni says removal of lands from Made a positive step

66-Industry happy that land was removed from Made

65-Cabinet reshuffle shows power of hardliners and military- Wikileaks

64-Mugabe singles out Jonathan Moyo for praise at conference

63-Muzenda wanted Zvinavashe to replace him- Wikileaks

62-Bishop says Mugabe is cordoned off

61-SA ambassador said Mugabe told Annan he was ready to step down

60-ZANU-PF became anti-democratic after formation of MDC

59-Bishops happy MDC and ZANU-PF leaders met at Muzenda’s funeral

58-Five questions that ZANU-PF wanted MDC to answer

57-Chindori-Chininga’s take on the succession issue

56-Bishops upbeat after meeting Nkomo

55-US not allowed to help MDC set up office in Washington

54-Ambassador says Nkomo long on bonhomie poor on substance

53-Nkomo says headmen know their communities better than NGOs

52-Mugabe’s potential successor according to Tsvangirai

51-Nkomo arranged bishops’ meeting with Mugabe

50-Gandi Mudzingwa said the MDC does not have anybody beyond Tsvangirai

49-Why Mugabe did not want to talk to Tsvangirai

48-Mugabe succession elusive

47-Tsvangirai asked US to press South Africa for genuine dialogue

46-Nigerian ambassador said Nkomo could succeed Mugabe

45-How church leaders tried to open dialogue between ZANU-PF and MDC

44-Bishops tell MDC that ZANU-PF is willing to talk

43-Bishops draw up a vision for Zimbabwe

42-US ambassador says Makoni is a breath of fresh air

41-Mpofu, Nkomo say chiefs to distribute food

40-Nkomo not happy with war vets leader’s speech

39-Did Mugabe groom Nkomo for vice-Presidency?

38-Mugabe rewards loyalty not competence

37-Mugabe is the most dangerous person to interests of Western powers

36-Paper describes government as regime gone berserk

35-Paper calls on government to ban rogue NGOs

34-Nkomo threatened to revoke passports of those campaigning for sanctions

33-Msika, Nkomo and Ndlovu wanted Mugabe to go

32-Sikhanyiso Nlodvu’s college burnt by MDC supporters

31-Government crack down on MDC after murder of Cain Nkala

30-Mugabe had assets worth more than US$1 billion in 2001- Wikileaks

29-How to get Mugabe to step down

28-Nkomo orders end of reign of terror by war vets

27-Mugabe says if the British won’t honour their obligations, we won’t either

26-Mugabe’s presidential succession race down to two runners

25-Zvobgo supporters boycott sham party elections

24-US embassy says Mugabe will not be pushed off the scene

23-Mugabe, Mbeki and Obasanjo held a highly secret meeting

22-Gumbo says the government is there to govern

21-Cross, Stevenson wanted Mugabe impeached- Wikileaks

20-Mugabe believes he is the only one who can hold ZANU-PF together

19-Mugabe protects those who carried out his dirty deeds

18-Capital confusion

17-Commercial farmers go for broke

16-John Nkomo says MDC bombed its own headquarters

15-Government trying to throttle off MDC

14-Chamisa and Gandi Mudzingwa quizzed over arms caches

13-Mnangagwa says disruption is cost of redistributing land

12-Farmers urge US to push Mbeki to put pressure on Mugabe

11-War veterans demonstrate against Nkomo

10-Nkomo tells US to leave Zimbabwe alone

9-US embassy says Mugabe sees himself as the Fidel Castro of Southern Africa

8-US says its public diplomacy has paid off in Zimbabwe

7-Mugabe’s cabinet composed of place holders

6-MDC victory in 2000 could have been destabilising

5-Msipa says Mugabe and Mnangagwa sponsored violence by war vets

4-US embassy says Mugabe is using land as a smokescreen

3-Court orders war vets off farms but Mugabe unmoved

2-Nkomo says no harm will come to Tsvangirai

1-US embassy felt John Nkomo was a shrewd politician way back in 1988

(182 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on August 9, 2014 7:07 pm

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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