The Solomon Mujuru faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front was so desperate to get rid of President Robert Mugabe before the extra-ordinary congress set for December 2007 that it sought the help of the United States government to do so. But its emissary David Butau did not specify what help they needed.
Butau met United States embassy officials on May 31, 2007 to discuss the issue after the faction’s move to stop Mugabe from becoming the presidential candidate for 2008 was thwarted at the party’s central committee meeting by the other faction led by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
In a cable dispatched on June 1, 2007, United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Christopher Dell wrote: “The Mujuru camp has done everything it could to gain control of the ruling party structures in Masvingo and Bulawayo, while forestalling Mugabe’s full endorsement at Central Committee, but the status quo still favours Mugabe.”
On the meeting with Butau, Dell said: “The meeting, which resembled more of a brainstorming session than a formal request for help, demonstrates that the Mujuru camp is running out of ideas and possible options. While Butau’s comments regarding Mujuru’s commitment to reform were certainly intended to influence, he’s right that the next few months will be key. Unless this camp gets a shot in the arm soon, we’re likely looking at several more years of Mugabe.”
This is one of the details contained in the 10 600-word article entitled: Can Obama outlast Mugabe, which is now available as a kindle book from Amazon.
The article looks at several attempts to remove Mugabe from power and how he has survived up to today. Already, there have been five more years for Mugabe.
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