US embassy felt Kasukuwere was the right person to replace Gezi

Mount Darwin legislator Saviour Kasukuwere was well positioned to replace Youth Minister Border Gezi after he was killed in a car accident, the United States embassy in Harare said.

It said the youthful Kasukuwere had a reputation for zealously attacking party opponents- both figuratively and literally- and was just the sort of person President Robert Mugabe would probably like to have as Youth Development Minister.

Gezi was killed in a car accident while on his way to Masvingo where he was expected to present $1.6 million to local officials for development projects.

Masvingo was due to hold mayoral elections the following month.

Gezi, though only 36, had become a formidable force within the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

He had been elevated to the powerful post of national commissar which meant he was in charge of organising the party and had started rejuvenating it after its disastrous performance in the 2000 parliamentary elections.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE1470, ZIMBABWE CABINET MINISTER KILLED IN CAR

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

301353Z Apr 01

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO1218

PAGE 01       HARARE 01470 301345Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EB-00   EUR-00   OIGO-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00

VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00

AC-01   NSAE-00 OMB-01   OPIC-01 PA-00   PM-00   PRS-00

ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00   SSO-00   TRSE-00 USIE-00

PMB-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00     /007W

——————E58ECB 301346Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8749

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001470

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/11

TAGS: PGOV PINR ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE CABINET MINISTER KILLED IN CAR

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PAGE 02       HARARE 01470 301345Z

ACCIDENT LEAVES GAPING HOLE IN RULING PARTY

CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D’AFFAIRES EARL IRVING FOR REASONS:

1.5 (B) AND (D).

¶1. (U) YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, GENDER AND EMPLOYMENT

CREATION MINISTER BORDER GEZI WAS KILLED IN AN APRIL 28

CAR ACCIDENT ON THE HARARE-MASVINGO ROAD. GEZI’S DRIVER

WAS ALSO KILLED, AND HIS AIDE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. A

TIRE BLOWOUT APPARENTLY CAUSED GEZI’S OFFICIAL MERCEDES

TO SWERVE OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO A LARGE TREE. THE

APRIL 29 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-INFLUENCED “SUNDAY

MAIL” SHOWED GEZI’S CAR AS A BADLY CRUMPLED WRECK, WITH

THE LEFT HALF OF THE CAR, WHERE GEZI WAS SEATED, MOSTLY

SHEARED AWAY. GEZI HAD BEEN ON HIS WAY TO MASVINGO

TOWN, WHERE HE WAS DUE TO PRESENT ZIM$1.6 MILLION

(US$16,000) TO LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

(NOTE: A MAYORAL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED IN MASVINGO FOR

MAY 12-13. END NOTE.) PRESIDENT MUGABE SAID A FULL

POLICE INVESTIGATION WOULD BE CARRIED OUT. THE APRIL 30

EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED “THE HERALD” SAID

THE ZANU-PF POLITBURO WOULD MEET TODAY (APRIL 30) TO

DECIDE WHETHER GEZI WOULD BE GRANTED NATIONAL HERO

STATUS AND BURIED IN HEROES’ ACRE.

¶2. (C) THE SUDDEN DEATH OF GEZI CREATES A GAPING HOLE,

NOT ONLY IN CABINET, BUT ALSO IN THE RULING ZANU-PF

STRUCTURE. GEZI WAS A POLITBURO MEMBER AND ZANU-PF’S

NATIONAL POLITICAL COMMISSAR, AND AS SUCH, WAS

RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIZING PARTY ELECTIONS AND HAD LED

THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE PARTY’S PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVES.

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PAGE 03       HARARE 01470 301345Z

THE 36-YEAR-OLD MINISTER WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE PARTY’S

MOST ENERGETIC PROMOTERS, AND HAS BEEN CREDITED WITH

REJUVENATING THE PARTY AFTER ITS ELECTORAL SETBACKS LAST

YEAR. IN HIS PREVIOUS POST AS GOVERNOR OF MASHONALAND

CENTRAL PROVINCE, GEZI LED THE CAMPAIGN OF TERROR

AGAINST OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS IN HIS PROVINCE IN THE

RUN-UP TO THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.

¶3. (C) GEZI’S DEATH WILL ALSO RESULT IN A BY-ELECTION

FOR HIS BINDURA PARLIAMENTARY SEAT. THE CONSTITUENCY

NORTH OF HARARE IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL WAS ONE OF THE

MOST BRUTALIZED CONSTITUENCIES IN LAST YEAR’S ELECTION,

AND OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS ARE STILL ROUTINELY HARASSED

AND BEATEN THERE. DESPITE THE VIOLENCE, GEZI WAS

ELECTED BY A MARGIN OF ONLY 2,000 VOTES, THE ONLY

MASHONALAND CENTRAL ELECTION WHERE THE MDC CAME EVEN

REMOTELY CLOSE TO WINNING. THE BY-ELECTION, WHENEVER IT

IS HELD, WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A VIOLENT AND BLOODY ONE.

¶4. (C) COMMENT: ALTHOUGH IT’S NOT CLEAR WHO WILL FILL

GEZI’S SHOES, MT. DARWIN SOUTH MP SAVIOR “TYSON”

KASUKUWERE APPEARS WELL-POSITIONED FOR THE JOB.

KASUKUWERE WAS APPOINTED TO THE 30-MEMBER POLITBURO IN

FEBRUARY THIS YEAR AND GIVEN THE PARTY’S PORTFOLIO OF

DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS. THE YOUTHFUL

KASUKUWERE HAS A REPUTATION FOR ZEALOUSLY ATTACKING

PARTY OPPONENTS — BOTH FIGURATIVELY AND LITERALLY —

AND IS JUST THE SORT OF PERSON MUGABE WOULD PROBABLY

LIKE TO HAVE AS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MINISTER. GEZI IS

BELIEVED TO HAVE USED MINISTRY RESOURCES FOR

ESTABLISHING “TRAINING CENTERS” FOR ZANU-PF YOUTH AND

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PAGE 04       HARARE 01470 301345Z

OTHER PARTY SUPPORTERS. ALTHOUGH GEZI’S DEATH IS A BLOW

TO THE ZANU-PF ESTABLISHMENT, THERE ARE OTHER YOUNG

TOUGHS IN THE PARTY READY TO TAKE HIS PLACE. END

COMMENT.

IRVING

CONFIDENTIAL

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