Iden Wetherell, the editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, told United States embassy officials that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front politburo now functioned as the nation’s cabinet.
The real cabinet, he said, was in Mugabe’s view filled with “weaklings and lightweights”.
Mugabe was going to expand the politburo at the party’s annual conference to bring in more help for the presidential elections.
Wetherell said it was not time to reduce the politburo or punish enemies within the party because Mugabe needed all the help he could get.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE3410, ZIMBABWE: FEW CHANGES EXPECTED AT UPCOMING
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ8282
PAGE 01 HARARE 03410 01 OF 02 151326Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DINT-00 DODE-00
DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-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 PC-01 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /008W
——————3EA729 151326Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0286
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003410
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: FEW CHANGES EXPECTED AT UPCOMING
ZANU-PF CONFERENCE
CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF TODD C. FAULK FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B)
AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: THE ZIMBABWE RULING PARTY’S ANNUAL
CONFERENCE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 13-16 IN
VICTORIA FALLS. NO MAJOR CHANGES IN THE ZANU-PF
LEADERSHIP ARE EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED, AND THE
CONFERENCE IS LIKELY TO REAFFIRM PRESIDENT MUGABE AS THE
PARTY’S CANDIDATE FOR NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION. OUR
INTERLOCUTORS TELL US THAT THE DATES OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION WILL PROBABLY NOT BE ANNOUNCED UNTIL AFTER
ZANU-PF WRAPS UP ITS ANNUAL DOG AND PONY SHOW. END
SUMMARY.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN THE WORKS
——————————
¶2. (C) FRED SHAVA, ZANU-PF’S DIRECTOR OF
ADMINISTRATION, CONFIRMED WITH POLOFF ON NOVEMBER 13
THAT ZANU-PF’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN
VICTORIA FALLS DECEMBER 13-16. ABOUT 7,000 DELEGATES
REPRESENTING ALL 10 PROVINCES (THE PROVINCIAL COUNCILS
WILL SELECT THEIR DELEGATES OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS)
WILL BE ASSEMBLED UNDER A GIGANTIC TENT ON THE GOLF
COURSE OF A LOCAL RESORT. HARARE DIPLOMATS WILL BE
INVITED TO ATTEND THE OPENING CEREMONY — LIKELY TO BE
HELD DECEMBER 14, A DAY AFTER REGISTRATION IS COMPLETED
— AND EMBASSIES SHOULD RECEIVE THEIR INVITATIONS BY THE
END OF THE MONTH, THE DIRECTOR NOTED. SHAVA DESCRIBED
THE CONFERENCE AS THE PARTY’S ANNUAL “MANAGEMENT
REVIEW,” WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM A FIVE-YEAR CONGRESS.
A CONGRESS IS TASKED WITH ELECTING THE PARTY’S 280-
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03410 01 OF 02 151326Z
MEMBER CENTRAL COMMITTEE, WHEREAS NO LEADERSHIP CHANGES
CAN BE MADE AT A CONFERENCE, SHAVA ASSERTED. DEPUTY
JUSTICE MINISTER PAUL MANGWANA TOLD POLOFF NOVEMBER 1
THAT IT IS AGAINST ZANU-PF’S CONSTITUTION TO CHANGE THE
PARTY LEADERSHIP OUTSIDE OF A FIVE-YEAR CONGRESS.
CHANGES IN THE POLITBURO WERE MADE AT LAST YEAR’S
CONGRESS ONLY BECAUSE THE PARTY CONSTITUTION HAD BEEN
CHANGED TO PERMIT IT. (NOTE: LAST YEAR’S ANNUAL
GATHERING QUALIFIED AS A “SPECIAL” CONGRESS TO CONCLUDE
UNFINISHED BUSINESS FROM 1999’S FIVE-YEAR CONGRESS. END
NOTE.) WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS YEAR’S AGENDA, SHAVA COYLY
REMARKED THAT IT HAS NOT COME OUT YET, BUT SAID A
“REAFFIRMATION” OF MUGABE’S CANDIDACY FOR NEXT YEAR’S
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS LIKELY.
A FEW LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS?
——————————
¶3. (C) THE OCTOBER 26 EDITION OF THE “ZIMBABWE
INDEPENDENT” CLAIMED THAT THE ZANU-PF POLITBURO WILL BE
EXPANDED AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO BRING IN MORE HELP
FOR THE ELECTION. THE ARTICLE CLAIMED THAT THE
COMMISSARIAT, WHICH DIRECTS ELECTION EFFORTS, WILL BE
EXPANDED WITH TWO NEW DEPUTY SECRETARIES, INFORMATION
MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO WILL HEAD A NEW INFORMATION,
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMISSARIAT SUB-COMMITTEE, AND
NICHOLAS GOCHE WILL DIRECT A NEW TRANSPORT AND SECURITY
SUB-COMMITTEE. IDEN WETHERELL, EDITOR OF THE
“INDEPENDENT,” TOLD POLOFF NOVEMBER 6 THAT NOW IS NOT
THE TIME FOR MUGABE TO REDUCE THE POLITBURO OR PUNISH
ENEMIES WITHIN THE PARTY — HE NEEDS ALL THE HELP HE CAN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03410 01 OF 02 151326Z
GET. THE ZANU-PF POLITBURO NOW FUNCTIONS AS THE
NATION’S CABINET — THE REAL CABINET, IN MUGABE’S VIEW,
IS FILLED WITH “WEAKLINGS AND LIGHTWEIGHTS” — AND IT
WILL BE EXPANDED TO MEET THE ELECTORAL CHALLENGE AHEAD,
WETHERELL OPINED.
¶4. (C) IN SPEAKING TO ACTING PARTY COMMISSAR SIKHANYISO
NDLOVU ON NOVEMBER 8, POLOFFS LEARNED THAT MUGABE
PROBABLY WILL APPOINT A NEW COMMISSAR AT THE ZANU-PF
CONFERENCE, BUT NDLOVU REFUSED TO SPECULATE WHETHER IT
WOULD BE HIM. WHEN ASKED IF NEW YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
MINISTER ELLIOT MANYIKA WAS FAVORED FOR THE KEY POST,
NDLOVU SAID HE WAS A POSSIBILITY. WITH A TOUCH OF
BITTERNESS, THE ACTING COMMISSAR COMPLAINED ABOUT
WORKING FOR FORMER COMMISSAR BORDER GEZI, WHO DIED IN AN
APRIL CAR ACCIDENT. HE DESCRIBED GEZI AS UNEDUCATED AND
IMMATURE. NDLOVU NOTED THAT HE WAS NOW CONDUCTING A
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF ZIMBABWE’S DEMOGRAPHICS TO LEARN
WHICH AREAS AND GROUPS ARE BEST TO TARGET FOR THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY
ELECTIONS WERE RUN BASED ON THE OUTDATED 1992 CENSUS,
BUT THAT MISTAKE WOULD NOT BE MADE THIS TIME, HE ASSURED
US.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ8285
PAGE 01 HARARE 03410 02 OF 02 151326Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DINT-00 DODE-00
DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-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 PC-01 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /008W
——————3EA740 151326Z /38
P 151242Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0287
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003410
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: FEW CHANGES EXPECTED AT UPCOMING
ZANU-PF CONFERENCE
ELECTION DATE STILL A MYSTERY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03410 02 OF 02 151326Z
—————————–
¶5. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE TIMING OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, DIRECTOR SHAVA STATED THAT IT WAS
“ENTIRELY UP TO THE PRESIDENT’S DISCRETION.” HE REFUSED
TO ELABORATE ON WHEN THE DATE MIGHT BE ANNOUNCED,
STATING THAT THE WINDOW FOR THE ELECTION WAS WELL-
DEFINED BY THE CONSTITUTION. SHAVA THEN VOLUNTEERED
THAT IT IS WITHIN THE PRESIDENT’S AUTHORITY TO DELAY AN
ELECTION, AND EFFECTIVELY EXTEND HIS TENURE, IF THE
COUNTRY IS AT WAR, THERE IS A NATURAL DISASTER THAT
PREVENTS VOTERS FROM GOING TO THE POLLS, OR A STATE OF
EMERGENCY IS DECLARED. IDEN WETHERELL REMARKED THAT HE
DOES NOT BELIEVE MUGABE WILL ANNOUNCE THE ELECTION DATE
DURING THE ZANU-PF CONFERENCE BECAUSE HE “DOESN’T WANT
TO PUT ALL HIS CARDS ON THE TABLE.” INSTEAD, HE WILL
WAIT AS LONG AS LEGALLY POSSIBLE. MUGABE WILL STAND FOR
RE-ELECTION, THE EDITOR OFFERED, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT
IS CONVINCED THAT HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SEE “THE
REVOLUTION” THROUGH. NDLOVU TOLD US A MARCH DATE HAD
BEEN RECOMMENDED TO THE PRESIDENT BUT THAT MUGABE HAS
NOT YET MADE A DECISION.
COMMENT
——-
¶6. (C) THIS YEAR’S ZANU-PF CONFERENCE IS SHAPING UP TO
BE AN EVEN BIGGER NON-EVENT THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
GONE ARE EVEN THE USUAL RUMORS OF WHOLESALE CHANGES IN
THE PARTY LEADERSHIP OR “YOUNG TURK” REVOLTS. ZANU-PF
MEMBERS APPEAR RESIGNED TO THE CONTINUED PRESENCE OF
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03410 02 OF 02 151326Z
MUGABE AT THE HELM AND ARE STAKING THEIR POLITICAL
FUTURES ON HIS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY. ALTHOUGH A FEW
MINOR RESHUFFLES OR ADDITIONS TO THE POLITBURO MAY OCCUR
— ELLIOT MANYIKA LOOKS LIKE A SHOE-IN FOR PARTY
COMMISSAR — MUGABE IS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE TACK SO NEAR
THE END OF THE RACE, EVEN IF THE BOAT IS TAKING ON
WATER. THE CONFERENCE WILL LIKELY SERVE AS ANOTHER
AVENUE FOR THE PRESIDENT TO WHIP UP SUPPORT FOR HIS LAND
PROGRAM AND TO REENERGIZE THE PARTY FAITHFUL. END
COMMENT.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
>
(34 VIEWS)
