Why Mutsekwa and Mohadi worked well together

Co-Ministers of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi said they worked well together perhaps because they were both ex-military and as a result, their ministry was functioning smoothly.

They told this to United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray when he visited their office just a few months after coming to Zimbabwe.

Mutsekwa was accused by his own party of working too closely with Mohadi.

Mohadi was an ex-ZAPU fighter while Mutsekwa fought with the Rhodesian army and served with the Zimbabwe army after independence.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 10HARARE95, Ambassador Meets with Zim Home Affairs Co-Ministers

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R 101301Z FEB 10

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0039

INFO SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

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RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000095

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR BRIAN WALCH

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/10

TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KTIP ASEC PINR ZI

SUBJECT: Ambassador Meets with Zim Home Affairs Co-Ministers

REF: 2009 HARARE 340

CLASSIFIED BY: Charles A. Ray, Ambassador, STATE, EXEC; REASON:

1.4(B), (D)

¶1. (SBU The Ambassador met February 8 with Khembo Mohadi (ZANU-PF)

and Giles Mutsekwa (MDC-T), the co-ministers of Home Affairs, at

their office. The meeting was friendly, especially when contrasted

with Ambassador McGee’s meeting with the two ministers in April

2009 (Ref).

¶2. (SBU) Mohadi expressed interest in police assistance, including

exchange programs and training.

¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador asked about continuing reports of violence

and intimidation in rural areas. Mohadi replied that there were

isolated incidents. He said that the Joint Monitoring and

Implementation Committee (of which he is a member), established

under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) to monitor the GPA, was

working at the provincial level to preach tolerance. It would

continue doing so at the district level. Mutsekwa added that the

three main political parties were holding meetings in anticipation

of the constitutional outreach process throughout the country.

Frequently, they had not notified the police of their meetings, as

required by law, and police were therefore not present to exercise

control.

¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador raised the issue of trafficking,

explaining that it is a scourge the U.S. takes seriously throughout

the world. We should not let our differences get in the way of

fighting transnational crime. He stated that Zimbabwe’s Tier 3

status could potentially complicate U.S. assistance efforts in

Zimbabwe, and that the Embassy would support Zimbabwe’s efforts to

fight trafficking and move from Tier 3 status. Mutsekwa replied

that trafficking was a regional problem and was topical in regional

meetings. Zimbabwe, according to Mutsekwa, was primarily a country

of transit between the Great Lakes and the Horn, and South Africa.

Police had difficulty investigating traffickers because many posed

as refugees. Mohadi added that the government wanted to do more in

education and advocacy, but was constrained by resources.

Mutsekwa noted there is a draft anti-trafficking law currently

being vetted within the Ministry of Home Affairs. (NOTE: An

official from the Prime Minister’s office told us last week that

they hope to introduce the bill in Cabinet this year. END NOTE.)

The Ambassador left with the ministers the 2009 worldwide

Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, the TIP report specific to

Zimbabwe, and the action plan for Zimbabwe. We agreed that the

Embassy would follow up with the Ministry on Zimbabwe’s efforts to

comply with the action plan.

¶5. (SBU) We asked the ministers about police involvement in the

Marange diamond fields. Mutsekwa, who is from Mutare (not far from

the area), said police had nothing to do with mining. At one

point, they had removed illegal panners to maintain law and order,

but it was up to the companies to provide security.

¶6. (SBU) Mohadi and Mutsekwa said they worked well together,

perhaps because they were both ex-military. As a result, the

ministry was functioning smoothly.

————-

COMMENT

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HARARE 00000095 002 OF 002

¶7. (C) Mutsekwa has been under fire from MDC-T for being too

conciliatory with Mohadi. We continue to receive reports of

intimidation of MDC-T members in rural areas and there is a sense

that police have been passive observers and that Mutsekwa has not

taken action. Part of the problem may be systemic. The

Commissioner of Police, Augustine Chihuri, who has direct control

of the police, is supposed to report to Home Affairs. He does not

do so. He sits on the Joint Operations Command (JOC) where many

police actions are coordinated. Also, the permanent secretary in

the Ministry is a ZANU-PF apparatchik who has no interest in

supporting any MDC-T minister. END COMMENT.

————-

Bio Notes

————

¶8. (SBU) Mohadi fought with ZAPU in the independence struggle. He

was arrested in 1975 and sentenced to 15 years in custody. After

his release at independence in 1980, he became an education officer

in Beitbridge and became active politically with PF-ZAPU. He

became a member of the party’s Central Committee and was elected to

Parliament in 1985. After the Unity Accord in 1987, he continued

his political activity with ZANU-PF as a parliamentarian and

Central Committee member. In 1999, he was investigated for the

murder of his wife’s lover. In 2000, President Mugabe appointed

him Minister of Home Affairs and the investigation was dropped.

Because he is from Matabeleland, one of the few ZANU-PF

parliamentarians from that region, Mugabe considers him an

important ally.

¶9. (SBU) Mutsekwa fought with the Rhodesian army and, after

independence, served with the Zimbabwean army. He retired in the

late 1980s with the rank of Major. Before MDC-T entered into

government, he served as the party’s shadow minister of defense.

He continues to run an insurance business in Mutare. Mutsekwa was

arrested in 2006 in the treason case on which Roy Bennett is now

standing trial. He was released on bail and charges were

ultimately dropped. END BIO NOTES.

RAY

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