Former presidential aspirant Eddison Zvobgo told United States embassy officials that Members of Parliament were “absolutely petrified” to speak out against the party. Information Minister Jonathan Moyo had “struck thunder” into the hearts of the ZANU-PF MPs.
Zvobgo who had just been sacked from the powerful politburo said he had reminded Moyo of what happened to Joe McCarthy in the United States during the 1950s – other senators were afraid to challenge him until they woke up to his mad campaign and left him a “broken man” in the end.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE871, ZIMBABWE RULING PARTY OFFICIALS DIVIDED ON MANY
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
281440Z Feb 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ8638
PAGE 01 HARARE 00871 01 OF 03 281442Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-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 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/009W
——————CB9626 281443Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8311
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000871
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
ADDIS ABABA FOR BILL LUKASAVICH
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 00871 01 OF 03 281442Z
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SA C. PALMA
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE RULING PARTY OFFICIALS DIVIDED ON MANY
ISSUES OF THE DAY
REFTEL: HARARE 847 (NOTAL)
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D’AFFAIRES EARL IRVING FOR REASONS:
1.5 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: RECENT CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CHARGE,
POLOFF, AND THREE MID-LEVEL ZANU-PF OFFICIALS REINFORCED
THE NOTION THAT ZANU-PF IS NOT THE MONOLITH OF OPINION
THAT IS OFTEN CONVEYED IN THE PRESS. CHARGE AND POLOFF
SPOKE TO DEPUTY MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SPORTS AND
CULTURE AENEAS CHIGWEDERE, MASVINGO SOUTH MP EDDISON
ZVOBGO, AND MASHONALAND EAST PARTY CHAIRMAN PADDY
ZHANDA. ALTHOUGH THE THREE OFFICIALS AGREED ON SOME
THINGS, SUCH AS THE IMPERATIVE FOR LAND REDISTRIBUTION
AND THE WEAKNESS OF THE MDC, THEY DISAGREED
SUBSTANTIALLY IN OTHER AREAS LIKE THE DIRECTION OF THE
PARTY, ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY, AND THE ROLE OF WAR
VETERANS. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (U) ON FEBRUARY 26, CHARGE AND POLOFF SPOKE TO
DEPUTY MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SPORTS AND CULTURE AENEAS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00871 01 OF 03 281442Z
CHIGWEDERE (AND MP FOR HWEDZA DISTRICT), AND MASVINGO
“SUPREMO” AND MP FOR MASVINGO SOUTH EDDISON ZVOBGO.
POLOFF SPOKE TO MASHONALAND EAST PARTY CHAIRMAN PADDY
ZHANDA ON FEBRUARY 27. ALTHOUGH A RANKING PARTY
OFFICIAL AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NOW-PRIVATIZED COTTON
COMPANY OF ZIMBABWE, ZHANDA HAS NO POSITION IN
GOVERNMENT.
ZANU-PF MORALE
————–
¶3. (C) RECENTLY REMOVED FROM THE ZANU-PF POLITBURO,
EDDISON ZVOBGO WAS LESS THAN SANGUINE ABOUT MORALE IN
THE PARTY. WHEN ASKED HOW THE RECENT SACKING OF FIVE
PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVES HAD AFFECTED MORALE, HE STATED THE
EFFECT WAS “VERY SERIOUS.” (MASVINGO ALLIES OF
PRESIDENT MUGABE ALSO SENT ZVOBGO’S FACTION RIDING OUT
OF TOWN ON A RAIL AFTER PARTY PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS
FEBRUARY 24. SEE REFTEL.) ZVOBGO TOLD US THAT THE
PARTY LEADERSHIP SEEMED TO BE “INFLICTING DAMAGE ON THE
BODY POLITIC” FOR NO APPARENT REASON. “HOW IS MAKING
PEOPLE UNHAPPY THE WAY TO WIN AN ELECTION?” HE ASKED
RHETORICALLY. HIS COLLEAGUES IN PARLIAMENT ARE HOPING
SOMEONE WILL SET ZANU-PF STRAIGHT, BUT THEY ARE
“ABSOLUTELY PETRIFIED” TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE PARTY,
ZVOBGO SAID. INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO HAS
“STRUCK THUNDER” INTO THE HEARTS OF ZANU-PF MPS. ZVOBGO
TOLD US THAT HE REMINDED MOYO WHAT HAPPENED TO JOE
MCCARTHY IN THE U.S. DURING THE 1950S–OTHER SENATORS
WERE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE HIM UNTIL THEY WOKE UP TO HIS
MAD CAMPAIGN AND LEFT HIM A “BROKEN MAN” IN THE END.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 00871 01 OF 03 281442Z
“THE SAME WILL HAPPEN TO YOU,” ZVOBGO SUPPOSEDLY WARNED
MOYO.
¶4. (C) PROVINCIAL PARTY CHAIRMAN ZHANDA ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT THERE ARE VOICES OF DISSENT IN ZANU-PF. HOWEVER,
THE DISSENTERS ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH SURVIVAL RIGHT
NOW THAN CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF THE PARTY. ZHANDA
LIKENED THE PARTY’S “COMBATIVE” MODE TO A RISING FLOOD.
MOST MEMBERS ARE SIMPLY BEING SWEPT ALONG, FRANTICALLY
GRABBING FOR ANY BRANCH THAT COMES ALONG JUST TO STAY
AFLOAT.
DIRECTION OF THE PARTY
———————-
¶5. (C) DEPUTY MINISTER CHIGWEDERE WAS MORE CONFIDENT
ABOUT THE PARTY’S DIRECTION. HE BELIEVES THAT IF
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WERE HELD TOMORROW, ZANU-PF
WOULD WIN BACK HALF THE SEATS IT LOST TO THE MDC LAST
JUNE. HE THINKS ZANU-PF WOULD WIN BACK ALL THE SEATS IN
HARARE’S HIGH-DENSITY SUBURBS, BUT ADMITTED THE LOW-
DENSITY SUBURBS, WHERE MOST WHITES LIVE, ARE A LOST
CAUSE. CHIGWEDERE CLAIMED THAT THE PEOPLE NOW SEE ZANU-
PF AS THE PARTY OF ACTION THAT CAN DELIVER THEM FROM
THEIR MISERY, BECAUSE THE MDC HAS DONE LI
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