Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) WikiLeaks rocks Zimbabwe’s political landscape

COMMENT - It is not rare at all to have military officers who are not line officers, but staff officers, and are there for political reasons. It occurs in every army in the world, sometimes for good (some tasks are inherently political) and sometimes for bad (in that they have no battlefield skills, or are there to chase after an extra star or a post-military position). In itself, it is not strictly an indictment of the Zimbabwean armed forces.

WikiLeaks rocks Zimbabwe’s political landscape
Posted by By Our reporter at 3 September, at 23 : 12 PM

WHISTLE-blowing website WikiLeaks has taken the release of the US diplomatic cables to new heights by publishing complete files without hiding the names of sources who supplied astonishing information on sensitive topics, setting the scene for massive fallouts across Zimbabwe’s political landscape.

A Zanu-PF Cabinet minister and two serving army generals allegedly told US government officials in separate meetings that they had no confidence in their leaders whom they said should step down to facilitate leadership renewal, an explosive secret cable released by WikiLeaks on Tuesday has shown.

The Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere, Major-General Fidelis Satuku and Brigadier-General Herbert Chingono are among the named senior officials who appeared to question the suitability of their leaders during separate meetings with senior US government officials.

During meetings with US ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray on January 5 and 6 last year, the two army generals described Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga as a “political general” who lacked the necessary military expertise or experience.

One of the generals said although General Chiwenga was hardworking, he was largely a political general. The generals also said senior army officers were negatively affected by the sanctions imposed by the US government.

“Military officers at the one- and two-star level have felt the impact of sanctions, and would like to see them lifted, although they understand the reason they exist,” the cable quoted the general as having said.

“The Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga, is a political general who works hard but who has very little practical military experience or expertise. A political commissar before 1980, he has only attended one mid-level training course, which he did not complete.

“If given a choice between a military and a political issue, he routinely defaults to the political. His goal is to be in politics when his tenure ends as defence chief, and he will be very disappointed if he fails to achieve that goal.

He has been given to making political statements.

This has caused some Zanu-PF politicians to be suspicious of him, and he was chastised by Mugabe for being too ‘political’.”

Kasukuwere also allegedly met former United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald in November 2000 and called for leadership renewal in Zanu-PF.

He said the leadership change was supposed to start with the then vice-presidents, the late Simon Muzenda and the late Joseph Msika, to pave way for younger replacements, the cable reads.

“Kasukuwere, a youngish businessman with strong party ties, said that the land issue had been blown out of proportion and that farmland should not be taken away from white farmers by force. He also plainly stated that President Mugabe and his cronies must be phased out of their leadership role and some in his party had proposed that the two vice-presidents should step down as a first step.”

In an interview yesterday, Minister Kasukuwere rebutted the WikiLeaks records, saying he never made such statements.

“That’s utter rubbish,” he said.


Another cable claims that Minister Kasukuwere also told the current US ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ray, that youths should benefit from America’s donor funds.

The Americans also make explosive allegations that Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono told US diplomats about President Mugabe’s health in 2008, saying he was battling cancer which would kill him by 2013.

Another file throws Trevor Ncube’s ownership of NewsDay in doubt, suggesting that a US investment firm owns US$3million equity.

Another cable said the late former Zanu-PF stalwart, the late Dr Eddison Zvobgo, predicted that Zanu-PF would suffer a huge defeat in the 2002 elections.

Dr Zvobgo allegedly said Zanu-PF would not be able to do anything to turn around the vote, a point that was, however, proved wrong.

“Massive urban turnout, light rural turnout and growing MDC support in some rural areas would inevitably tip the scales in the MDC’s favour. Zvobgo concluded that at this point, there is probably nothing Zanu-PF can do to turn around the vote.”

The WikiLeaks cable also revealed that the Americans were struggling to ascertain President Mugabe’s assets.

“Unknown, but are rumoured to exceed US$1 billion in value, the majority of which are likely invested outside Zimbabwe.

“We believe it will take extraordinary means — both sources and methods — to develop the detailed responses… We leave it to Washington to determine the value of deploying additional assets — both commercial and intelligence ones — to acquire this.

“Post has no reliable information on, nor the resources or expertise to determine, the nature and extent of Mugabe’s overseas assets. They are rumoured to include everything from secret accounts in Switzerland, the Channel Islands, and the Bahamas to castles in Scotland.

“Zambian diplomat Ben Shawa said he supported plans by the US government to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe “if they would hasten President Mugabe’s departure from the scene”.

“Shawa replied that the overwhelming sentiment among the literate class was that if ZIDERA hastened Mugabe’s departure from the scene, then they were for it.”

Shawa also spoke about alleged disunity in Zanu-PF.

“Shawa said that the unity agreement was shaky and posited that the Kafela trust initiative might be a harbinger of a movement to recreate a Zapu organisation as opposed to the Zapu 2000 party formed before the 2000 parliamentary election, that failed to garner widespread support in Matabeleland.

The Zambian High Commissioner requested that they put their request through official Government of Zimbabwe channels, to avoid accusations after the fact that the government was playing a double game.

Former Minister of State in the President’s office responsible for Indigenisation Cephas Msipa is said to have alleged in 2000 that Zanu-PF was planning to use war veterans to intimidate voters in the 2002 presidential election.

“Former Minister in the Office of the President responsible for Indigenisation (black economic empowerment), Cephas Msipa, told Ambassador McDonald June 1 that Zanu-PF’s parliamentary election strategy is to use the war veterans to intimidate the public into supporting the ruling party candidate.

A “special committee” of Cabinet ministers exists to orchestrate the war vets commercial farm occupations, which includes the ministers of Justice and State Security. The Zanu-PF-organised political violence could result in a protest vote for the MDC, according to Msipa.”

Another cable alleged that Goodson Nguni was sent by the late Retired Army General Solomon Mujuru for secret meetings with the MDC.

Solomon Mujuru, retired commander of the army, recently sent an emissary (Goodson Nguni) to the MDC, without President Mugabe’s knowledge, according to a senior MDC official.

“The emissary informed the MDC of the Government of Zimbabwe’s intention to provoke violent confrontations nationwide as a pretext for cracking down on the opposition party and its supporters.”

The Sunday Mail/TZG

Labels: CHARLES RAY, SANCTIONS, SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE, WIKILEAKS, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 5:08 PM