WikiLeaks exposes Sikhanyiso Ndlovu
Tuesday, 06 September 2011 02:00
Herald Reporter
ZANU-PF secretary for education in the Politburo and former deputy national political commissar Cde Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told the US political section chief Matt Harrington in 2002 that senior party members were quietly discussing President Mugabe's exit.
According to WikiLeaks cables released last week, Cde Ndlovu told the Americans that Politburo members were considering their future after President Mugabe had stepped down.
"In an April 24 (2002) conversation with political section chief, Zanu-PF deputy political commissar Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said Politburo members are, for the first time, quietly discussing ways to ease President Mugabe out, but few are willing to confront the Zimbabwean President directly.
"According to Ndlovu, any solution must contain a "safe package" for Mugabe, which protects him from prosecution and allows him to remain in Zimbabwe," the cable revealed.
The cable indicates that Cde Ndlovu, who had held several meetings with US Embassy officials, described himself as ‘‘a voice of moderation'' in the Politburo who "regularly tries to restrain the worst excesses of party hardliners."
"He claimed that, now that the election is over, he spends much less of his time on politics, concentrating instead on running his private educational institution around the country." Cde Ndlovu was later appointed Minister of Information and Publicity.
He, however, is reported to have told Harrington that the Politburo was full of individuals aspiring to lead Zanu-PF.
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He said two options had been discussed among like-minded members.
"The first is to somehow invoke a section of the draft constitution rejected in 2000 creating the position of Prime Minister.
"Creation of such a position, giving it executive powers and making the presidency a largely ceremonial position would be one way to preserve (President) Mugabe's ego.
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"Ndlovu stressed several times it was important to provide (President) Mugabe with a "safe package," which protects him from prosecution and allows him to live out his remaining years in Zimbabwe."
The second option, Cde Ndlovu allegedly told the official, was to engineer the appointment of two "young, vigorous vice presidents" who are gradually able to become the primary decision-makers.
Cde Ndlovu allegedly urged the US government to consider "moderates" like himself in Zanu-PF.
He allegedly said the hardliners in the party were, however, stronger and were not willing to "stick their necks out."
The former information and publicity minister told the US embassy official that the Politburo members would not resign because they were afraid of repercussions.
"Ndlovu described (then) Speaker of Parliament and secretary for administration (Cde) Emmerson Mnangagwa as a ruling party hardliner "through and through" who has little Politburo support, due to his ruthlessness.
Labels: SIKHANYISO NDLOVU, WIKILEAKS, ZANU-PF
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Ndlovu backs devolution calls
05/06/2009 00:00:00
by
FORMER cabinet minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu has called for an “informed debate” on devolution after Water Resources Minister Sam Sipepa Nkomo said the MDC would support the decentralisation of government to five provinces.
Ndlovu said: “The Matabeleland region is the richest in terms of resources but it is home to the poorest people. ” The former Information Minister and Zanu PF politburo member said devolution, “as long as it is for equitable distribution of resources might be the way to go”.
He added: “We have been complaining as Matabeleland of lack of resources. Even while in government, some of us were complaining about this. Roads have not been completed and we are lagging behind other areas in terms of development.
“Matabeleland South has gold and cattle while Matabeleland North is rich in minerals, has the Hwange National Park and the country’s premier resort, the Victoria Falls, but proceeds from these economic ventures are not necessarily developing the province.
“In Lupane, you find children in classrooms without benches when they are in the middle of a forest with plenty of timber. Let us have an informed debate on it, and with development at the centre. ”
Nkomo advocated for the country’s 10 provinces to be reduced to five, each with their own elected local government officials. He said South Africa’s regional parliaments were a good model.
The campaign for devolution is set to take centre stage when a new constitution is drawn up in the next two years.
The matter is a political hot potato in Matabeleland in particular where opposition to centralised government is strongest. The main political parties in the region are keen to pull the rug from under the feet of the revived ZAPU, and may all find themselves supporting devolution.
Paul Siwela, leader of the Federal Democratic Union and also a member of ZAPU, has been a vocal advocate for a variant of devolution – federalism.
“The term devolution sounds erudite but at the end of the day, the political architecture to achieve this is federalism,” he told the Chronicle on Wednesday.
“The concept is based on the fact that much power should rest with the constituent members of that federation than in a centralised government. In other words, the province or region has its own parliament, its own judiciary and an elected leader as opposed to the present set-up where Provincial Governors are appointed.
“In terms of taxation you might have a system where the region collects taxes for its own use and also revenue for the federal government. In that way, locals are able to benefit from local resources.
“The main issue is power in its real sense. The Provincial Governors have no Cabinet, no constitution, no budget for the development of the province — no power in other words. ”
Pathisa Nyathi, a Bulawayo-based historian weighed in on the debate, saying devolution was the “missing tier in governance in Zimbabwe”.
He added: “The concept of devolution of power is very simple. We need to differentiate it from de-congestion. When we talk about de-congestion, we are talking about assigning certain functions of central government to a region, which is an aspect of decentralisation.
“What we have in Zimbabwe are regional offices of a central government with no legislative powers. Our Provincial Governors have no legislative powers. They might have powers but they are not legislative.
“That is the missing tier. At the lowest level there is representation through the rural district councils in the case of rural areas, and urban councils in the case of towns and cities, which are elected bodies and to an extent have legislative powers, although defined, in that these councils can make by-laws and also collect revenue and taxes but the same thing does not exist at provincial level.
“So, devolving power would fill that void in the case of Zimbabwe. We are talking of a situation where a province has its own parliament with an assembly of elected representatives including a prime minister in the same manner as South Africa for instance.
“Devolution will give the various regions a knife with which to cut the national cake. Essentially, the system allows for local autonomy. Anybody who opposes devolution is selfish. What do you lose by devolving legislative power?”
Labels: DEVOLUTION, REGIONALISM, SIKHANYISO NDLOVU
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Mugabe did not sell out - Ndlovu
Our reporter/The Chronicle
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:29:00 +0000
THE Minister of Information and Publicity has hit back at President Robert Mugabe’s critics who accused him of ‘selling out’ by entering into a power-sharing deal with the two opposition Movement for Democratic Change formations.
Calling on all Zimbabweans to put national interest ahead of their own, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, who is also a Zanu PF Politburo member, told The Chronicle newspaper: “I want to dispell all unfortunate or misdirected statements to the effect that this negotiated settlement is a way of selling out.”
He added that a lot of work and effort had been put into the power-sharing arrangement which was facilitated by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki.
“It is unfortunate that people can make such statements when there was a lot of work that went into coming up with that agreement brokered by Mr Mbeki, who was sincere and patient to the wishes of Zimbabweans,” he said.
Dr Ndlovu also attacked members of the Zanu PF party who had either defected or did not campaign vigorously to win the harmonised March 29 election which saw the opposition MDC-T party gaining a slim majority in Parliament.
“If the truth be told, the biggest sellout is the one who did not make the party win. If we had a clear majority in Parliament we would not have to be placed in such an embarrassing situation, which President Mugabe has alluded to before. We should have gotten the vote to avoid this excruciating arrangement.’’
The minister said the deal was predicated on national, not individual or sectoral interests and individuals should refrain from looking at what position(s) they will get from the deal.
“People should not look at themselves and say what position will I get or not get out of the powers-haring deal. They should bear in mind that this deal is in the national interest in the same manner that the Unity Accord between PF Zapu and Zanu PF in 1987 was.
Dr Ndlovu reminded people that he was a member of PF Zapu’s Central Committee before the 1987 Unity and did not immediately get a post – in the Central Committee or in Government – soon after the signing of the Accord. He said revolutionaries are selfless and focus on the good of the people.
“Some of us were members of the Central Committee of PF Zapu before the Unity Accord of 1987 but we were not negotiating for our own positions. After the merger, we had no positions in the Central Committee let alone in Government,” he said.
“A true revolutionary is selfless and always wants to see that something good is done for the people not himself or herself.”
The veteran politician also attacked critics within the ruling Zanu PF party and media organisations that are saying the new power-sharing arrangement negated the 1987 Unity Accord and said their voices were too late because the deal had already been brokered. He said they should have aired their sentiments before the 9/11 signing of the power-sharing deal between Zanu PF and the two formations of the MDC.
“We cannot lose sight of the Unity Accord of 1987 and those who are disgruntled should have been trying to influence the negotiations while they were going on and not to make statements on the sidelines now.
“We could not deliver the votes, contribute more MPs as this would even have strengthened the unity but at the same time this is not to say we should forget about the Unity Accord because people from the region did not vote for Zanu PF.
“We have to strengthen the unity bequeathed to us by the likes of Dr Joshua Nkomo and he warned us not to throw it away. I am happy to say President Mugabe is committed to that unity,” said Dr Ndlovu.
He said the power-sharing arrangement did not mean that the parties had lost their individual ideologies and identities
“We remain separate entities. That is why we need the party to be strong and are busy involved in the restructuring of our party Zanu PF, which is the party of the past, the present and the future. The party must be strong and focused.”
This statement was in line with the current exercise of restructuring the Zanu PF party in the Bulawayo Province which he is heading together with senior Zanu PF officials from the region.
The Information minister also hit at the US for maintaining a sanctions regime on Zimbabwe that is hurting the ordinary population, and said both foreigners and Zimbabweans alike should respect the sovereignty of our country. He said the negotiated political settlement should not compromise Zimbabwe’s sovereignty.
“Even though we have a deal, we cannot compromise for instance on the sovereignty of our nation.
“That is why for instance, I want to urge the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr James McGee, to concentrate on talking about the financial problems afflicting his country and let Zimbabweans decide their destiny.
“Zimbabweans should ignore his sentiments on the United States not lifting sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and concentrate on productivity as we are starting a farming season now.”
Labels: MUGABE, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, SIKHANYISO NDLOVU
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