Mugabe

The United States is facing a diplomatic cold shoulder from countries all over the world over the recent WikiLeaks revelations while political players in Zimbabwe maintain that they will keep cool heads. In Zimbabwe, the cables, being released by the day have made allies into foes and planted seeds of discord among the political elite in Zanu PF and the MDC-T. Senior Zanu PF politicians have been revealed as plotting against their leader President Mugabe with reports that the Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono had secret meetings with the Americans that Mugabe very much dislikes. Other senior names such as politburo members Professor Jonathan Moyo, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Minister of Indigenisation Savior Kasukuwere, and the Vice Presidents Joyce Mujuru and John Landa Nkomo (77) have emerged in the cables. In their discussions with the American Ambassadors from Christoper Dell’s time to that of the current Ambassador Charles Ray, the universal topic had been on the Mugabe succession issue and leadership renewal within Zanu-PF and government.

The WikiLeaks cables highlighted that all the Zanu PF officials who met with the Americans wanted to see change in Zimbabwe. The most senior Zanu PF politician according to the cables to want a progressive life after President Mugabe’s rule is his deputy Vice President Joyce Mujuru. The cables expose Mujuru’s widely alleged links to the MDC T. The MDC-T whose links to the West are known is also revealed to be in disunity. Senior members such as the party’s National Organising Secretary Nelson Chamisa, Harare Provincial Spokesperson Obert Gutu and exiled party treasurer Roy Bennet believe that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is not a decisive leader and a man worth wrestling power from Mugabe. The United States Embassy in Harare told The Sunday Times that the United States Ambassodor has nothing to say as a matter of policy. However, his Counselor for Public Affairs Sharon Hudson Dean said they condemn the disclosure of classified material by individuals or organisations. “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on documents that purport to contain classified information, so Ambassador Ray is not giving interviews on this subject.We strongly condemn the deliberate and unauthorized disclosure of classified material by individuals or organisations.

This disclosure can put lives at risk and it can jeopardize our national security. Our policy is very clear — as Ambassador Charles Ray has been saying repeatedly when he speaks in public or to the media – the United States supports the building of democratic processes and institutions; free, verifiable elections; economic development; and a better future for Zimbabweans,” she said. A source from the MDC T briefed The Sunday Times that the party’s President Morgan Tsvangirai, was not happy with what some of his senior party members think of him. Especially that they spoke behind his back. However, the party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the party won’t take any official measures against those that are implicated. “The cables don’t give us ample evidence to confront anyone. As far as MDC in concerned right now cables to do with the party are being released in the media as propaganda. I don’t know maybe Zanu-PF will do something to its members because there is an awful lot that was revealed from private conversations,” he said. The Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo also said that his party has not taken any particular step towards anyone. If the party is to do so it would do it internally thus not through the press. “There has been excitement in the media about these cables. The excitement would soon go away. We are not taking any action against anyone as of now. If ever we are to do so it won’t be for the media but as it stands these are just allegations that don’t have facts,” he said. When the first round of WikiLeaks emerged last year most of the information revealed were conversations between the MDC-T and the Americans. There were also conversations between the US Ambassador and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as well as cables that implicated the Reserve Bank Governor and the First Lady in diamond smuggling. What followed then were lawsuit against newspapers that carried the stories while the government mooted the idea of launching a WikiLeaks inquiry commission to bring to book those implicated.

© 2011, Vladimir Mzaca. All rights reserved. Newstime Africa content cannot be reproduced in any form – electronic or print – without prior consent of the Publishers. Copyright infringement will be pursued and perpetrators prosecuted.