US embassy cable - 05HARARE575

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF FOR DAS T. WOODS 
AF/S FOR B. NEULING 
OVP FOR NULAND 
NSC FOR DNSA ABRAMS, SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ZI, Parliamentary Affairs 
SUBJECT: MOSTLY OLD GUARD IN NEW GOZ APPOINTMENTS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher W. Dell under Section 1.4 b/d 
 
1. (U) Following the swearing in of all 150 new members of 
Parliament on April 12, legislators elected ZANU-PF Party 
Chairman John Nkomo as Speaker and Mashonaland West ZANU-PF 
stalwart Edna Madzongwe as Deputy Speaker.  Nkomo replaces 
Emmerson Mnangagwa, who lost his parliamentary race last 
month but was named by President Mugabe on April 11 as one of 
the Parliament's 30 non-constituency MPs.  Despite threats to 
boycott, all 41 of the elected MDC MPs joined in the 
swearing-in. 
 
2.  (U) Joining Mnangagwa as non-constituency MPs were 
outgoing ministers Patrick Chinamasa (Justice, Legal and 
Parliamentary Affairs), Amos Midzi (Energy and Power 
Development), Paul Mangwana (Public Service, Labor, and 
Social Welfare), and Samuel Mumbengegwi (Industry and 
International Trade), each of whom either lost in ZANU-PF 
primary contests or chose not to run.  The rest of the thirty 
are generally lock-step Mugabe loyalists and include 
hardliners such as Willard Chiwewe, former permanent 
secretary of Foreign Affairs who caused a diplomatic incident 
 
SIPDIS 
in 2001 when he threatened violence against staff at Western 
embassies. 
 
3.  (U) The GOZ on April 11 also announced Mugabe,s 
appointments for provincial governors, who comprise ten of 
the President's 30 parliamentary appointments. Four of the 
governors appointed are first-time governors; the other six 
are reappointments.  Ten chiefs, all ruling party loyalists 
led by outgoing Deputy Minister of Local Government Chief 
Fortune Charumbira, round out the 30 presidential 
parliamentary appointments. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT:  The appointments reflect the continued 
ascendancy of the Mujuru/Zezuru faction within ZANU-PF and 
appear to do little to appease disaffected Karanga and Young 
Turk elements.  Apparent losers, such as moderate outgoing 
Masvingo Governor Josiah Hungwe, previously the 
longest-serving provincial governor, are aligned with 
Mnangagwa, who in spite of being tossed a crumb is clearly 
out of favor.  The appointments further confirm that die-hard 
loyalty to Robert Mugabe is the chief criterion for 
advancement in today,s Zimbabwe.  They also offer little 
hope for new directions within the regime as Mugabe is 
relying on the same basic cast of characters who have been 
the architects and implementers of his repressive policies 
over the last five years. 
Dell