The Movement for Democratic Change was pressured into agreeing to Constitutional Amendment Number 18 which harmonised presidential, parliamentary and local government elections according to IDASA analyst Sydney Masamvu.
According to a cable released by Wikileaks, Masamvu was told by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube of the smaller MDC faction on 4 October 2007 that that South African negotiators led by Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi, Director General in the Presidency Frank Chikane, and Advocate Mojanku Gumbi travelled to Harare 29-30 September to hammer out an agreement with ZANU-PF and MDC officials on a new constitution.
Masamvu was not aware if President Robert Mugabe had approved the agreement.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 07PRETORIA3519, POSSIBLE AGREEMENT REACHED ON NEW ZIMBABWEAN
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO7132
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #3519 2772109
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 042109Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2159
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1240
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0554
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0188
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1324
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1179
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0495
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0090
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4935
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9250
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
S E C R E T PRETORIA 003519
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/S S. HILL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE AGREEMENT REACHED ON NEW ZIMBABWEAN
CONSTITUTION
REF: HARARE 882
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4(
b) and (d).
¶1. (S) According to IDASA analyst Sydney Masamvu (strictly
protect), representatives of the Zimbabwean ruling party
(ZANU-PF) and both the Tsvangirai and Mutambara factions of
the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) reached an agreement
29-30 September on a new Zimbabwean Constitution. MDC
negotiator Welshman Ncube and MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai
separately told Masamvu on 4 October that South African
negotiators Minister of Provincial and Local Government
Sydney Mufamadi, Director General in the Presidency Frank
Chikane, and Advocate Mojanku Gumbi traveled to Harare 29-30
September to hammer out an agreement with ZANU-PF and MDC
officials on a new constitution, which has until now been one
of the opposition’s main demands. (BIO NOTE: Sandra Botha,
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament for the Democratic
Alliance told PolOff on 27 September that Gumbi told her on
25 September that she was no longer acting as presidential
advisor to President Mbeki. END NOTE)
¶2. (S) Masamvu told PolOff that he did not know if Mugabe had
approved the agreement. Masamvu was not given details of the
new constitution, but was told that it is a combination of
the rejected 2000 version, the rejected 2003-2004
constitution agreed to by current negotiators Patrick
Chinamasa of ZANU-PF and the MDC’s Welshman Ncube, and the
National Constitutional Assembly’s draft proposal. In return
for ZANU-PF’s concessions on the Constitution, MDC is to
publicly ask the international community to lift sanctions
against the current regime. (EMBASSY HARARE NOTE: On 26
September, in a briefing to Harare diplomats, Tsvangirai was
explicit that the MDC would not ask for, nor acquiesce in, a
lifting of sanctions until free and fair elections had been
held (reftel). END NOTE.)
¶3. (S) According to Masamvu, negotiations continue on
electoral laws (though the opposition said they feel they
have made significant headway), the diaspora vote, and the
repeal or reform of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA)
and the Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act
(AIPPA). The agreement is to be kept under tight wrap until
all parties go back to their constituents to “consult,” but
President Mbeki hopes to publicly announce the breakthrough
settlement by the end of October.
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