Outspoken Catholic Archbishop for Bulawayo Pius Ncube said that the Movement for Democratic Change was ineffective but it appeared he preferred Arthur Mutambara to his rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
Ncube said Mutambara had significant support in Matabeleland but he was at a disadvantage nationally because he spent too much time outside the country.
The archbishop said Tsvangirai vacillated and was inept. He also criticised Tsvangirai for announcing that nobody else would lead the MDC.
In addition to lack of leadership, Ncube said the MDC was handicapped by corruption and infiltration by the government.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 06HARARE1376, ARCHBISHOP PIUS NUBE ON THE STATE OF ZIMBABWE
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
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VZCZCXRO5964
PP RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #1376/01 3211722
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171722Z NOV 06 ZDK PER NUM SVCS
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0836
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1379
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1232
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1383
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0125
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0644
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1009
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1437
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3820
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1206
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1859
RUEFDIA/DIA WASHDC//DHO-7//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1600
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK//DOOC/ECMO/CC/DAO/DOB/DOI//
RUEPGBA/CDR USEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ23-CH/ECJ5M//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001376
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
USAID FOR M. COPSON AND E. LOKEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2011
SUBJECT: ARCHBISHOP PIUS NUBE ON THE STATE OF ZIMBABWE
REF: HARARE 1299
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell under Section 1.5 b/d
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Summary
——-
¶1. (C) A despondent Archbishop Pius Ncube told polchief and
visiting deskofficer November 16 at Catholic Church offices
in Bulawayo that most Zimbabweans average have “given up” any
hope for change. Mugabe and ZANU-PF are interested only in
clinging to power and will rig elections. The MDC is without
strong leadership, is corrupt, and divided. The Church is
divided and ineffective. Ncube said he will participate in a
dialogue on the controversial National Vision document
presented to President Mugabe on October 27 but he doubts it
will bear fruit.
——————-
A Country in Crisis
——————-
¶2. (C) Ncube said that 98 percent of Zimbabweans have given
up on any hope for things changing for the better. People
are going without food and many are becoming dishonest as
they try to survive until “it,s over.” Youth are
frustrated; many are unable to attend school because their
parents cannot pay school fees. They believe they have no
power to press for change and that a solution is in “God,s
hands.”
¶3. (C) Ncube said the people have lost faith and confidence
in the government, the opposition, the churches, the military
and virtually every other institution. Mugabe is not
interested in solutions; he cares only about remaining in
power and will continue to rig elections. A popular uprising
is unlikely*there is nobody to organize it and people
believe they will be shot if they threaten Mugabe. In the
long run, he mused, civic education will teach people how to
hold their leaders accountable. “Perhaps we,re in for a
long haul,” he concluded.
————————-
The MDC is not the Answer
————————-
¶4. (C) Ncube believed the MDC has been ineffective. Morgan
Tsvangirai vacillates and is inept. Ncube criticized
SIPDIS
Tsvangirai for announcing that “nobody else” would lead the
SIPDIS
MDC and for announcing and failing to follow through on a
popular uprising. Pro-Senate faction leader Arthur Mutambara
has significant support in Matabeleland but is at a
disadvantage nationally because he has spent so much time
outside of the country. In addition to lack of leadership,
Ncube added that the MDC is handicapped by corruption and
infiltration by the government.
——————————————-
The Church and the National Vision Document
——————————————-
¶5. (C) Ncube said that as a member of the Zimbabwe Catholic
Bishops Conference he signed the National Vision of Zimbabwe
document (ref). He believed, however, that it had been
watered down by the government and now belonged to the
government rather than the church. As a signatory to the
document, he said he would participate in a national dialogue
HARARE 00001376 002 OF 002
on the issues it raises, although he is not hopeful it will
bear fruit.
¶6. (C) As a force for change, Ncube said the Church, like
other Zimbabwean institutions, is hurt by division. Mugabe
has exacerbated those divisions by buying off some church
leaders with land and money. The government has infiltrated
some parishes and recruited some priests and nuns as spies
within the Church.
——-
Comment
——-
¶7. (C) Ncube is internationally-recognized as a passionate
and outspoken critic of Mugabe and the ZANU-PF government.
However, he has much less resonance within Zimbabwe, in part
because he is also an outspoken–and often trenchant–critic
of other Mugabe opponents. In that regard, his comments
regarding Tsvangirai are neither new nor completely without
basis. What is new is his praise for Mutambara at a time
when he and his faction have all but disappeared from view
and when much of the MDC has realized (septel) that they need
to reunite to be effective ) and under Tsvangirai because
there is currently no other opposition leader with his
stature and reach.
DELL
(61 VIEWS)
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