Mujuru wanted to unseat Mugabe before the last general elections

David Butau, former ZANU-PF MP and member of the faction allied to ex-military commander Solomon Mujuru, told US Embassy on May 31 that Mujuru had determined that the time to unseat President Robert Mugabe was now. Mujuru had flexed his muscle and wrested control of the party structures in Masvingo and Bulawayo, and his subordinates had begun to chip away at Mugabe's key backers.

Butau added that while pressure on Mugabe was needed, the US government needed to quietly weigh into this intra-party battle to help block Mugabe's bid for another term. This was revealed in a leaked US cable.
 
Butau told the US Embassy that Mujuru had determined that he needed to act decisively within the next four to five months to unseat Mugabe. If the Mujuru camp was not able to force Mugabe out by the time of the Extra-ordinary Congress expected in December, it would be too late and Mugabe would by then solidify his candidature and with it the presidency.

Butau, who is from the same Shona ethnic sub-group as Vice President Joyce Mujuru and reportedly employs one of the Mujuru daughters at his investment company, Dande noted that the Mujuru faction had scored important victories in provincial party elections in Masvingo and Bulawayo, adding to Mujuru's current support in the three Mashonaland provinces.
 
Adding to this sense of urgency, Butau outlined three possible scenarios for the near term:

1) continued Mugabe rule and economic decline that would be unsustainable;
2) a reformed,Mujuru-led, ZANU-PF coming to office that would restore economic stability;
or 3) a stalemate leading to confrontation that would quickly entangle the military/security forces and pit the Shona ethnic sub-groups against each other.

Butau contended that ZANU-PF was headed for a train wreck, with one faction led by Mugabe determined to stay in power at any cost and another faction led by Mujuru desperate to save its business interests.

Unless Mujuru was able to gain the upper hand soon, Butau said that the factional battles could spiral out of control.

Asked about the camp led by Rural Housing Minister and former heir apparent Emmerson Mnangagwa, Butau said they were still licking their wounds from a strong rebuke from Mugabe in late 2004 and had contented themselves with allying (at least temporarily) with Mugabe in the hope that he would once again turn his favor in their direction.
 
Instead of targeting Mugabe directly, Butau said the Mujuru faction had decided to undermine his supporters, chiefly Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, ZANU-PF Commissar Elliot Manyika, Security Minister Didymus Mutasa, and Deputy Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere. Noting that the on-going economic crisis was crippling the pocketbooks of ruling party insiders, Butau contended that the only way to confront Mugabe's inner circle was on economic issues. To that end, Butau ) who also chairs Parliament's Budget Committee ) noted that his Committee had recently taken Gono to task on his failure to stabilize the economy. Specifically, the faction wants to link its intra-party opponents to high-level corruption, which they could then take to the military and the party to convince those structures to rebuke Mugabe.

While Mujuru retained broad support within the military, Butau stated that the military's professionalism (which he ascribed to Mujuru's leadership) prevented them from intervening without compelling reason.

Butau asked Dell that the US government quietly support the reformist element of ZANU-PF in this battle. While it was important to maintain the heat on Mugabe and his circle, Butau said US policy also had to cultivate contacts with Mugabe's intra-party opponents, and not just those outside the party. The US Embassy acknowledged that ZANU-PF was not monolithic and noted that we continually sought more contact with reform-minded ruling party members. Asked for specific recommendations on how the US should proceed, Butau was initially at a loss but finally suggested that firm promises of international financial support would help the Mujuru faction erode Mugabe's support and ultimately usher in a reformist government.
 
US Embassy's conclude that the meeting with Butau, which the MP scheduled only hours before, smacked of desperation. The Mujuru camp has done everything it could to gain control of the ruling party structures in Masvingo and Bulawayo, while forestalling Mugabe's full endorsement at Central Committee, but the status quo still favors Mugabe. The meeting, which resembled more of a brainstorming session than a formal request for help, demonstrates that the Mujuru camp is running out of ideas and possible options.