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Service chiefs cited as the obstacles to political progress

by ByoNews
20 Dec 2010 at 11:31hrs | Views
According to another cable dated, October 30 2009, whose subject was: 'MDC Focuses on Secutity Sector/Gono', Elton Mangoma, then Minister of Economic Development and a close ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who was one of the negotiators to the Global Political Agreement, cited the service chiefs as the biggest obstacle to political progress in Zimbabwe, a view allegedly shared by Tsvangirai.
Mangoma said the service chiefs feared economic pressures as well as persecution for their deeds hence they were resisting change.
"Reiterating Tsvangirai's views (Refs A and C), Mangoma said that a primary obstacle to political progress and reform was the service chiefs," read the cable.
"Unlike many Zanu PF insiders who had stolen and invested wisely, these individuals, had not become wealthy. They feared economic pressures, as well as prosecution for their misdeeds, should political change result in their being forced from office. 
"Therefore, they were resisting GPA progress that could ultimately result in fair elections. Mangoma asked for consideration of US contribution to a "trust fund" that could be used to negotiate the service chiefs' retirement. He said he planned to approach the United Kingdom and Germany with the same request."
Mangoma also said his party would try to pressure Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (Rbz) Governor, Gideon Gono, to resign.
However, on Sunday, MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa dismissed the diplomatic cable leaks and labeled them fiction.
"We have no time for fiction. It doesn't matter how many times it is repeated, fiction is fiction. It will never become fact. Ours is a democratic movement and we don't believe in any other way of getting legitimacy other than through the people."
Repeated efforts to contact Mangoma Sunday night were fruitless. 


Source - ByoNews