FORMER Masvingo governor Josiah Hungwe and the ex-Labour Minister July Moyo were removed from United States sanctions after they “provided useful information” to American diplomats.
A leaked US embassy cable reveals how politburo member Hungwe, his wife Ruthmae, and Moyo were let off the sanctions net by giving away Zanu PF and government secrets.
A July 11, 2005, cable marked “sensitive” and signed by the Deputy Chief of Mission, Eric T. Schultz, suggested names to be added and removed from the US travel ban.
The sanctions, in place since 2002, are said to target “members of the government of Robert Mugabe and other Zimbabwean nationals who formulate, implement, or benefit from policies that undermine or injure Zimbabwe’s democratic institutions.”
Under a section marked ‘Names to be Deleted’, Schultz said: “Embassy suggests that we take this opportunity to remove certain names from our existing visa sanction list...
“Josiah Hungwe, ex-Masvingo Provincial Governor who has provided the Embassy with useful information in the past. He is also on the outs within Zanu PF after the December 2004 Party Congress;
“Ruthmae Hungwe, wife of Josiah Hungwe;
“July Moyo, ex-Minister of Social Welfare, Labour, and Public Works who worked constructively with the embassy and NGOs while minister and is currently suspended from the party.”
As the trio were being lined for removal from the sanctions, dozens more people were being added including Phillip Chiyangwa’s wife, Jocelyn; Emmerson Mnangagwa’s three daughters – Chido Emmah, Justina Mhurai and Farai Seline as well as Jonathan Moyo’s two daughters and son – Nokuthula, Lungile and Tawanda.
The public released of the cable by whistleblower website, WikiLeaks, will add to growing concern within Zanu PF over unsanctioned contacts between American diplomats and senior party leaders.
Top officials including Vice Presidents Joice Mujuru and John Nkomo have been revealed to have criticised President Mugabe’s reluctance to quit in meetings with American interlocutors.
But despite growing demands within the party for Mugabe to take action, political analysts say this is unlikely as it would divide the party.