Mugabe quite unstable: MujuruSunday, 11 September 2011

BY NQABA MATSHAZI As the government intensifies its moves to control platinum miner, Zimplats, through its indigenisation law, it has emerged that the late retired General Solomon Mujuru tried to muscle his way into the mining giant, claiming he was literally running the country. Mujuru is said to have tried to convince the mining firm to choose him as its indigenisation partner and in return he would offer them “protection” from the Chinese, whom President Robert Mugabe had identified as the best suitors for Zimplats, whistleblower website, WikiLeaks has revealed. The late former army general is reported to have claimed that Mugabe was “quite unstable” and was subject to frequent mood swings and that he (Mujuru) was virtually running the country on a day-to-day basis. The then Zimplats CEO, Greg Sebborn, reportedly informed US embassy officials that the company had sought audience with Mugabe, over insinuations that the Chinese had been offered a stake in the platinum mining concern. Zimplats, owned by South African platinum-mining conglomerate, Implats, is currently embroiled in an ownership wrangle with government after the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere rejected its empowerment proposals. Sebborn claims the Chinese, despite their lack of technology to process platinum, were interested in Zimbabwe’s mining concerns which they would reportedly buy cheaply and later sell at a higher price. The failure to meet Mugabe opened the way for Mujuru, who claimed the president had already identified an indigenous partner for Zimplats, but he (Mujuru) offered the company “protection” if they appointed him its indigenous partner. “Sebborn noted that in so doing, Mujuru was going against Mugabe’s wishes. “Mugabe had personally picked out Zimplats’ indigenous partner, a group that had so far been unable to obtain the financing needed to buy into the company,” reads the secret cable. Mujuru said he could also stave off the Chinese from Zimbabwe’s platinum deposits and that he would offer the company protection. Eric Schultz, the US embassy’s Charge D’Affairs then, said Zimplats concluded that Mujuru’s claims that he was running the country could have been exaggerated to magnify his “protection” offer, but was consistent with other reports that revealed that Mugabe could have been running the country “episodically.” “It is consistent with other reports we have been hearing that while Mugabe remains firmly in control, he is exercising that control only episodically. “The result is an increasing and growing power vacuum,” reads the cable. ZIMPLATS FACES CLOSURE Zimplats is in the eye of a storm with the government stepping up efforts to ensure that a major stake in the company is passed on to indigenous Zimbabweans. Indigenisation minister, Saviour Kasukuwere last week claimed he had set in motion processes to have the company’s mining licence revoked, as it had failed to comply with indigenisation laws. However, last week the government appeared to have relented following the announcement that the mining company would be given up to November to submit fresh indigenisation plans.