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wanted Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono fired as bait to receive US$300 million lines of credit from South Africa for private businesses and short-term budgetary support.
Former US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee revealed in the latest edition of WikiLeaks that the MDC-T claimed that Dr Gono’s presence at the RBZ complicated possibilities of assistance to Zimbabwe.
PM Tsvangirai reportedly told Ambassador McGee on numerous occasions that Dr Gono’s exit from the scene was one of his top priorities.
“Minister of Finance Tendai Biti told us (on) March 3 that he had been in continuing discussions with South African authorities and was seeking a US$300 million line of credit for private businesses and short-term budgetary support.
“While South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma were sympathetic, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni were opposed. Manuel appeared to be softening on lines of credit, but he had made clear his aversion to financial support to Zimbabwe as long as (Dr) Gono remained in the picture,” Ambassador McGee said.
He said that Mr Manuel’s reluctance was due to alleged misuse and waste of a South African R300 million agricultural support package to Zimbabwe.
Mr Biti insisted that Dr Gono’s quasi-fiscal activities and illegal supplying of forex to Zanu-PF insiders had affected the new government’s credibility and that it was important for him to leave the RBZ.
“Minister of Industry Welshman Ncube spoke with us on March 4 and concurred with (Mr) Biti that (Dr) Gono was a liability.
“He recounted that he had met recently with representatives of a number of large businesses to discuss credit facilities. They told him that recovery of a collective total of US$204 million frozen at the RBZ would be as important as credit.
He said Minister Ncube took up the issue with Dr Gono who told him the money was gone.
“The Joint Operations Command had ordered him to use the money for the March election in a letter of indemnity signed by then Minister of Security Didymus Mutasa.”
According to Ambassador McGee, Mr Ncube disclosed that he doubted strongly that President Mugabe would agree to Dr Gono’s removal.
“He said the alternative was to marginalise Dr Gono by eliminating RBZ quasi-fiscal activities.”
Online Reporter