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NewsDay

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WikiLeaks bites MDC-T

Politics
Daggers have been drawn against Deputy Justice minister Obert Gutu after he allegedly undermined Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in a conversation with United States diplomats. Gutu’s alleged conversation with the diplomats is captured in US embassy cables dispatched to Washington, but intercepted and leaked by whistleblower website, WikiLeaks. Gutu, the MDC-T spokesperson in Harare, is […]

Daggers have been drawn against Deputy Justice minister Obert Gutu after he allegedly undermined Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in a conversation with United States diplomats.

Gutu’s alleged conversation with the diplomats is captured in US embassy cables dispatched to Washington, but intercepted and leaked by whistleblower website, WikiLeaks.

Gutu, the MDC-T spokesperson in Harare, is quoted in one of the diplomatic cables released two weeks ago describing Tsvangirai as a “weak and indecisive leader.”

Yesterday, the MDC-T Harare Province’s youth assembly gave recommendations to the party’s provincial council, demanding stern action against Gutu.

Should action be taken against the Chisipite Senator, the former opposition party looks set to face a dilemma as senior party members — who include organising secretary Nelson Chamisa — reportedly made uncomplimentary remarks about

Tsvangirai during conversations with the diplomats. The MDC-T youths from Harare said they were targeting Gutu because he was a member of their provincial executive.

They have no jurisdiction over Chamisa because he is a member of the national executive council. “It is the feeling of the youths and we discussed that, but we will communicate through the right channels,” said youth chairperson for Harare Province Shakespeare Mukoyi. Harare provincial secretary Willias Madzimure weighed in, saying:

“There is a feeling (among other party members) that the province and the party were put into disrepute and at that level we don’t accept discussions with the embassies.”

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told NewsDay yesterday: “I confirm they had a meeting, but they did not communicate. We will wait for their communication and, if need be, we will deal with any issue if it’s brought to us,”

However, Gutu told NewsDay yesterday from the United States that he never met Ambassador Charles Ray or any diplomat and was not worried about the cables.

Gutu is in the US on an exchange programme on accountability in government.

He said: “I never held any meeting(s) with Ambassador Charles Ray or any US diplomat as alleged . . . It would be a travesty of justice and, indeed, a monumental injustice, if I were to be persecuted over baseless, false, unfounded, malicious and defamatory allegations. I am not worried one iota about these so-called WikiLeaks.”

The leaked diplomatic cables which quotes eminent personalities from across the political divide undermining and “selling out” their leaders, have thrown Zimbabwe’s main political parties into turmoil.

Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa has said those implicated should be punished irrespective of the posts they hold in the party.

But the potentially divisive issue was skirted at Wednesday’s politburo meeting in a move that has left many guessing whether it was a political strategy for President Robert Mugabe to keep the alleged sellouts anxious over his next moves.