Tsvangirai's security concerns and reluctance to return home was nonsense: Roy Bennet

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is a weak political operator who "does what the last person tells him to do," according to MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett.

This devastating appraisal of Tsvangirai is revealed in United States embassy diplomatic cables leaked by the whistleblower, WikiLeaks, last Friday.

The cables suggest Bennett expressed frustration with Tsvangirai's leadership during meetings with a political officer at the US embassy on May 19, 2008.

Bennett was said to have been "visibly upset" by the MDC-T leader's refusal to return home in the aftermath of violent elections held that year.

The MDC-T treasurer dismissed as "nonsense" the security concerns cited by Tsvangirai as reason for his reluctance to return home.

"Bennett also emphasised that Tsvangirai has a solid security team in Harare and that Tsvangirai could be assassinated in South Africa or elsewhere on the continent if the Mugabe regime really wanted him dead," a US embassy cable detailing the meeting read.

Bennett also bemoaned the influence of South Africa-based telecoms magnate and Econet Wireless founder, Strive Masiyiwa, on Tsvangirai and the party.

"He (Bennett)  complained that MDC advisor Strive Masiyiwa is taking over the party, even though he is not an elected official and has no constituents to which to answer," he cable added.

"Masiyiwa, (Bennett) said, is now controlling access to Tsvangirai 'for his own purposes' and calling all the shots, including whether or not Tsvangirai returns. In fact, Bennett said that every time Tsvangirai packs his bags and is ready to return to Harare, Masiyiwa tells him not to go.

"As a countermeasure, Bennett said he is trying to get Tsvangirai and Biti to maintain an office and conduct meetings at MDC Headquarters in Johannesburg, rather than having Masiwiya "hold court" at his house."
Bennett suggested the MDC-T leader was not his own man, noting: "Tsvangirai does what the last person tells him to do."

The view was also backed by Chamisa in another meeting with embassy officials in December where he complained that Tsvangirai's reliance on American adviser Melinda Farris had created a "big problem" for the MDC-T.

Chamisa was said to have been very critical of Tsvangirai's self-imposed exile and over-reliance on Farris.

US embassy officials wrote: "After the meeting, Chamisa told (the US embassy political and economics) chief that MDC adviser Melinda Farris was a 'big problem'.

"He thought Tsvangirai had been listening to her to the exclusion of many in the MDC leadership, including himself and Tendai Biti, with whom Farris had a strained relationship.
"Chamisa believed Farris had encouraged Tsvangirai to remain outside of Zimbabwe."

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