Former US ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee said in a wiki leaks cable released this week that it was impossible for Mugabe to fire Gono for stealing funds because the Central Bank governor knew too much about Zanu (PF)’s dirt.
McGee made the assessment after Finance Minister Tendai Biti increased pressure on Gono by demanding that he should be kicked out of a cabinet meeting.
Biti had argued that important donor nations such as the US and Britain would not fund a recovery while Gono remained at the helm of the Reserve Bank. The cable was wired to Washington in March 2009 but was leaked late last year and made available this week.
“Pressure rises on Gono… Finance Minister Tendai Biti escalated pressure on Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono by demanding his ouster in a Cabinet meeting this week,” McGee said. “Biti argued that important donor nations such as the U.S. and the UK would not fund a recovery while Gono remained at the helm of the Reserve Bank.”
But analysts in Harare argue that Gono no longer has the stamina he had when the assessment was made.
Harare-based political commentator Blessing Vava said: “Gono is finished and has been exposed too much that he no longer commands that revered personality he used to possess six years ago. Zanu (PF) has a system of using people and dumping them and they don’t care of the reparations.”
A fortnight ago Gono’s former advisor Munyaradzi Kereke, sensationally accused Gono of stealing millions of dollars and gold from the bank.
Kereke also made stunning claims that he is the one who wrote the examinations which earned Gono a doctorate degree. He said his removal from the Central Bank as an advisor was calculated to conceal Gono’s criminal activities at the bank.
Kereke was with the central bank for over eight years but was sacked by Gono on the 1st February when it became clear relations had broken down.
Gono has since denied the allegations in a document, which he did not name Kereke by name, saying Kereke wanted to curry favour with unnamed national figures after he allegedly authored a dossier specifying the central bank boss’ alleged financial transgressions.
Post published in: News