Zimbabwe Govt announce WL enquiry team

Govt to announce WikiLeaks inquiry team

By: Farai Nyathi

The Zimbabwe Guardian, January 12, 2011

THE Government of Zimbabwe will today unveil a commission of inquiry into suspected Constitutional infringement bordering on conspiracy by several Zimbabweans, including Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and certain elements within the MDC-T party, arising from WikiLeaks reports. The commission, will be announced by Attorney-General Johannes Tomana Reports from Harare say it will be comprised of six lawyers — some of them senior and who have previously chaired other commissions of inquiry appointed by the Government. A report in The Herald newspaper says the "commission’s terms of reference will be to examine the WikiLeaks reports and advise Government on whether or not any laws were breached and what action if any could be taken." AG Tomana indicated last year when WikiLeaks missives were published that he would set up the commission. The whistle-blowing website released secret US documents on Zimbabwe quoting several Zimbabweans in secret conversations with US embassy officials. The AG will seek to find out if any of the elements quoted by the US embassy in Harare have conspired to undermine State security and jeopardise Zimbabwe's national interests. The Zimbabwe government move comes as the US has initiated moves to indict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, for releasing the cables. Zimbabwe is taking a different approach, preferring to examine the contents of the diplomatic dispatches. “It’s not targeting WikiLeaks, but looking at the contents. "It appears Zimbabwe’s approach is to accept the information and look into it rather than attack and destroy it,” a source speaking on condition of anonymity yesterday told The Herald newspaper. Several people were named in the cables, among them Tsvangirai, Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma (MDC-T), and a Zanu-PF official only identified as Mudarikwa. Some US officials named in the WikiLeaks have reportedly been re-assigned and other governments affected by the cables have acted on them. In one of the cables, former US ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell insinuated that the US government was working in cahoots with MDC-T to effect illegal regime change. He, however, lamented the failed efforts, saying the West was working with a “weak” and “inept” leadership in MDC-T. Tsvangirai was calling for more sanctions on Zimbabwe as a way to effect regime change, according to the WikiLeaks. There are about 3 000 cables on Zimbabwe and sources say more people who contributed might be exposed. The move by the Attorney General is likely to cause a stir in the MDC-T party, which has tried to downplay the revelations in the diplomatic dispatches. The MDC-T called the revelations "WikiLies", arguing that they were merely opinions of US diplomats. The party says Zanu-PF is running a campaign of intimidation over the cables. Zanu-PF, however says the MDC-T has been exposed for what it has always been - a puppet and proxy of the west. Zanu-PF also says it cannot be blamed for documents that it did not release or take part in their release; urging the MDC-T to respond to the revelations rather than dismiss them. The US government, unlike the MDC-T, considers the revelations as undermining US relations with states globally, and is seeking to indict Assange. Meanwhile, WikiLeaks' Assange this week indicated that his organisation will speed up the release of new cables that will embarass the US.