Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa told a visiting United States senate delegation that complaints that Zimbabwe’s voters’ roll was defective should not be an issue because this could easily be rectified.
He said voters were given a chance to inspect the voters’ roll weeks before the elections. If their name was not on the roll it could be added to a separate register on the spot.
If they found the name of someone who had died, it could be removed if it was reported to the local district administrator.
“Zimbabwe’s voting records are fully computerised, but the computer cannot tell if someone has died or moved unless it is reported,” he said.
On the land issue, he said the compulsory acquisition of all commercial farming land was aimed at avoiding five or more years of strife.
He said farmers that were cooperative could get back their land and those with more than one farm would choose which one they wanted to keep.
The embassy said Mnangagwa had been cordial and pleasant, continuing his diplomatic charm offensive and trying to portray himself as a moderate on contentious issues like land, elections and observers.
“His reputation, however, would put him in the hard-line government camp, and his actions will have to speak louder than his words in the future,” the embassy said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE2379, ZIMBABWE: GRIGSBY STAFFDEL MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
101012Z Aug 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6194
PAGE 01 HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z
ACTION H-01
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 DS-00 TEDE-00 SS-00 DSCC-00
SAS-00 /001W
——————107D77 101015Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9444
INFO NSC WASHDC
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002379
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: GRIGSBY STAFFDEL MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE
SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL OFFICER TODD FAULK FOR REASONS:
1.5 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (U) ON AUGUST 6, SENATE STAFFDEL, LED BY GARRETT
GRIGSBY, MET WITH SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT AND ZANU-PF
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z
SECRETARY OF ADMINISTRATION EMMERSON MNANGAGWA IN HIS
SIPDIS
PARLIAMENT OFFICES. MNANGAGWA WAS JOINED BY DEPUTY
CLERK OF PARLIAMENT HELEN DINGANI, AND THE STAFFDEL WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY CHARGE AUBREY HOOKS AND POLOFFS.
ELECTIONS
———
¶2. (C) MNANGAGWA BEGAN BY EMPHASIZING THAT HE IS NOT A
GOVERNMENT MINISTER; NONETHELESS, AS SPEAKER OF
PARLIAMENT, HE FOLLOWS GOVERNMENT ISSUES. HE ITERATED
THAT NEXT YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD IN
MARCH OR APRIL. THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) HAS
HAD FIVE GENERAL ELECTIONS SINCE INDEPENDENCE, AND IT
WILL NOT MISS THIS ELECTORAL DATE, EITHER. HE DESCRIBED
THE BASIC ELECTORAL PROCESS, AND MENTIONED THE THREE BY-
ELECTIONS HELD SINCE LATE LAST YEAR. MNANGAGWA
CHARACTERIZED THE BINDURA BY-ELECTION AS “LESS VIOLENT”
THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO BECAUSE THE POLICE HAD SET UP
ROADBLOCKS AT POINTS LEADING INTO THE DISTRICT AND
SEARCHED FOR WEAPONS. THE ATTACK ON MDC PRESIDENT
TSVANGIRAI’S CONVOY WAS A “SMALL INCIDENT” IN AN
SIPDIS
OTHERWISE PEACEFUL DISTRICT. IN RESPONSE TO A STAFFDEL
QUESTION ABOUT THE VIOLENCE SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE IN
BINDURA, MNANGAGWA SAID THE MDC AND ZANU-PF HAVE AGREED
TO ESTABLISH A CODE OF CONDUCT BASED ON COMMONWEALTH AND
EU CODES OF CONDUCT. A TEAM OF FIVE ZANU-PF MEMBERS AND
FIVE MDC MEMBERS ARE EXAMINING WAYS TO REDUCE VIOLENCE,
INCLUDING LIMITING THE TRANSPORT OF YOUTH AND OTHER
CAMPAIGNERS TO THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES. A NATIONAL
ELECTION, SUCH AS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WOULD BE AN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z
EXCEPTION BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS ONE BIG CONSTITUENCY IN
THAT CASE.
COURT CHALLENGES
—————-
¶3. (C) THE SPEAKER RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE MDC’S COURT
CHALLENGES TO LAST YEAR’S ELECTORAL RESULTS. WHILE THE
MDC CHALLENGED THE RESULTS IN 37 SEATS, ZANU-PF
CHALLENGED ONLY ONE. THE RULING PARTY RECOGNIZES THAT
THE ELECTION IS OVER AND REPRESENTED THE VIEW OF THE
PEOPLE. OF THE EIGHT MDC CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN
RULED UPON BY THE HIGH COURT, FOUR RESULTS HAVE BEEN
UPHELD AND FOUR NULLIFED. ZANU-PF HAS APPEALED THE FOUR
NULLIFICATIONS, AND THOSE CASES ARE DUE TO BE HEARD BY
THE SUPREME COURT. THE MDC IS CHALLENGING THE RESULTS
BASED ON TWO BASIC PREMISES: THERE WAS PRE-ELECTION
VIOLENCE AND THE VOTERS’ ROLL WAS DEFECTIVE. THE LATTER
SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE, MNANGAGWA AVERRED, BECAUSE THE
VOTERS WERE GIVEN WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION TO INSPECT
THE ROLLS. IF THEY FOUND THEIR NAME WAS NOT ON THE ROLL
IN THEIR CONSTITUENCY, IT COULD BE ADDED TO A SEPARATE
REGISTER ON THE SPOT. IF THEY FOUND THE NAME OF SOMEONE
WHO HAD DIED, IT COULD BE REMOVED IF IT WAS REPORTED TO
THE LOCAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR. ZIMBABWE’S VOTING
RECORDS ARE FULLY COMPUTERIZED, BUT THE COMPUTER CANNOT
TELL IF SOMEONE HAS DIED OR MOVED UNLESS IT IS REPORTED,
HE EMPHASIZED. IN ADDITION, THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR
COULD TAKE UP TO TWO MONTHS TO RECORD A CHANGE ONCE IT
IS REPORTED.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z
LAND ISSUE: NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS
———————————-
¶4. (C) MNANGAGWA THEN DELVED INTO THE HISTRIONICS OF
THE LAND ISSUE IN ZIMBABWE. HE POINTED OUT THAT HE
HELPED DRAFT THE 1992 LAND ACQUISITION ACT, WHICH
OBLIGATED THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY FARMERS FOR ACQUIRED
LAND WITHIN THREE MONTHS IN THE CURRENCY OF THE SELLER’S
CHOICE. THAT HAS ALL CHANGED, HOWEVER. BY COMPULSORILY
ACQUIRING ALL THE COMMERCIAL FARMING LAND AT ONCE,
GOVERNMENT IS AVOIDING FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF STRIFE, THE
SPEAKER OPINED. HE ADMITTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS
ACQUIRED TOO MUCH LAND. (NOTE: 95 PERCENT OF COMMERCIAL
FARMING LAND HAS BEEN LISTED FOR SEIZURE. END NOTE.)
FARMERS THAT ARE COOPERATIVE WITH GOVERNMENT CAN GET
THEIR LAND BACK. THOSE FARMERS WITH MORE THAN ONE FARM
WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE THEY WANT TO KEEP; THE
REST WILL HAVE TO BE GIVEN UP UNLESS IT IS PART OF A
PRODUCING AGRIBUSINESS.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6195
PAGE 01 HARARE 02379 02 OF 02 101015Z
ACTION H-01
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 DS-00 TEDE-00 SS-00 DSCC-00
SAS-00 /001W
——————107D83 101015Z /38
R 101012Z AUG 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9445
INFO NSC WASHDC
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002379
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: GRIGSBY STAFFDEL MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE
SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT
MONITORS OR OBSERVERS?
———————-
¶5. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT ZIMBABWE ADMITTING ELECTION
MONITORS, MNANGAGWA DREW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN MONITORS
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PAGE 02 HARARE 02379 02 OF 02 101015Z
AND OBSERVERS. MONITORS, WHETHER THEY BE FROM THE EU,
SADC, OAU OR ELSEWHERE, ARE GIVEN TERMS OF REFERENCE AND
HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL OR ENTERING POLLING
PLACES. THEY ARE ACCREDITED TO POINT OUT TO ELECTION
OFFICIALS PROBLEMS THEY SEE IN THE VOTING AND COUNTING
PROCESS. MONITORS CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, ASK VOTE COUNTERS
TO RECOUNT A STACK OF BALLOTS IF THEY DO NOT APPEAR
CORRECTLY COUNTED, BUT THEY CANNOT DO THE COUNTING
THEMSELVES. MONITORS ARE OBLIGATED TO REPORT OBSERVED
PROBLEMS TO GOVERNMENT. OBSERVERS, ON THE OTHER HAND,
ARE MORE RESTRICTED IN WHERE THEY CAN GO. THEY CANNOT
POINT OUT PROBLEMS TO ELECTION OFFICIALS, BUT CAN ONLY
RECORD WHAT THEY SEE FOR THEIR OWN REPORTS.
¶6. (C) ONLY AS THE MEETING WAS CONCLUDING DID MNANGAGWA
ASK ABOUT THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY
ACT (ZDERA) THAT HAD JUST PASSED THE SENATE. THE
SPEAKER LAMENTED THAT THE BILL WOULD ONLY CAUSE GREATER
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP FOR ZIMBABWEANS. STAFFDEL EXPLAINED
THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL AND THE STEPS IT WOULD GO
THROUGH IN CONGRESS NEXT.
COMMENT
——-
¶7. (C) IN HIS MEETING WITH THE STAFFDEL, SPEAKER
MNANGAGWA WAS CORDIAL AND PLEASANT, CONTINUING THE CHARM
OFFENSIVE HE BEGAN WITH OTHER WESTERN INTERLOCUTORS A
FEW MONTHS AGO. MNANGAGWA, AS PRESIDENT MUGABE’S HEIR
APPARENT, CLEARLY HAS AN EYE ON THE FUTURE BY TRYING TO
PORTRAY HIMSELF AS A MODERATE ON CONTENTIOUS ISSUES LIKE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 02379 02 OF 02 101015Z
LAND, ELECTIONS, AND OBSERVERS. HIS REPUTATION,
HOWEVER, WOULD PUT HIM IN THE HARD-LINE GOVERNMENT CAMP,
AND HIS ACTIONS WILL HAVE TO SPEAK LOUDER THAN HIS WORDS
IN THE FUTURE. END COMMENT.
¶9. (U) THIS CABLE WAS NOT CLEARED BY STAFFDEL BEFORE
ITS DEPARTURE FROM HARARE.
HOOKS
CONFIDENTIAL
>
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