SA ambassador says Jonathan Moyo is not good friends with the truth


0

South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Jeremiah Ndou said President Robert Mugabe was being misled by his inner circle of friends especially Information Minister Jonathan Moyo because he was “not good friends with the truth”.

Ndou said the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front had accused him and other Southern African Development Community ambassadors of distorting facts about what was actually happening in Zimbabwe.

He said that SADC members had urged the Zimbabweans to go to the International Monetary Fund to try to normalise relations, a move that the donors would notice but negotiation, not the “go to hell” approach so far adopted by the government of Zimbabwe, was needed.

He admitted that quiet diplomacy was not working: “The Zimbabweans will agree in private, then contradict these understandings as soon as they walk out the door”.

 

Full cable:

 

Viewing cable 01HARARE2731, SADC DIPLOMATS PROVIDE READOUT ON SEPTEMBER

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

01HARARE2731

2001-09-18 05:28

2011-08-30 01:44

CONFIDENTIAL

Embassy Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

 

180528Z Sep 01

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO0603

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 02731 01 OF 04 180546Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EUR-00   VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00

L-00     VCE-00   AC-01   NRRC-00 NSAE-00 OMB-01   PA-00

PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00

SS-00   TRSE-00 T-00     USIE-00 R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00

DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00     /005W

——————20B926 180546Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9734

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 002731

 

SIPDIS

 

STATE FOR AF; AF/S; AND AF/RA

 

NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER

 

LONDON FOR GURNEY

 

PARIS FOR NEARY

 

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/06

 

TAGS: PREL ZI

SUBJECT: SADC DIPLOMATS PROVIDE READOUT ON SEPTEMBER

10 AND 11 MEETING IN HARARE

 

REF: LILONGWE 1773

 

CLASSIFIED BY DCM REWHITEHEAD DUE TO 1.5 (B) AND (D).

 

1. (C) SUMMARY. CHARGE AND DCM HELD A SEREIS OF

MEETINGS WITH THE HIGH COMMISSIONERS/COUNSELORS OF

MOZAMBIQUE, MALAWI, AND SOUTH AFRICA LATE LAST WEEK TO

OBTAIN THEIR VIEWS ON SEPTEMBER 10 AND 11 MEETINGS

BETWEEN MUGABE AND THE ZIMBABWEANS AND SADC CHIEFS OF

STATE. ALL THREE EXPRESSED SOME DEGREE OF PESSIMISM,

BUT THERE WERE CLEAR NUANCES OF OPINION. THE SOUTH

AFRICAN WAS MOST OPTIMISTIC ABOUT POTENTIAL GOZ

ADHERENCE TO SOME ASPECTS OF THE ABUJA AGREEMENT. THE

MALAWIANS AND SOUTH AFRICANS BOTH COMPLAINED ABOUT

NEGATIVE COVERAGE IN THE GOZ PRESS ABOUT MULUZI AND

MBEKI FOR THEIR ALLEGEDLY PRO-UK AND U.S. STANCES DURING

THE MEETING. THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND MOZAMBICANS ALSO

EXPRESSED DISCOMFORT WITH THE MILITANCY AND LACK OF

DISCRETION OF TSVANGIRAI AND THE MDC. CERTAIN IMPORTANT

AGENDA ITEMS, INCLUDING THE PRESENCE OF INTERNATIONAL

ELECTION OBSERVERS, WERE NOT COVERED DUE A LACK OF TIME.

THE NEXT STEP IS A FOLLOW-UP BY A TEAM OF SADC

MINISTERS, NOT YET SCHEDULED BUT HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE

BRISBANE SUMMIT. THIS PRESENTS US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY

TO APPROACH OUR FRIENDS IN SADC AND THE COMMONWEALTH TO

URGE THAT THESE ELECTORAL ISSUES ARE RAISED AT THE

COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING (CHOGM). END

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03      HARARE 02731 01 OF 04 180546Z

SUMMARY.

 

———-

MOZAMBIQUE

———-

 

2. (C) HIGH COMMISSIONER ANTONIO SUMBANA STATED THAT,

IN THE WAKE OF THE MEETINGS, PERHAPS “WE SHOULD

CONCLUDE” THAT SOUTHERN AFRICA WILL REMAIN EMBROILED IN

CONFLICT. HE LABELED THIS A PROBLEM FOR MOZAMBIQUE,

WHICH REMAINS CLOSELY LINKED TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND

SERVICES OF BOTH ZIMBABWE AND SOUTH AFRICA. HE SAID

THAT THE HARARE EETING CONCENTRATED ON LAW AND ORDER,

WITH THE SDC DELEGATIONS STRESSING THE NEED FOR

TRANSPARENY ON THE PART OF THE GOZ, AND GOZ ACTION

RATHER TAN WORDS. IN RESPONSE, CHINOTIMBA AND THE WAR

VTERANS CHARGED INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

SUMBANA SAID THAT THE GOZ PERCEIVE SOUTH AFRICA AN

MOZAMBIQUE AS WESTERN PROXIES. THE ZIMBABWEANSCLAIMED

THAT VIOLENCE REMAINS ISOLATED AND THAT SCURITY FORCES

REACT WHEN THEY ARE INFORMED OF INIDENTS. THE GOZ ALSO

STRESSED THAT THEIR ACTION ARE LEGAL. SUMBANA SAID

THAT THE SADC DELEGATINS COUNTERED BY URGING THE GOZ TO

DELIST QUALIFID PROPERTIES AS PROMISED IN ABUJA, ESCHEW

VIOLENC, AND SEEK DIALOGUE.

 

3. (C) SUMBANA CONTINUED HAT THE GOZ ATTEMPTED TO PUT

A POSITIVE SPIN ON HINGS. THEY CITED THE UNDP ROLE

ACCEPTED N ABJA AND SAID THAT A UNDP TEAM WOULD ASSESS

THE LAND DISTRIBUTION SITUATION. SADC DELEGATES POINTED

TO THE UK COMMITMENT IN ABUJA AND ADVISED MUGABE TO SIT

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 02731 01 OF 04 180546Z

DOWN WITH UK HIGH COMMISSIONER DONNELLY TO DISCUSS

BRITISH UNDERTAKINGS. THEY SAID THAT SADC WAS AWARE OF

THE PROBLEM WITH AGRICULTURAL INPUTS FOR RESETTLED

PERSONS, TO WHICH THE ZIMBABWEANS DECLARED THAT SADC

NEEDED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. MUGABE REACTED

CAREFULLY TO SADC STATEMENTS THAT THE GOZ NEEDS TO LOOK

FOR POSITIVES, SINCE CONFRONTATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO

SPLIT SADC. THE SADC DELEGATES AGREED WITH THE

ZIMBABWEANS THAT LAND REFORM IS ACCEPTABLE BUT SAID THAT

THE CURRENT METHODS BEING USED ARE NOT.

 

4. (C) THE NEXT PHASE OF THE MEETING CONSISTED OF

TRIPARTITE ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN THE SADC AND GOZ

DELEGATIONS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF OPPOSITION POLITICAL

PARTIES, LABOR, THE CHURCHES, AND CIVIL SOCIETY. (FOR

SPECIFICS, SEE THE COMMUNIQUE FAXED TO AF/S.) SUMBANA

SAID THAT THE SADC DELEGATES WERE AWARE THAT THE

ZIMBABWEANS HAD TRIED TO STAGE-MANAGE THE EVENT BY

PACKING THE SCHEDULE WITH THEIR SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING

WAR VETERANS, A PET LABOR CONFEDERATION, AND RUMP NGOS.

TO SOME DEGREE THIS STRATEGY BACKFIRED, AS EXEMPLIFIED

BY WAR VETERAN DEMANDS THAT THE GOZ GIVE THE VETS HOMES

AND MONEY TO INVEST AS WELL AS LAND.

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO0604

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 02731 02 OF 04 180546Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EUR-00   VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00

L-00     VCE-00   AC-01   NRRC-00 NSAE-00 OMB-01   PA-00

PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00

SS-00   TRSE-00 T-00     USIE-00 R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00

DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00     /005W

——————20B937 180546Z /38

O 180528Z SEP 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9735

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 04 HARARE 002731

 

SIPDIS

 

STATE FOR AF; AF/S; AND AF/RA

 

NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER

 

LONDON FOR GURNEY

 

PARIS FOR NEARY

 

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/06

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 02731 02 OF 04 180546Z

TAGS: PREL ZI

SUBJECT: SADC DIPLOMATS PROVIDE READOUT ON SEPTEMBER

10 AND 11 MEETING IN HARARE

 

5. (C) ACCORDING TO SUMBANA, THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS

UNION OFFERED A NUANCED AND NON-CONFRONTATIONAL VIEW OF

WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. SUMBANA SAID THAT TSVANGIRAI,

WHO TOOK THE LEAD FOR THE MDC, WAS “TOO MILITANT.” HE

SAID THAT THE MDC MUST BECOME MORE PRAGMATIC AND ATTEMPT

TO DEPERSONALIZE ITS APPROACH TO MUGABE. SUMBANA SAID

THAT THE MDC MUST FORGE A STRATEGY FOR RECONCILIATION,

INCLUDING SOME POSSIBLE STATUE OF LIMITATIONS FOR MUGABE

AND OTHER SENIOR ZANU-PF OFFICIALS. GIVE AND TAKE WOULD

BE THE KEY TO SUCCESS. SADC WAS TRYING TO SET UP TALKS

BETWEEN THE GOZ AND MDC, BUT MDC LEADERSHIP WAS

DIFFICULT.

 

6. (C) SUMBANA EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE

GOZ HAVE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF CONTACTS BETWEEN SADC STATES

AND THE ZIMBABWEAN OPPOSITION IN ORDER NOT TO STOKE THE

PARANOIA OF THE GOZ. HOWEVER, THE MDC HAD SHOWN A LACK

OF DISCRETION IN ITS DEALINGS WITH OUTSIDERS, PREFERRING

TO SCORE PUBLIC RELATIONS POINTS RATHER THAN ADVANCING

NEGOTIATIONS. HE CITED A MEETING IN LATE 2000 IN SOUTH

AFRICA BETWEEN AN OFFICIAL OF THE MOZAMBICAN MINISTRY OF

HOME AFFAIRS AND THE MDC. DESPITE AN AGREED COMMUNIQUE,

THE MDC HAD GONE TO THE PRESS AND SPILLED THE DETAILS OF

THE DISCUSSION, INACCURATELY CLAIMING THAT THE

MOZAMBICAN HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER HAD PARTICIPATED.

SUMBANA SAID THAT HE DID NOT KNOW IF THE MALAWIANS OR

SOUTH AFRICANS HAD MANAGED TO CARRY ON A DISCREET

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 02731 02 OF 04 180546Z

DIALOGUE WITH THE MDC.

 

7. (C) SUMBANA BRIEFLY DISCUSSED SOME OF MOZAMBIQUE’S

IMMEDIATE INTERESTS IN A NEGOTIATED SOLUTION TO

ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL/ECONOMIC CRISIS. IN ADDITION TO

MAJOR TRADE AND INFRASTRUCTURE TIES, AN ESTIMATED 16,000

MOZAMBICANS LIVE IN ZIMBABWE, MOST IN THE CAPACITY OF

COMMERCIAL FARM WORKERS AND MINERS. SINCE MANY ARE

SECOND GENERATION AND FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE BECOME

ZIMBABWEANS, THERE ARE NO ACCURATE FIGURES BEYOND THE

5,000 OR SO WHOM THE MOZAMBICAN HIGH COMMISSION BELIEVES

CAN LEGALLY CLAIM MOZAMBICAN CITIZENSHIP.

 

8. (C) THE CHARGE STRESSED THAT ONCE SADC HAS GAINED

MUGABE’S CONFIDENCE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THE

NEED FOR CLEAN AND PEACEFUL ELECTIONS, PREFERABLY

BUTTRESSED BY PRE-ELECTION VOTER EDUCATION. ABOVE ALL

ELSE, THERE SHOULD BE NO ATTEMPT TO DELINK POLITICS FROM

ECONOMICS. SUMBANA REPLIED THAT A GO-SLOW APPROACH,

WITH PRIORITIES CLEARLY ESTABLISHED, WAS BEST. HE SAID

THAT PRESS REPORTS OF A SADC DEADLINE FOR ZIMBABWEAN

ACTION WERE INACCURATE. A TEAM OF MINISTER WILL FOLLOW

UP AND PROVIDE THE REPORTING MECHANISM.

 

——

MALAWI

——

 

9. (C) DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER ELIAS CHIJOTA SAID THAT

HIS BOSS, CURRENTLY ILL AND OUT OF THE OFFICE, HAD

ATTENDED MORE OF THE SESSIONS THAN CHIJOTA HAD. HE

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 02731 02 OF 04 180546Z

REPEATED THE MESSAGE (REFTEL) THAT THE GOM IS NOT

PLEASED BY ATTACKS ON PRESIDENT MULUZI IN THE OFFICIAL

GOZ PRESS DUE TO MULUZI’S FRANK COMMENTS ON THE

DETERIORATING SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE AND ITS IMPACT ON

THE REGION. CHIJOTA SAID THAT THERE WAS WIDESPREAD

SKEPTICISM AMONG MALAWIAN POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE GOZ’S

COMMITMENT TO MEASURES THEY HAD ACCEPTED IN ABUJA,

INCLUDING AN END TO VIOLENCE AND NEW FARM OCCUPATIONS.

HE SCOFFED AT THE LIST OF OUTSIDE PARTICIPANTS THAT THE

GOZ “HAD IMPOSED” FOR THE SERIES OF TRILATERAL SESSIONS

BUT NOTED THAT MDC, CFU, AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES HAD

AT TIMES MADE MUGABE AND THE GOZ SQUIRM. HE CONCLUDED

THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THE GOZ COUD OBSCURE THE TRUTH.

 

10. (SBU) CHIJOTA CLAIMEDTHAT THE GOM HAS SPECIAL

CONCERNS ABOUT THE INCRASINGLY DIFFICULT SITUATION IN

ZIMBABWE, SINCE A MANY AS 2 MILLION INDIVIDUALS LIVING

HERE CAN CLIM MALAWIAN ANCESTRY. WHEN DCM EXPRESSED

SURPRIE AT THIS NUMBER, CHIJOTA STATED THAT A LACK OF

ECORDS PREVENTS ANY TRULY ACCURATE ESTIMATE. HOWEVER,

THE NUMBERS ARE HUGE, AND THIS MASS RISKS BECOMING

STATELESS PERSONS IF THE GOZ PERSISTS IN PURSUING

PRESENT HARD-LINE POLICIES AGAINST FARM WORKERS. HE

ADDED THAT THUS FAR, TO HIS SURPRISE, VIRTUALLY NO ONE

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO0605

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 02731 03 OF 04 180546Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EUR-00   VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00

L-00     VCE-00   AC-01   NRRC-00 NSAE-00 OMB-01   PA-00

PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00

SS-00   TRSE-00 T-00     USIE-00 R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00

DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00     /005W

——————20B942 180546Z /38

O 180528Z SEP 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9736

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 04 HARARE 002731

 

SIPDIS

 

STATE FOR AF; AF/S; AND AF/RA

 

NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER

 

LONDON FOR GURNEY

 

PARIS FOR NEARY

 

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/06

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 02731 03 OF 04 180546Z

TAGS: PREL ZI

SUBJECT: SADC DIPLOMATS PROVIDE READOUT ON SEPTEMBER

10 AND 11 MEETING IN HARARE

 

HAD TURNED UP AT THE HIGH COMMISSION TO REQUEST

REPATRIATION TO MALAWI.

 

————

SOUTH AFRICA

————

 

11. (C) HIGH COMMISSIONER A.J.D. NDOU OFFERED A

SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE MEETING THAN HAD HIS

MOZAMBICAN COUNTERPART. HE LED OFF WITH A PREAMBLE ON

THE SENSITIVITIES IN THE ZIMBABWE/SOUTH AFRICAN

BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP STEMMING FROM THE PRE-

INDEPENDENCE SCHISM BETWEEN THE ZANU/CHINESE/PAC POLE

AND THE ANC/ZAPU POLE. MANDELA’S METEORIC ACCESSION TO

GLOBAL PROMINENCE IN THE EARLY 1990’S HAD COMPLETELY

OVERSHADOWED MUGABE’S ROLE AND FURTHER EXACERBATED THE

STRAINS. NDOU SAID THAT CURRENT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE

TWO COUNTRIES MUST BE APPROACHED FROM THIS HISTORICAL

PERSPECTIVE. THIS WAS ONE REASON WHY THE GOZ HAD

ACCUSED SOUTH AFRICA (AND MALAWI) OF CARRYING THE WATER

FOR THE UK AND US ON THE LAND REFORM ISSUE.

 

12. (C) NDOU CHARACTERIZED THE RESULTS OF THE MEETING

AS MIXED. ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE, THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO

CONCLUDE THE AGENDA, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANT ITEM OF

ELECTION MONITORING. NDOU SAID IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF

THE EVENT HAD BEEN MINIMIZED IN THE LAST-MINUTE RUSH TO

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 02731 03 OF 04 180546Z

AGREE ON A JOINT COMMUNIQUE. HE SAID THAT MUGABE HAD

BEEN CLEARLY DISCOMFITTED BY HIS FIRST FACE-TO-FACE

MEETING WITH TSVANGIRAI IN THREE YEARS. HE ADDED THAT

TSVANGIRAI WAS WELL SPOKEN AND DID NOT RISE TO THE JIBES

 

SIPDIS

OF MUGABE’S ENTOURAGE, INSTEAD INSISTING THAT IT WAS

TIME FOR EVERYONE TO ADMIT THAT ZIMBABWE WAS IN A

CRISIS. NDOU SAID THAT TSVANGIRAI HAD STRESSED THAT

CONFRONTING COMMON PROBLEMS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN

SCORING PUBLICITY POINTS.

 

13. (C) IN SPITE OF THE DOWNSIDES, NDOU CONTINUED,

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PLUSES. THE ATTEMPT TO CREATE A

BROAD INTERPARTY COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE THE CRISIS HAD

FAILED, BUT THERE HAD BEEN AGREEMENT TO FORM A

MULTIPARTY PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE. NDOU SAID THAT HE

THOUGHT THAT MUGABE WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH ON SOME ABUJA

COMMITMENTS, ALTHOUGH IT WAS CLEAR THAT ZIMBABWE AND THE

UK EACH HAD A VERY DIFFERENT PERCEPTION ON WHAT HAD BEEN

AGREED THERE.

 

14. (C) NDOU SAID THAT PERCEPTIONS REMAIN A LARGE PART

OF THE PROBLEM. THE SADC DELEGATES HAD URGED THE GOZ

SIDE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, WHATEVER THE GOZ VIEW, THERE

WAS AN INTERNATIONAL PERCEPTION OF LAWLESSNESS IN

ZIMBABWE. NDOU SAID THAT BREAD AND JOBS ARE THE ISSUES

THAT PREOCCUPY MOST ZIMBABWEANS, NOT LAND. HOWEVER,

MUGABE AND MANY IN THE GOZ SEEM GENUINELY TOO BELIEVE

THAT LAND IS THE CENTRAL ISSUE. SADC ATTEMPTS TO

PROMOTE THE TWIN THEMES OF THE ECONOMY AND THE LAND

DURING THE MEETINGS HAD FAILED TO MOVE THE GOZ OFF ITS

FOCUS ON LAND. NDOU SAID HE FELT THAT AN INCREASINGLY

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 02731 03 OF 04 180546Z

ISOLATED MUGABE HAD BEEN MISLED BY HIS INNER CIRCLE ON

THIS POINT, ESPECIALLY CHIEF ZANU PROPAGANDIST CUM

INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO, “WHO IS NOT GOOD

FRIENDS WITH THE TRUTH.” IN DIPLOMATIC APPROACHES IN

VARIOUS SADC CAPITALS, ZANU-PF HAD ACCUSED NDOU AND

OTHER SADC AMBASSADORS OF DISTORTING THE FACTS ABOUT

WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN ZIMBABWE.

 

15. (C) NDOU SAID THAT THE SADC MEMBERS HAD URGED THE

ZIMBABWEANS TO GO TO THE IMF AND TRY TO NORMALIZE

RELATIONS, A MOVE THAT THE DONORS WOULD NOTICE. NDOU

ADDED THAT NEGOTIATION, NOT THE “GO TO HELL” APPROACH

HERETOFORE ADOPTED BY THE GOZ, WAS NEEDED. HE ADMITTED

THAT QUIET DIPLOMACY WAS NOT WORKING: “THE ZIMBABWEANS

WILL AGREE IN PRIVATE, THEN CONTRADICT THESE

UNDERSTANDINGS AS SOON AS THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR.”

 

16. (C) NDOU DID NOT VIEW THE ABUJA AGREEMENT AS A

MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH FOR THE UN. HE SAID THE LAND REFORM

POSITION AGREED TO BY THE UNDP IN DECEMBER, 2000 HAD

BEEN IRREVOCABLY ALTERED BY SUBSEQUENT EVENTS ON THE

GROUND. ZIMBABWEAN FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE’S

ACCEPTANCE OF THE FORMER UNDP POSITION WAS MEANINGLESS.

NDOU SAID THAT SADC AND MBEKI HAD WORKED TO GET UNSYG

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTO0606

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 02731 04 OF 04 180546Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00

SRPP-00 DS-00   EUR-00   VC-00   H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00

L-00     VCE-00   AC-01   NRRC-00 NSAE-00 OMB-01   PA-00

PM-00   PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00   IRM-00   SSO-00

SS-00   TRSE-00 T-00     USIE-00 R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00

DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 SAS-00     /005W

——————20B947 180546Z /38

O 180528Z SEP 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9737

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMMEDIATE

NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 04 OF 04 HARARE 002731

 

SIPDIS

 

STATE FOR AF; AF/S; AND AF/RA

 

NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER

 

LONDON FOR GURNEY

 

PARIS FOR NEARY

 

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/06

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 02731 04 OF 04 180546Z

TAGS: PREL ZI

SUBJECT: SADC DIPLOMATS PROVIDE READOUT ON SEPTEMBER

10 AND 11 MEETING IN HARARE

 

ANNAN MORE INVOLVED IN THE EQUATION. IN AN ASIDE, NDOU

SAID THAT MBEKI’S RAPID DEPARTURE FROM THE CONFERENCE

HALL, REPORTED IN THE OPPOSITION PRESS AS MBEKI STORMING

OUT IN REACTION TO WAR VETERAN STATEMENTS, HAD IN FACT

BEEN A RUSH UPSTAIRS TO FIELD A PRE-ARRANGED PHONE CALL

FROM ANNAN. HE SAID THAT THE GOZ HAS REJECTED A

PROPOSED VISIT BY THE UNDP LAND REFORM ASSESSMENT TEAM

BECAUSE OF A DIFFERENCE OVER TERMS OF REFERENCE. NDOU

SAID THAT THE VISIT OF THE SADC MINISTERIAL FOLLOW-UP

TEAM HAS NOT YET BEEN SCHEDULED, ALTHOUGH HE EXPECTS

THIS TO OCCUR BEFORE THE BRISBANE CHOGM MEETING.

 

——-

COMMENT

——-

 

17. (C) NEIGHBORING SADC COUNTRIES ARE INCREASINGLY

CONCERNED WITH THE RAMIFICATIONS OF MUGABE’S POLICIES ON

THEIR OWN WELFARE AND INCREASINGLY WILLING TO TELL HIM

SO TO HIS FACE. THIS PROVIDES AN OPENING FOR US, IF THE

SADC MINISTERIAL FOLLOW-UP COMES OFF BEFORE BRISBANE, TO

URGE REGIONAL STATES TO ADDRESS THE FULL AGENDA OF

ELECTORAL ISSUES: VOTER TRAINING, INTERNATIONAL ELECTION

MONITORS, AND AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT VOTING PROCESS.

AN INCREASINGLY ISOLATED MUGABE MAY BE FORCED TO LISTEN

TO HIS COUNTERPARTS, AS HE DID ON SEPTEMBER 10 AND 11,

WHETHER OR NOT HE LIKES THE MESSAGE THEY BRING. END

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 02731 04 OF 04 180546Z

COMMENT.

 

ROTH

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

>

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Charles Rukuni
The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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