South Africa Minister for International Relations Maite Nkoana-Mashabane expressed great frustration with President Robert Mugabe saying that “we cannot do quiet diplomacy forever” and called him “the crazy old man”.
She told United States embassy officials that everyone must support Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai but she expressed disappointment that he withdrew from the government without consulting South Africa and other international partners.
She said there were rumours that he was instructed to do this by a senior United States government official.
United States ambassador to South Africa Donald Gips said that to his knowledge this was not the case.
Tsvangirai “walked” out without any consultation and seemingly without a plan.
Gips also felt that though the International Relations minister made strong statements on Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe, her department did not have the lead within the South African government on the Zimbabwe agenda.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09PRETORIA2245, AMBASSADOR’S COURTESY CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER
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Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO7592
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSA #2245/01 3071552
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 031552Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0086
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0620
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0330
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 002245
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON ASEC KHIV SF ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S COURTESY CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER
MASHABANE
REF: PRETORIA 2167
Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD GIPS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador’s first official call with
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane was warm and frank. Mashabane thanked the
USG for its partnership and support through PEPFAR and
acknowledged past mistakes in HIV/AIDS policies. The
Ambassador thanked the SAG for support on security and the
Minister promised to continue the current support. They
agreed to work together on establishing a bilateral mechanism
and cooperating on augmenting food security and combating
violence against women. Mashabane made strong statements on
distancing the SAG from Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe
and supporting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Although
Mashabane was very positive about our bilateral agenda, the
SAG’s capacity to execute remains a question. End Summary.
————————-
Positive Bilateral Agenda
————————-
¶2. (C) Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was warm and receptive in the
Ambassador’s first official meeting with the South African
Government on November 2. She said her government was
excited about working with the Obama Administration,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the Ambassador,
expecting that bilateral relations would continue to improve.
Mashabane expressed the hope that we could develop a
bilateral mechanism early in 2010, building on her meeting
with the Secretary in Pretoria in August. The Ambassador
said we looked forward to hearing the SAG’s ideas for the
bilateral mechanism and setting a date for the Annual
Bilateral Forum early in 2010. Mashabane hoped that
President Obama could make a state visit to South Africa
linked to attending the FIFA World Cup in June-July 2010.
She envisioned President Zuma reciprocating with a state
visit to the U.S. early in 2011. Mashabane also noted the
positive role of the U.S. in the G-8 and the G-20,
emphasizing that developing countries were excited about
President Obama’s leadership.
¶3. (C) Mashabane noted that the Ambassador’s confirmation
speech showed that he and the USG shared South Africa’s five
key priorities set forth at the ANC Conference at Polokwane
in December 2007: employment, education, health, fighting
crime, and rural development. She and the Ambassador agreed
that there was a long agenda of shared objectives and that
they should identify clear and achievable goals. The
Ambassador said the U.S. would like to do more to support
education, and observed that USAID had important initiatives
in this area. He also said he would like the U.S. and South
Africa to partner for various trilateral programs in Africa.
She supported this approach, noting South Africa’s interest
in “prospering” its neighbors. Mashabane highlighted AGOA as
a positive force for stability in Africa. The Ambassador
noted that US UN Ambassador Susan Rice would like to host the
Minister for an event when she next visits New York. He
thanked the SAG for its recent Human Rights Council vote in
favor of the U.S.-Egypt-sponsored Freedom of Expression
Resolution.
¶4. (C) Mashabane said she was passionate about integration
and de-racialization as tools to eradicate the legacies of
apartheid in both rural and urban townships. She said
Qapartheid in both rural and urban townships. She said
advancing rural development was complicated by an excessive
number of municipalities at 284. Mashabane encouraged the
Ambassador to make contact with the Premier of Gauteng
Province, Nomvula Mokonyane, a close childhood friend, now
known as “Mama Action”. She said that her staff would share
a new proposal for the South Africa Development Agency, newly
brought under her Department of International Relations and
Cooperation (DIRCO). The Minister joked that she needed to
be nice to Minister of Finance Gordhan and Minister of
National Planning Manuel, suggesting that they controlled the
economic and finance levers in the new government. The
Ambassador emphasized that the USG wants to support and
contribute in all the priority areas, like education, rural
development, and health. He noted his comment in his Senate
confirmation statement that our job is to help South Africa
succeed, observing our shared diversity and the special
challenge of overcoming the legacy of apartheid. Mashabane
said it was a propitious moment with a new President (Zuma)
PRETORIA 00002245 002 OF 003
who listens to and supports South Africans.
——————————————–
Health and HIV/AIDS – Extolling Cooperation,
Noting Past Mistakes
——————————————–
¶5. (C) The Minister thanked the USG for its sustained
support as a key partner in fighting HIV/AIDS under the
PEPFAR program in South Africa, hoping for continued support.
She admitted that there had been mistakes in past policy,
but the SAG was now committed to catching up. Mashabane
stated that President Zuma would make a strong statement on
World AIDS Day on December 1, emphasizing that South Africa
would now lead from the front, not from behind. The
Ambassador noted that the USG had agreed to make a one-time
contribution of $120 million over two years to help with the
ARV stock-out gap, subject to some key conditions. Mashabane
encouraged the Ambassador to communicate with Minister of
Health Motsaeledi and Minister of Finance Gordhan on these
issues. The Ambassador noted the need to make plans for the
next five years, also encouraging South Africa to share its
experience and skills with the rest of Africa. Mashabane
said the SAG would like to be able to make greater use of
generic ARVs and other drugs to save costs.
——————————————— –
Food Security and Agriculture – Women’s Issues
——————————————— –
¶6. (C) Mashabane identified food security and agriculture as
key areas for cooperation. She said we would shortly receive
a written response on our food security initiative. The
Minister spoke highly of the work and vision of the
passionate and dynamic Agriculture Minister, Tina
Joemat-Petterson. She encouraged the Ambassador to visit one
of the Minister’s rural pilot projects.
¶7. (C) The Ambassador raised our desire to cooperate on
women’s issues and to target specifically violence against
women, noting its linkages to HIV/AIDS. The Minister agreed
with the importance of this issue. She said South Africa has
good laws and regulations, but many women – particularly in
rural areas – still live in the past in terms of their
culture and communities. Mashabane cited the Progressive
Women’s Movement of South Africa as an effective
organization, chaired by Baleka Mbete, who is also the
National Chair of the ANC. She cited the value of workshops
aimed at preventing violence before incidents. The
Ambassador mentioned visiting a U.S.-funded Tutuzela Care
Center that supports rape counseling and law enforcement.
Mashabane said such centers had achieved a significant
increase in conviction rates from 20 to 80 percent. She said
that she was the outgoing Chair of the Progressive Women’s
Movement of SA in Limpopo and cited a recent workshop in that
Province. The Ambassador said that the USG would like to
follow up on participating in such workshops.
——–
Security
——–
¶8. (C) The Ambassador thanked the Minister for the SAG’s
security support to the U.S. Mission since the mid-September
threat and asked that it remain in place (also requested by
separate diplomatic note.) She said she supported this
request. Mashabane said South Africa would win its battle
against crime, asserting that it would never have problems as
great as Brazil’s. The Ambassador offered technical support
Qgreat as Brazil’s. The Ambassador offered technical support
and training for law enforcement agencies.
——–
Zimbabwe
——–
¶9. (C) The Minister expressed great frustration with
President Mugabe, saying that “we cannot do quiet diplomacy
forever” and calling him “the crazy old man”. She said we
must all support Prime Minister Tsvangirai, but she expressed
disappointment that he withdrew from the government without
consulting South Africa and other international partners.
She said there were rumors that he was instructed to do this
by a senior USG official. The Ambassador said that to his
knowledge this was not the case, noting that Tsvangirai
“walked” without any consultation and seemingly without a
PRETORIA 00002245 003 OF 003
plan. Mashabane said the current SADC Chair President Joseph
Kabila was left cooling his heels in South Africa over the
weekend when Mugabe at first refused to receive him until
late Sunday. (She noted that she was stuck in Pretoria
waiting to fulfill her protocol role of seeing him off at the
airport, so was not able to take her children home to Limpopo
Province over the weekend.) Mashabane said the SAG view was
that Mugabe is getting desperate and is trying to push the
country into elections. On the other hand, she said
Tsvangirai wasn’t realistic in calling for removal of all the
security chiefs. She advocated seeking to change the
electoral law to facilitate proper counting, while
pragmatically leaving the security chiefs in place.
Mashabane broached consideration for amnesty scenarios for
the security chiefs that might induce them not to block a
political transition.
¶10. (C) Mashabane promised to follow-up with the Ambassador
on next steps following discussions she would have very soon
with President Zuma and the Foreign Minister of Mozambique.
She advocated helping Tsvangirai prepare for elections if
they happen and exposing the dirty actions of the security
chiefs. The Minister pointed out the danger to her northern
province of Limpopo and the rest of South Africa with
potential for more cholera outbreaks and significant refugees
if the situation lingers or worsens.
¶11. (C) Mashabane raised concerns about Palestine, Israel,
and the Goldstone Report. The Ambassador said the U.S. was
committed to a two-state solution. He said President Obama
was frustrated with Israel and noted that private messages
are much stronger than the public ones. The Ambassador said
Secretary Clinton would be aggressive in calling for greater
dialogue and results. Mashabane recommended that the
Ambassador meet with South African Jewish Deputies to hear
their perspectives. The Ambassador welcomed the suggestion
and said he was also interested in outreach to the Muslim
community in South Africa.
¶12. (C) COMMENT: The Ambassador’s first official meeting
with the South African Foreign Minister was particularly
friendly and open, emblematic of the positive trend in our
bilateral relationship. The Foreign Minister indicated a
desire to set up a dinner to welcome the Ambassador, as long
as we did not tell the other Ambassadors. The Ambassador met
her last August (prior to presenting his credentials) while
accompanying Secretary Clinton on her visit to South Africa,
when the two Ministers established a warm rapport. There is
clearly enthusiasm within the SAG for developing a bilateral
mechanism. We should bear in mind, however that the South
African Government faces shortfalls in capacity which limit
its ability to staff cooperative mechanisms and to implement
programs, so we will have to carefully choose our
initiatives. The Foreign Minister made strong statements on
Zimbabwe and Robert Mugabe, but our sense is that her
department does not have the lead within the SAG on the
Zimbabwe agenda.
GIPS
(91 VIEWS)
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