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     

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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 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI
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 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  02379  01 OF 02  101014Z 
SECRETARY OF ADMINISTRATION EMMERSON MNANGAGWA IN HIS 
 
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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 
 
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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 
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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. 
 
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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 
 
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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 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI
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 
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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 
 
>