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



                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO6843

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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9459
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AND AF/RA 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS-MANIGAULT 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZIER 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/06 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT:  SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY COMMENTS ON ZIMBABWE 
 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM  REWHITEHEAD DUE TO 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY.  AS A CONTINUATION OF INITIAL COURTESY 
CALLS, DCM MET WITH SOUTH AFRICAN COUNTERPART THOMAS RAMBAU 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  02398  01 OF 02  141109Z 
ON AUGUST 8.  RAMBAU ECHOED THE PESSIMISM THAT SEEMS TO BE 
THE ORDER OF THE DAY IN HIS COMMENTS ON ELECTIONS, CONSULAR 
ISSUES, WAR VETERAN VISITORS, PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS, 
AND DIPLOMATIC BANKING PROBLEMS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------ 
ELECTORAL ICEBERGS AHEAD 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) RAMBAU WAS NOT WELL INFORMED ON ANY POTENTIAL 
SADC ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM, BUT HE THOUGHT THAT IT 
WAS POSSIBLE THAT SOUTH AFRICA MIGHT PROVIDE OBSERVERS 
THROUGH SOME MECHANISM.  HE AGREED THAT SOUTH AFRICA'S 
QUIET DIPLOMACY HAT YIELDED FEW RESULTS THUS FAR AND 
EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT MBEKI HAD SO FRANKLY ADMITTED THIS 
DURING A BBC INTERVIEW EARLIER IN THE WEEK.  HE SAID THAT 
THE AIRING OF MBEKI'S COMMENTS ON ZNBC WAS EVEN MORE 
SURPRISING.  HE SURMISED THAT THE LACK OF TACTICAL EDITING 
HAD BEEN AN OVERSIGHT AND SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT THE 
PERSON RESPONSIBLE WAS IN THE CROSS-HAIRS OF INFORMATION 
MINISTER MOYO. 
 
------------------ 
CONSULAR HEADACHES 
------------------ 
 
¶3.  (C) RAMBAU RAISED THE ONGOING CONFLICT IN CHINHOYI, 
OBSERVING THAT IT HAD LANDED PARTIALLY ON HIS DESK.  FOUR 
OF THE TWENTY-TWO COMMERCIAL FARMERS ARRESTED IN THE CASE 
WERE BELIEVED TO HOLD SOUTH AFRICAN PASSPORTS.  (SUBSEQUENT 
REPORTS INDICATE THIS IS NOT CORRECT.)  HE EXPLAINED THAT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  02398  01 OF 02  141109Z 
THIS WAS NOT AT ALL AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE.  LARGE NUMBERS 
OF WHITE ZIMBABWEANS HAD RESETTLED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN THE 
EARLY 1980'S AND TAKEN UP SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENSHIP.  MANY 
OF THESE HAD CHOSEN TO RETURN TO ZIMBABWE LATER TO RECLAIM 
FAMILY FARMS AND BUSINESSES, OFTEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 
FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAD RETAINED ZIMBABWEAN CITIZENSHIP.  HE 
DESCRIBED AN INCIDENT A WEEKEND EARLIER IN WHICH HE HAD 
JUGGLED PHONE CALLS BETWEEN A SOUTH AFRICAN FARMER NEAR 
MUTARE AND THE POLICE AS "WAR VETERANS" MOVED CLOSER TO THE 
FARMER'S HOUSE FROM SURROUNDING BARRICADES.   THE FARMER, 
WHO PLEADED FOR SOUTH AFRICAN INTERCESSION, NONETHELESS 
REFUSED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE UNLESS HIS ZIMBABWEAN BROTHER 
ACCOMPANIED HIM.  RAMBAU SAID THAT EVENTUALLY HE CONVINCED 
THE POLICE TO ESCORT BOTH OFF THE PROPERTY. 
 
----------------------- 
A RESPECTABLE WAR VET 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) DCM QUERIED RAMBAU ON PRESS REPORTS OF A SOUTH 
AFRICAN WAR VETERAN LEADER WHO HAD COME TO ZIMBABWE TO MEET 
WITH HIS ZIMBABWEAN COUNTERPARTS.  RAMBAU SAID THAT HE HAD 
MET WITH THE MAN AND POINTED OUT THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 
VETERAN HAD PUBLICLY WAR VETERAN CONDEMNED VIOLENCE BECAUSE 
IT SULLIED THE RESPECTABILITY OF THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT. 
RAMBAU ADDED THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN HAD CALLED FOR 
COMPULSORY LAND ACQUISITION IN SOUTH AFRICA AS WELL AND 
CALLED FOR A REGIONAL WAR VETERANS FRONT THAT INCLUDED 
MOZAMBIQUE, MALAWI, AND ZAMBIA.  DCM POINTED OUT THAT THIS 
GOAL MIGHT PROVE ELUSIVE, GIVEN THAT TO THE BEST OF OUR 
KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE NO WAR VETERANS IN TWO OF THESE THREE 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  02398  01 OF 02  141109Z 
COUNTRIES. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION OK, STATE VISIT NOT 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) RAMBAU SAID THAT PRESIDENT MBEKI, AT THE HIGH 
COMMISSION'S URGING, HAD NOT RESPONDED TO A RECENT 
INVITATION FROM MUGAVE FOR A STATE VISIT.  RAMBAU SAID THAT 
THE SOUTH AFRICANS DID NOT WANT HIGH LEVEL CONTACTS TO BE 
MISINTERPRETED AS CONDONING GOZ POLICY.  A SOUTH AFRICAN 
PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION, HOWEVER, HAD JUST CONCLUDED A 
VISIT TO ZIMBABWE.  MOST OF THE MEETINGS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 
COMMITTEE COUNTERPARTS, BUT THERE HAD BEEN CONTACTS WITH 
GOZ MINISTERS.  RAMBAU DESCRIBED THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A 
DR. MOHOWAN (SP), WHO CHAIRS THE SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENT'S 
HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AND HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER NKOMO. 
 
¶6.  (C) RAMBAU SAID THAT HE WAS ASTONISHED AT THE APPROACH 
OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIAN, WHO TOLD NKOMO THAT 
HE HAD READ WITH INTEREST THE GOZ FAST TRACK REGULATIONS, 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO6844 
 
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ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  USNW-00  DODE-00  DS-00 
      VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00  DSCC-00 
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P 141106Z AUG 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9460 
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
NSC WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AND AF/RA 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS-MANIGAULT 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZIER 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/06 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT:  SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY COMMENTS ON ZIMBABWE 
 
SINCE HE WAS INTERESTED IN A LITTLE FARM OF HIS OWN.  HE 
THEN LAUGHED OUT LOUD AT NKOMO'S OBVIOUS DISCOMFITURE AND 
CONTINUED TO BAIT THE MINISTER ABOUT THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF 
CHANGING HIS ZIMBABWE DOLLARS BACK TO RAND WHEN HE RETURNED 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  02398  02 OF 02  141109Z 
HOME, SINCE THE ZIMBABWE DOLLAR WAS NO LONGER A CONVERTIBLE 
CURRENCY.  NKOMO REPLIED THAT THE GOZ WOULD TAKE STEPS ON 
THE MONETARY FRONT THAT "WOULD SHOCK" THE WORLD.  RAMBAU 
SAID THAT HE QUAILED TO THINK WHAT THESE MIGHT BE AND ADDED 
THAT HE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE DURING THE 
EXCHANGE. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
MONEY TROUBLES FOR THE AFRICAN DIPLOMATIC CORPS 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7.  (C) RAMBAU SAID THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION HAS NOT 
HAD SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE GOZ, ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT THE 
CASE FOR A NUMBER OF AFRICAN EMBASSIES.  THE FOREX SHORTAGE 
HAD RESULTED IN SEVERAL BANKS INTERPRETING GOZ REGULATIONS 
AS LIMITING THE FOREX THAT FOREIGN MISSIONS COULD ACCESS. 
THIS HAD BEEN A REAL PROBLEM FOR EMBASSIES AND PERSONNEL 
WHO SURVIVED ON DOLLAR TRANSFERS FROM HOME, AND WHO HAD NO 
INTEREST IN BUYING ZIMBABWE DOLLARS AT THE OFFICIAL 55 RATE 
OR WHO NEEDED U.S. CURRENCY FOR TRIPS HOME.  A DELEGATION 
FROM THE AFRICAN GROUP HAD MET THE MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY 
TO COMPLAIN THAT THIS VIOLATING DIPLOMATIC NORMS.  (THE 
ZAMBIAN DCM OBLIQUELY REFERRED THIS MEETING IN A SEPARATE 
MEETING.)   RAMBAU ASKED IF NON-AFRICAN MISSIONS HAD 
ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR PROBLEMS.  DCM ADMITTED THAT AS A 
NEWCOMER HE DID NOT KNOW. 
 
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COMMENT 
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                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  02398  02 OF 02  141109Z 
¶8.  (SBU) INITIAL MEETINGS WITH DIPLOMATS FROM ZIMBABWE'S 
AFRICAN NEIGHBORS HAVE THUS FAR BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY A 
FRANKNESS THAT WE FIND UNUSUAL.  THEIR COMMENTS ARE MORE OR 
LESS CONGRUENT WITH WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM EUROPEAN AND 
CANADIAN COLLEAGUES.  RAMBAU BROKE LITTLE NEW GROUND, 
ALTHOUGH IT WAS AMUSING TO HEAR HIS COMMENTS ON THE 
DIFFICULTY OF SCRIPTING VISITING PARLIAMENTARIANS, HARDLY A 
NEW PHENOMENON ELSEWHERE. 
 
WHITEHEAD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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