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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002034 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR BNEULING 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVELLE, D. TEITELBAUM 
USDOC FOR ROBERT TELCHIN, TREASURY FOR OREN WYCHE-SHAW, 
PASS USTR FOR FLORIZELLE LISER, STATE PASS USAID FOR 
MARJORIE COPSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2009 
TAGS: ELAB ECON PGOV EAID ZI ZANU PF MDC ZCTU
SUBJECT: ZCTU HEAD: OPPOSITION NEEDS BETTER ORGANIZATION 
 
REF: A. A) HARARE 01624 
     ¶B. B) PRETORIA 5369 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher W. Dell for reason 1.5 d 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) 
Secretary General Wellington Chibebe told the Ambassador on 
 
SIPDIS 
December 13 that the opposition Movement for Democratic 
Change (MDC) and civil society in general had to organize 
better to win what was now likely to be a long-term struggle 
to democratize Zimbabwe.  The ZCTU was already doing so, 
especially through its &rural strategy8 of organizing 
agricultural workers.  He agreed that the GOZ decision to 
expel Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) 
representatives in October had been a mistake and confirmed 
that COSATU was coming again in late January. End Summary. 
 
-------------- 
COSATU Blunder 
-------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The Ambassador noted that during his recent visit to 
South Africa, Muthelezi Mbeki had told him (Ref B) that the 
GOZ decision to expel the COSATU representatives in October 
had been the regime,s biggest mistake to date during 
Zimbabwe,s political crisis.  Mbeki had said that 14 million 
South Africans, COSATU,s 2 million members and their 
families, were now questioning GOZ policies.  Chibebe agreed 
and noted that COSATU was planning to send representatives 
again in late January.  He said he had heard from various 
sources that the GOZ had been dumfounded by the unwillingness 
and inability of the South African government to intervene 
against COSATU. 
 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador told Chibebe we wanted to hold a 
ceremony honoring him for winning the Meany award.  Chibebe 
said after mid-January and agreed with our suggestion to hold 
the ceremony in conjunction with the COSATU visit as a way to 
raise the profile of both events. 
 
------------------------------ 
ZCTU Rural Strategy; Elections 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) The Ambassador asked how the ZCTU,s strategy of 
organizing rural workers was proceeding (Ref A).  Chibebe 
said the ZCTU had helped organize 1.2 million agricultural 
workers, most in the informal sector.  They would establish 
their own union on December 17.  These workers were not yet 
part of ZCTU and were not paying dues.  At some point in the 
future, they would have to decide what sort of union they 
wanted and its affiliation to ZCTU.  However, for now ZCTU,s 
had achieved its initial goal; the process of weakening the 
ZANU-PF hold over the countryside had started. 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador said that during his South African 
visit, he had also become convinced of the need for the 
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the rest of 
Zimbabwe,s democratic opposition to better organize for the 
long-term.  The MDC had nearly won power in 2000 and 2002, 
but ZANU-PF had recovered and the MDC had to gear itself for 
a struggle that could take years. 
 
¶6. (C) Chibebe agreed, noting that the MDC had arisen out of 
the labor movement, but that many members had only joined the 
party in the weeks before the 2000 election and then suddenly 
found themselves in Parliament.  For too many in the MDC the 
struggle was now to win elections, not to democratize 
Zimbabwe.  The opposition in general had too many 
&officers8 and lacked foot soldiers willing to do the dirty 
work.  &Prayer8 was not enough, the opposition needed to 
take action.  For its part, according to Chibebe, the ZCTU 
was already organizing for the long run, as evidenced by its 
rural strategy. 
 
¶7. (C) That said, Chibebe said he had no doubt that the 
ZANU-PF would lose a truly free and fair election: the party 
and its policies were simply too unpopular.  In response to a 
suggestion from the Ambassador, Chibebe said the ZCTU would 
be willing to play informal host to regional labor observers 
in Zimbabwe to come in the months before the vote so they 
could provide their own independent report on conditions in 
Zimbabwe before and during the campaign. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
¶8. (C) Chibebe's ZCTU is one of the key civil society 
institutions that we need to nurture and support.  They are 
capable of mobilizing thousands and of putting real pressure 
on the regime. Chibebe himself seems to understand better 
than many of his MDC colleagues the importance of a strong 
organization.  Moreover, labor unions are not specifically 
targeted by the new NGO law and may prove an important 
conduit of support to civil society at large. End Comment. 
DELL