VZCZCXRO2043
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR
DE RUEHSA #0960/01 0671302
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081302Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2064
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCPDC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 PRETORIA 000960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR P, AF, AF/S, AF/RSA, IO, DRL/MLA, INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON ETRD MASS PHUM SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA: PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF 
PRESIDENTIAL JOINT STATEMENT 
 
(U) This is an action message -- see paras 4 and 14. 
 
------------------------ 
Summary and Introduction 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  The United States and South Africa have 
made significant progress in implementing the June 10, 2005 
Presidential Joint Statement.  The two countries signed the 
ACOTA agreement in August 2005 to enhance South Africa's 
peacekeeping capacity, and training programs will begin this 
year.  South Africa joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in 
December 2005.  We continue to coordinate closely our African 
conflict resolution strategies and to support South Africa's 
post-conflict reconstruction programs.  We are working to 
enhance cooperation in other areas, such as the U.S.-SACU 
FTA, where progress has lagged.  The lack of an Article 98 
agreement remains an impediment to deeper military 
cooperation.  Small amounts of funding could allow us to 
initiate several new projects to further implementation.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) In their June 1, 2005 White House meeting, Presidents 
Bush and Mbeki agreed to deepen U.S.-South African 
cooperation on issues of mutual concern, focusing on building 
peace and security, spreading economic growth and well-being, 
and expanding democracy and freedom.  Their June 10 Joint 
Presidential Statement summarized their discussions on these 
areas and outlined seven concrete steps to be taken in the 
following twelve months.  The Statement asks Secretary Rice 
and Foreign Minister Dlamini-Zuma to report back to their 
respective Presidents in June 2006 on concrete results in 
implementing these seven "Next Steps." 
 
¶3. (SBU) In the nine months following the presidential 
meeting, we have made substantial overall progress in 
implementing those Joint Statement elements actionable at 
Post, although we have made greater progress in some areas 
than others.  We note that several of the action items relate 
to the broader U.S.-Africa agenda and are beyond Post's 
ability to advance alone.  This message reports Mission's 
contributions toward implementing the seven "Next Steps" 
listed in the June 10 Joint Statement.  It also reports 
progress in the more general areas of cooperation addressed 
in the Statement. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  On March 16th, Mission staff and 
key SAG counterparts will hold a day-long off-site to review 
implementation of the Presidential Joint Statement, and to 
discuss areas in which additional progress is possible 
between now and June.  We intend to use the information 
contained in this message as the basis for these discussions, 
and request Washington agencies' input on additional items 
that can be added -- either as actions completed or as 
projects to be pursued.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
 
--------------------------- 
U.S. Cooperation with NEPAD 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "expand 
U.S. cooperation with NEPAD to support its vision of improved 
governance, better economic management, and regional 
integration" Mission has done the following: 
 
-- Mission announced in February 2006 a U.S. Trade and 
Development Agency grant to the NEPAD Secretariat in the 
amount of $360,000 to help in the preparation of a guide for 
investors in Africa and in moving three regional 
infrastructure projects toward implementation. 
 
-- Mission staff participated in the December 2005 meeting of 
the Africa Partnership Forum, held in South Africa, to 
develop a Joint Action Plan to support NEPAD and its programs. 
 
-- Mission maintains an open dialogue with the South 
Africa-based NEPAD Secretariat, including informational 
exchanges on U.S. assistance to Africa, the African 
Partnership Forum, and other issues of mutual concern. 
 
 
PRETORIA 00000960  002 OF 007 
 
 
-- Mission continues to promote AGOA by publicizing and 
demonstrating its success including the fact that increased 
AGOA exports from the region supported economic growth and 
the objectives outlined in NEPAD and the 2002 Monterey 
Consensus. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Support for African Union and SAG Leadership 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "work 
with the African Union to promote development and good 
governance in Africa, and that the United States would 
support South African leadership in resolving conflict and 
building peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burundi" Mission has done the 
following: 
 
-- Mission maintains an active dialogue with South African 
officials, non-governmental organizations, academics and 
think tanks, journalists, religious leaders, refugee 
communities and influential citizens on resolving conflicts 
in Africa. 
 
-- Mission supported Secretary Rice's meetings with Foreign 
Minister Dlamini-Zuma on September 17, 2005, and on January 
11, 2006, to discuss key African and global issues. 
 
-- Mission supported A/S Frazer's consultations with the 
South African leadership on key Africa policy matters and 
global issues of mutual concern in October and December 2005. 
 
-- Mission staff participated in the August 1 multilateral 
meeting on DRC Security Sector Reform hosted by the SAG in 
Cape Town, facilitated key SAG officials' attendance at the 
next meeting in Washington in September, and organized 
follow-on consultations with relevant Washington offices. 
 
-- Mission successfully pressed the SAG to present briefings 
on peace support operations contributions and post-conflict 
reconstruction assistance to Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, the DRC, 
Sudan, and Ethiopia/Eritrea during the bilateral Defense 
Committee (DEFCOM) November mid-term assessment meetings in 
Pretoria.  We also championed SAG requests for briefings on 
NATO involvement in Africa and on the USG perspective 
regarding these conflict areas. 
 
-- Mission encouraged and facilitated closer coordination 
between South African officials in Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, 
the DRC, Liberia, Sudan and New York and their U.S. 
counterparts, including on post-conflict reconstruction 
projects. 
 
-- Mission supported South African efforts to create 
alternative structures for furnishing bilateral and 
trilateral assistance in Africa through: 
*  USG/SAG partnership on OECD review of Implementation of 
Paris Declaration of AID Effectiveness; 
*  provision of advice on alternative donor structures to the 
National Treasury; 
*  participation in a SAG diplomatic training program for 
SPLM officials held in Pretoria in July; and 
*  planned Emergency Search and Rescue training and technical 
assistance. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
U.S.-South African Military Cooperation 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "enhance 
U.S.-South African military cooperation, including training 
and equipping a South African battalion and establishing a 
joint training program to support the African Standby Force 
and peacekeeping initiatives throughout the continent" 
Mission has done the following: 
 
-- Then-Ambassador Frazer and Defense Minister Lekota signed 
a Declaration of Understanding on August 11, 2005, that 
enables SAG participation in the African Contingency 
Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program.  ACOTA 
 
PRETORIA 00000960  003 OF 007 
 
 
will enhance the operational readiness of SANDF for peace 
operations in Africa. 
 
-- The first ACOTA planning session took place in Pretoria 
February 13-17, idntifying specific training and equipment 
requirements, based on SANDF priorities, to be addressed in 
the near term. 
 
-- In addition to traditional ACOTA activities, Mission 
initiated a discussion at the November DEFCOM midterm 
assessment meetings in Pretoria on partnering with the SANDF 
to provide additional ACOTA training to other countries in 
the region who are also ASF contributors.  We also are 
working with the SANDF and AF/RSA to ensure that future 
DEFCOM meetings include consultations on how to address SANDF 
PSO assistance priorities that cannot be covered via ACOTA. 
 
--------------- 
Zimbabwe Crisis 
--------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "work 
together toward strengthening the efforts of the Zimbabwean 
people to achieve a peaceful resolution to that country's 
political and economic crisis" Mission has done the following: 
 
-- Mission worked with SAG counterparts on collaboration with 
WFP and FAO on providing food and other humanitarian 
assistance to Zimbabwe and other countries in the region. 
 
-- Mission continues its open dialogue with SAG officials, 
non-governmental organizations, academics and think tanks, 
journalists, religious leaders, refugee communities, and 
influential citizens on Zimbabwe's economic and political 
crisis.  PDAS Pittman's February 27 - March 01 visit, in 
conjunction with that of Ambassador Dell, helped generate 
ideas that could allow for greater cooperation with South 
Africa. 
 
-- Mission facilitated SAG Department of Foreign Affairs 
Chief Director for Southern Africa Mokuena's September 2005 
trip to Washington and her consultations at the Department on 
Zimbabwe policy. 
 
-- Mission works closely with Zimbabwe refugee community in 
South Africa, including providing small grants for torture 
victims counseling and income-generation projects. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Consultations on Human Rights, Women, Children 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶9. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "initiate 
senior-level consultations on human rights, particularly for 
women and children, including multilateral mechanisms" 
Mission has done the following: 
 
-- Mission facilitated SAG participation in the first round 
of senior-level human rights consultations, held in 
Washington in November.  Topics covered included UN reform, 
treaty body reform, cooperation at the UN, Third Committee 
priorities, and bilateral cooperation on Africa democracy and 
human rights. 
 
-- Building from these highly successful initial talks, 
Mission has expanded our human rights dialogue with 
counterparts in Pretoria and is working to schedule the next 
round of talks in Pretoria. 
 
-- Mission is working with the SAG to implement the 
Presidential Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative 
(WJEI), including agreement to expand program to the regional 
level via a regional conference and dissemination of lessons 
learned by the SAG to other participating WJEI countries. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Terrorism and Proliferation of WMDs 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to "deepen 
 
PRETORIA 00000960  004 OF 007 
 
 
cooperation to end terrorism and the proliferation of weapons 
of mass destruction" Mission has done the following: 
 
-- Mission worked closely with SAG counterparts to address 
remaining impediments to full U.S. support for South Africa's 
Wassenaar Arrangement candidacy.  South Africa's 
participation in Wassenaar was approved in December 2005.  It 
is the first African country to join the Arrangement. 
 
-- Mission continued to push for creation of a Joint Standing 
Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation. 
 
-- The February visit of DCI Porter Goss strengthened 
bilateral relations and cooperation on counterterrorism. 
 
-- Mission continued to support bilateral cooperation on 
terrorism financing, including post-funded travel for SAG 
officials to attend financial intelligence unit meetings in 
Washington and exchange information with FinCEN. 
 
-- Mission coordinated the working visit of Resident Legal 
Advisor (RLA) Mary Lundberg in October focused on asset 
forfeiture issues.  RLA Lundberg arrived in South Africa in 
March for a 12-month assignment in the SAG's National 
Prosecuting Authority/Asset Forfeiture Unit. 
 
-- Mission supported Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator 
Virginia Palmer's January travel to Pretoria and Cape Town 
for an initial round of senior-level consultations.  She 
briefed counterparts at lead South African agencies on U.S. 
counterterrorism policy and discussed prospects for future 
cooperation, training, and assistance. 
 
-- Mission worked, in conjunction with counterparts from 
other Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) participating 
countries, to encourage South Africa to join PSI, broadening 
our outreach to additional potentially affected SAG 
Departments. 
 
-- Mission has deepened its cooperation with South Africa as 
South Africa acceded in July 2005 to the one-year presidency 
of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global 
intergovernmental organization that combats money laundering 
and terrorism finance.  In February, U.S. Treasury led a U.S. 
delegation to the annual FATF meetings in South Africa to 
encourage continued multilateral and bilateral cooperation. 
 
-- Mission is supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
cooperation with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on 
developing the World Customs Organization's Global Framework 
for Standards.  U.S. Customs is also working closely with 
South Africa on the Durban-based Container Security 
Initiative (CSI) to ensure more secure shipping. 
 
-- Mission continued to work with South African law 
enforcement and judicial authorities to investigate and 
successfully prosecute proliferation-related crimes. 
 
------------- 
U.S.-SACU FTA 
------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Regarding the two presidents' agreement to 
"intensify efforts to conclude a U.S.-SACU Free Trade 
Agreement" Mission has done the following: 
 
-- Mission helped coordinate and assist with the discussions 
on the U.S.-SACU FTA, which resumed in September 2005 with 
the agreement to meet more frequently and to consult on 
issues that SACU has been reluctant to negotiate.  The two 
sides were unable to schedule a meeting before the WTO 
Ministerial in Hong Kong in December 2005 and during the 
subsequent holiday season. 
 
-- On February 17th, USTR Portman sent a letter to all five 
SACU trade ministers noting that it appeared unlikely we 
would meet the December 2006 target date for concluding an 
agreement.  He suggested that a trade deputies' stock-taking 
meeting be convened to assess options, including whether an 
FTA remains a realizable and mutually desired mid-term goal, 
 
PRETORIA 00000960  005 OF 007 
 
 
or must be considered a longer-term goal. 
 
-------- 
HIV/AIDS 
-------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) In addition to the seven concrete "Next Steps," the 
two presidents agreed in the Joint Statement to strengthen 
our joint efforts to combat the devastating effects of 
HIV/AIDS.  We have made significant progress in this area 
over the past eight months, including the following: 
 
--  Mission is cooperating with the SAG on implementation of 
the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 
South Africa, which is beginning its third year of 
implementation working with public and private sector 
prevention, treatment, and care programs. 
 
-- To date, the U.S. has provided almost $239 million through 
PEPFAR to support HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa, making 
it the largest recipient of Emergency Plan resources.  The 
FY06 PEPFAR budget in South Africa is $221 million. 
 
-- The Emergency Plan supports nearly 50,000 people in 
antiretroviral (ARV) treatment through programs in all 
provinces. 
 
-- Deputy U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Chief Medical 
Officer Dr. Mark Dybul visited South Africa February 15-20, 
meeting with national and provincial health authorities, 
visiting programs featuring innovative public-private 
partnerships that will have a significant impact on HIV/AIDS, 
and offering support and encouragement to PEPFAR implementing 
partners as they continue to make a real impact on the lives 
of thousands of South Africans. 
 
-- The South African military has expanded prevention 
programs and publicly collaborates with the U.S. military and 
NIH on ARV-based AIDS treatment research.  The fifth Phidisa 
HIV/AIDS site was inaugurated on March 7, 2006. 
 
-- President Mbeki provided specific kudos for Mission 
coordination with the SAG on HIV/AIDS during his February 
21st meeting with CODEL Pelosi. 
 
--------------------------- 
Areas for Additional Effort 
--------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Mission suggests the following as areas in which 
more work needs to be done: 
 
-- While bilateral policy and legal consultations continue, 
we may not be able to find a way to address our Article 98 
concerns that is compatible with South African domestic 
legislation.  The lack of an Article 98 agreement is taking a 
toll on our military relationship.  The loss of IMET and FMF 
programs reduces SANDF interest in remaining non-sanctioned 
programs and is degrading our ability to influence future 
SANDF leaders.  Residual FMF funding (C-130 
support/training), which supports the SANDF's eroding 
strategic lift capability for PSO deployments, will be 
exhausted within 18 months. 
 
-- Although we have repeated oral commitments from Minerals 
and Energy Minister Hendricks in support of creating a Joint 
Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation, most 
recently at a January 30th meeting with Charge, we still do 
not have a formal, written response to that effect which 
would enable us to create the Committee. 
 
-- We should follow up on January counterterrorism 
consultations with concrete training offers tailored to SAG 
requirements and priorities. 
 
-- We need to schedule the trade deputies' stock-taking 
meeting on the U.S.-SACU Free Trade Agreement proposed by 
USTR Portman in his February letter to his SACU counterparts. 
 DUSTR Bhatia's likely visit to Cape Town for the May OPIC 
"Housing Africa" conference offers a potential opportunity to 
 
PRETORIA 00000960  006 OF 007 
 
 
do so. 
 
-- We have solicited SAG ideas on further cooperation with 
NEPAD, and suggest Washington consider what more can be done 
via regional resources. 
 
-- The SAG appears increasingly frustrated by the political 
and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.  This may provide an 
opportunity for expanded engagement on this issue.  The 
February visit by PDAS Pittman may offer some new actions. 
 
------------- 
Looking Ahead 
------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) We have a number of additional actions on the 
horizon that will further contribute to Joint Statement 
implementation: 
 
-- We have scheduled a day-long off-site with key SAG 
counterparts on March 16th to jointly review progress in 
implementing the Statement and would appreciate Washington 
input on additional actions taken to date and/or projects to 
pursue. 
 
-- Senior-level Africa Group consultations are anticipated to 
be held in Washington this spring. 
 
-- We intend to hold a U.S.-South Africa Partnership Forum 
public event before June. 
 
-- Mission is working with OPIC to organize an OPIC-hosted 
"Housing Africa" conference May 2-4 in Cape Town, an 
important, private sector-oriented initiative to support 
housing development across sub-Saharan Africa.  We understand 
that DUSTR Karan Bhatia will attend.  OPIC has invited 
President Mbeki to speak, but has not yet received a response. 
 
-- An ACOTA training strategy conference is tentatively 
scheduled for April 24-26th. 
 
-- Another round of senior-level human rights consultations 
was proposed for late May, but may slip until July. 
 
-- The next full DEFCOM session will take place in June in 
New York. 
 
-- We will deepen and expand our cooperation with the SAG on 
HIV/AIDS programs. 
 
-- The State Department Operations Center is prepared to 
share best practices with DFA counterparts, as requested by 
the SAG. 
 
-- Several high-level U.S. officials plan to visit South 
Africa in the coming months to deepen U.S.-South African 
cooperation on the issues raised in the Joint Statement, 
including Treasury Secretary Snow, Housing and Urban 
Development Secretary Jackson, and Under Secretary Hughes. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) If funding is available, there are other programs 
we could support which would help implement Joint Statement 
goals.  These might include: 
 
-- Pursuing partnerships with the SAG and one or more South 
African universities to establish a regional phytosanitary 
capacity-building program.  Such a partnership would forward 
NEPAD goals by increasing countries' abilities to meet 
international phytosanitary standards and enhance their local 
expertise. 
 
-- Funding the SAG's $1.6mil proposal to build a sterile 
insect rearing facility in the Western Cape to address the 
False Codling Moth -- a pest of serious concern to citrus 
and, to a lesser extent, grapes.  South Africa's continued 
market access to the U.S. via AGOA is threatened due to 
concerns pertaining to this pest.  The project, pursued by 
the SAG in collaboration with the IAEA and USDA, advances the 
safe and beneficial use of nuclear technology. 
 
 
PRETORIA 00000960  007 OF 007 
 
 
-- Enhancing South Africa's leadership role in NEPAD and the 
AU through support for its development as an emerging donor. 
This partnership would include support for trilateral efforts 
in conflict resolution, post-conflict reconstruction, and 
democratic and economic reform, as well as helping to 
establish a transitional mechanism to: (1) assist South 
Africa in structuring a new coherent development assistance 
program to other African states, and (2) manage the myriad 
development assistance activities which South Africa 
currently extends across the continent. 
 
TEITELBAUM