VZCZCXRO4831
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR
DE RUEHLG #0365 1160831
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260831Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2675
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0100
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0205
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 1306

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000365 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY 
STATE FOR INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI
SUBJECT: MUTARIKA QUELLS DEBATE ON MUGABE VISIT 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Malawian civil society organizations have 
recently criticized the GOM for inviting Zimbabwean President 
Robert Mugabe to visit Malawi and open a new road, named 
after Mugabe himself. Local NGO leaders say Malawi should not 
name roads after human rights violators such as Mugabe. 
President Mutharika has privately tried to assuage the 
concerns of civil society and the diplomatic community, 
claiming that he will use the visit to quietly urge Mugabe to 
undertake reforms.  However, Mutharika's numerous connections 
with Zimbabwe--including his Zimbabwean-national wife and 
large farm in the country--make it difficult to believe he 
will push Mugabe too much, if at all. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Mugabe is scheduled to visit Malawi from May 3-5, and 
the GOM plans to open the recently completed "Robert Mugabe 
Highway" in Southern Malawi during the visit.  This would be 
the second road named after the president of Zimbabwe, which 
is home to roughly 3 million Zimbabweans of Malawian origin. 
Mutharika met with civil society leaders on April 24th to 
address their fears, capping off a vigorous government public 
information campaign of press statements and paid ads to 
defend Mugabe's visit. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to NGO reps who participated in the 
meeting, Mutharika said he would speak with Mugabe, and ask 
him not to use the visit as a platform to speak out against 
the West--a major concern of civil society (due to their 
stated fears that the visit might affect donor funding in 
Malawi). Mutharika also agreed to try and set up a meeting 
between representatives from women's organizations and 
Mugabe, so that the organizations could voice their concerns 
to Mugabe directly.  Finally, Mutharika agreed to develop a 
statute outlining the process for honoring important leaders, 
which was a suggestion of the delegation.  For their part, 
the civil society groups in attendance agreed to cancel 
planned demonstrations during the visit, and to back off 
their concerns over naming the road after President Mugabe. 
 
¶4. (U) Mutharika has long-standing ties to Mugabe, and 
Zimbabwe in general. His wife, Ethel Mutharika, is a 
Zimbabwean citizen.  He also owns a large farm in Zimbabwe, 
to which he often travels during holidays.  Mutharika and 
Mugabe's relationship is particularly close, and the Malawian 
press often refers to Mugabe as Mutharika's "uncle". These 
personal ties, along with the large number of "Malawians" 
living in Zimbabwe, seem to be Mutharika's motivation for 
inviting, and honoring, Mugabe. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Mutharika's meeting, following up full page 
ads and op-eds by government spokesmen in local papers, shows 
just how focused the GOM is on making sure Mugabe's visit 
goes smoothly. Yet while Mutharika has privately assured 
diplomatic community members and NGOs that Mugabe's visit 
will be kept in control, it is difficult to believe that 
Mugabe won't use the opportunity to yet again take a swing at 
the international community.  Mutharika's promise of a 
meeting between Mugabe and the NGO community also seems 
fairly unlikely to take place, as Mugabe himself would have 
to sign off on such an event.  Regardless, it seems as if 
government is set on naming the road after Mugabe, while 
hoping to keep civil society quiet throughout the visit. 
EASTHAM