VZCZCXRO5913
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSA #3569 2831612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101612Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2227
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0030
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 0999
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 5713
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 2655
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0217
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9258
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4944
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 7602
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS PRETORIA 003569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON EAID PINR SF
SUBJECT: BRENTHURST FOUNDATION PROVIDES ADVICE TO RWANDA, 
LIBERIA, LESOTHO AND MOZAMBIQUE 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The Brenthurst Foundation, a Johannesburg-based 
think tank funded by the Oppenheimer family, is providing 
"confidential" policy advice to the Governments of Liberia, 
Rwanda, Lesotho, and Mozambique.  Greg Mills, Director of the 
Foundation (see bio-note at para 6), told PolOff and visiting 
S/P Advisor on October 1 that Brenthurst focuses on advising 
African governments on economic policy, not political issues. 
 Mills is the point person on the initiative, although he 
draws on the resources of outside consultants for particular 
country projects. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Brenthurst provides the service, free of charge, to 
African governments on three conditions: 
-- the Foundation will only work directly with the Office of 
the Presidency in the respective African countries; 
-- it will only provide policy advice where invited by the 
President of the country; and, 
-- it prefers to work in countries where the Oppenheimers do 
not have direct business interests. 
Mills noted that the term "Foundation" is misleading since 
Brenthurst provides little grant money.  It is primarily a 
think tank, focused on policy. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Rwanda is one of Brenthurst's most active programs. 
 Mills plans to spend four months in Kigali in early 2008 
working directly with President Kagame on economic policy. 
He is in regular and direct contact with Kagame and is 
already helping Kagame draft speeches, including Kagame's 
recent speech to the Conservative Party conference in the U.K. 
 
¶4.  (U) In addition to the policy work, Brenthurst also 
facilitates dialogues on Africa policy issues, often through 
conferences at Tswalu Game Reserve, also owned by the 
Oppenheimer family.  Recent programs at Tswalu include: 
"Globalization and Economic Successes, Africa beyond Aid"; 
"Business Principles for a Strong Africa"; "Southern Africa 
and International Terrorism" (with the U.S. National 
Intelligence Council); "The China-U.S.-Trilateral Dialogues"; 
and, "Vietnam and Africa:  Comparative Lessons".  Brenthurst 
works most closely with the Royal United Services Institute 
(RUSI) for Defence and Security Studies.  See 
www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org for additional information. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Asked why the Oppenheimer family is devoting so 
many resources to this initiative, Mills said that each 
generation of Oppenheimers wants to make their mark. 
Brenthurst is largely the initiative of Jonathan Oppenheimer, 
the 37-year-old son of Nicky Oppenheimer, who wants to 
influence the debate on Africa's economic future.  It is 
motivated by humanitarian or ideological objectives, not 
financial, Mills said. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Bio Note:  A long-time and close Embassy contact, 
Greg Mills has served as director of the Brenthurst 
Foundation since March 2005.  The 45-year-old Mills formerly 
headed the South African Institute for International Affairs 
(SAIIA) at the University of Witswatersrand, the preeminent 
foreign policy think tank in South Africa.  Mills has written 
a number of books, including his most recent on his 
four-month tenure as advisor to the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, entitled "From Africa 
to Afghanistan: With Richards and NATO to Kabul."  Mills 
received his BA from the University of Cape Town, and his 
Masters and PhD from the University of Lancaster. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  We believe Mills would be open to U.S. 
Government-provided materials -- or even discreet, informal 
advice -- on the economic and political challenges facing the 
countries in which Brenthurst is actively working.  We are 
happy to assist Embassy Kigali in reaching out to Mills once 
he arrives in Rwanda in early 2008, if desired.  END COMMENT. 
Ball