VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSB #0217/01 0711303
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121303Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTAT WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4214
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2689
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2810
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1274
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2078
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2434
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2858
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5297
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1980
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000217 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR B.WALCH 
DRL FOR N. WILETT 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: A TRUCE IN THE WAR OF WORDS IN ZIMBABWE 
 
HARARE 00000217  001.5 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) This week has been dominated by a church service 
and public memorial for Susan Tsvangirai, and a public 
internment.  President Robert Mugabe had conciliatory words 
for Morgan Tsvangirai at the church service; Tsvangirai's 
eldest son and MDC secretary general and GOZ finance minister 
Tendai Biti reciprocated at the memorial and internment 
respectively.  Separately, the MDC had praise for retired 
general Vitalis Zvinavashe who died this week.  END SUMMARY. 
 
----------------------------- 
In Memory of Susan Tsvangirai 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Methodist memorial church service for Susan 
Tsvangirai on March 10 was attended by several hundred people 
including President Robert Mugabe, the two vice presidents, 
the two deputy prime ministers, government ministers from 
both parties, and diplomats.  Mugabe was the only politician 
to speak.  In a lengthy address, he said the car crash was 
the "hand of god" and that all, including Morgan Tsvangirai 
and his family, should accept it as such.  He said it would 
take time for Morgan Tsvangirai to recover, and that "we are 
with" the prime minister during this day and the days to 
follow.  He stated that all, including himself, were doing 
their best to create a conducive environment in Zimbabwe for 
the government of national unity to succeed, and that the 
days of violence must now end.  He went on to eulogize Susan 
Tsvangirai, and urged the Tsvangirai children to honor their 
mother by working hard to succeed in life. 
 
¶3.  (U) Later in the day, a public memorial was held at 
Glamis Stadium and was attended by between 10 and 15 thousand 
people.  (The MDC estimated the crowd at 30 thousand.)  The 
event resembled an MDC political rally.  No ZANU-PF officials 
attended.  Speakers included Biti, representatives of the MDC 
women's and youth leagues, and representatives of civil 
society organizations allied with the MDC, including Zimbabwe 
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), National Constitution 
Assembly (NCA), and women's and youth groups.  The general 
theme was reconciliation.  Discordant notes were booing at 
the mention of MDC-M leader Arthur Mutambara (who was in 
attendance), and a student leader's comments that, given 
Zimbabwe's history, the death of Susan Tsvangirai was 
suspicious and an investigation was necessary.  Notably, 
Tsvangirai's eldest son referred to Mugabe's remarks, praised 
them for their conciliatory and fatherly tone, and said he 
had become aware of another side of Mugabe. 
 
¶4.  (U) The internment of Susan Tsvangirai took place in 
Buhera, the Tsvangirai family home, on March 11.  (NOTE:  The 
Tsvangirais were traveling to Buhera last week for a rally 
when the fatal accident occurred.  END NOTE.) About 5,000 
people attended, many traveling long distances.  Again 
notably, Tendai Biti, who publicly and privately has been one 
of Mugabe's most outspoken critics, thanked Mugabe for his 
conciliatory words the day before and, like Tsvangirai's son, 
Qconciliatory words the day before and, like Tsvangirai's son, 
said Mugabe had revealed another side:  "I think many of us 
are transiting to understand him better and I think yesterday 
(Tuesday) we saw a part that we are not used to and that part 
is he is also human...He is also a human being like all of 
us, if you get that message he gave at the church service, he 
was speaking not as a politician but as a father." 
 
¶5.  (U) In addition to Ambassador McGee, ambassadors from the 
EC, Germany, Sweden, Namibia, Kenya, and Tanzania attended. 
High-level government officials from Malawi and Zambia were 
also present.  Ambassador McGee arrived after proceedings had 
 
HARARE 00000217  002 OF 002 
 
 
begun.  As he walked past the sitting crowd, he was 
recognized by master of ceremonies Nelson Chamisa.  Everyone 
turned toward the Ambassador, raised an open hand in the 
traditional MDC salute, and chanted "McGee" in appreciation 
for his presence. 
 
---------------------- 
MDC Praises Zvinavashe 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) General Vitalis Zvinavashe died on March 10.  A 
liberation fighter, he replaced Solomon Mujuru as commander 
of the army in 1992 and in 1994 became Zimbabwe's first 
commander of defense forces.  On the eve of the 2002 
presidential election, Zvinavashe, in a clear rebuke to 
Morgan Tsvangirai, said the service chiefs would only 
recognize a president who had participated in the liberation 
struggle. 
 
¶7.  (U) Zvinavashe ran for Parliament in March 2008 and lost 
to the MDC candidate.  He told other ZANU-PF candidates to 
"accept the reality" that the MDC had won, and urged people 
to preserve peace.  In the last year, he reportedly has been 
a behind-the-scenes critic of Mugabe. 
 
¶8.  (U) The MDC issued a statement praising Zvinavashe as a 
liberation hero and mourning his death.  MDC representatives 
will reportedly attend his funeral. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶9.  (SBU) This has been a rare week of civil political 
discourse and gestures in Zimbabwe with Mugabe and the MDC 
showering each other with roses.  The Herald, which 
traditionally has either criticized Tsvangirai or ignored 
him, prominently and positively reported on the week's events 
involving Susan Tsvangirai.  (A noteworthy exception to a 
week of mostly objective journalism was a front-page article 
in The Herald reproducing an on-line commentary by Jonathan 
Moyo.  Moyo suggested a suspicious connection between the 
attack of Air Marshall Perence Shiri (noting that a USAID 
driver was arrested), and the death of Susan Tsvangirai 
(erroneously claiming the driver of the truck was a USAID 
employee).  It remains to be seen whether ZANU-PF will match 
conciliatory words with actions.  Short-term we will look to 
see, inter alia, whether remaining detainees are released, 
whether there is an agreement on permanent secretaries and 
governors, and whether Parliament begins to take action to 
establish an independent Media Commission to liberalize the 
media environment and to repeal repressive legislation. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) In the short-term, at least, the death of his wife 
has created enormous sympathy and support for Tsvangirai, and 
the MDC itself feels that it has momentum.  A Tsvangirai aide 
told us Tsvangirai will take two weeks off before resuming 
his duties.  (The Herald reported today that Jacob Zuma had 
offered Tsvangirai and his family a place to stay in South 
Africa.)  It will be important for Deputy Prie Minister 
Khupe who will be acting prime minister in Tsvagirai's 
absence, Biti, and others to sustain this momentum until 
Tsvangirai returns. 
 
MCGEE