VZCZCXRO2324
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHOR #0485/01 1691524
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181524Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5835
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GABORONE 000485 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S, AF/RSA, AF/PD, AND IIP 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO BBG/VOA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2019 
TAGS: PREL OIIP SADC ZI BC
SUBJECT: SADC TROIKA "INVESTIGATES" IBB FACILITY 
 
REF: A. GABORONE 481 
     ¶B. 08 GABORONE 1103 
     ¶C. 08 GABORONE 1082 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A SADC investigation team embarked June 17 
on a tour of alleged training facilities and other sites 
allegedly used by Botswana to harm Zimbabwean interests.  The 
delegation's first stop was the U.S. government's IBB/VOA 
transmitter station in Selibe-Phikwe.  The Ambassador and 
Pol/Econ Chief accompanied the SADC delegation to Phikwe. 
The SADC group was warmly welcomed by the IBB station manager 
and staff and were given a brief tour of the facility.  The 
group's questions about station activities, program contents 
and purpose, and safety of the transmitters were answered and 
they left with smiles, information packets, and VOA 
promotional materials.  Post hopes that this tour will allow 
SADC to finally adjudicate the long-standing and spurious 
complaint by Zimbabwe against its neighbor and move on to 
other more productive activities.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
Tour Origins and Atmospherics 
----------------------------- 
¶2. (C) Zimbabwe lodged a formal complaint with SADC in 
November 2008 alleging that Botswana was providing military 
training to MDC supporters and undertaking other activities 
aimed at destabilizing its government (refs B and C). 
Zimbabwe also complained that the USG and Botswana were using 
the IBB/VOA transmitter station in Selibe-Phikwe to spread 
anti-GOZ propaganda.  The SADC Troika was charged with 
investigating Zimbabwe's claims and Botswana's 
counter-claims.  Botswana MFA Permanent Secretary Samuel 
Outlule told Ambassador Nolan that he made a presentation to 
the troika at a meeting in May in Swaziland, after which time 
the GOB believed that the troika would prepare a report and 
be finished.  However, on June 14, the GOB received an urgent 
request from SADC to organize a "tour" of the various sites 
alleged by the GOZ in its submissions to have been used by 
Botswana to harm Zimbabwe (Ref A).  Botswana, though 
frustrated by the short notice, felt that it was best to 
comply, and hastily organized a 3-day tour to include 
Selibe-Phikwe, Francistown, Kasane, Pandamatenga, Gantsi, and 
Thebephatswa. 
 
¶3. (C) The "SADC Organ Troika Technical Assessment Team" 
included representatives of the governments of Swaziland, 
Angola, and Mozambique as well as SADC secretariat staff. 
The GOB sent its Deputy Chief of Protocol, director of 
Botswana Television/Radio, and police and military 
representatives, and a 5-member Zimbabwe delegation led by 
Attorney General Johannes Tomana was also supposed to attend. 
 (Note: Full agenda and participant list emailed to AF/S.) 
The tour was scheduled to commence at 0615 June 17, however, 
the start was delayed by approximately 2 hours when the 
Zimbabwe delegation failed to appear.  Botswana's Deputy 
Chief of Protocol told us that the Zimbabwe delegation had 
arrived at the border in the middle of the night and their 
large security detail were reportedly armed.  Because they 
had not been pre-cleared to bring weapons into Botswana, 
there was a problem at that border and the MFA Permanent 
Secretary had to make late-night phone calls to get the 
delegation across the border.  The Zimbabweans reportedly 
arrived in Gaborone around 0300 June 17 and were angry at 
what they alleged was "mistreatment" and delays at the border 
crossing, so they refused to participate in the tour as 
scheduled.  Instead, the Zimbabweans called for a meeting at 
SADC headquarters at 1000 June 17.  The SADC team debated 
whether or not to proceed, but the Swazi Chair of the team, 
Brigadier General Dlamini, finally decided that the 
Zimbabweans were simply invited to observe as a courtesy but 
were not necessary, so the group would proceed without them. 
 
 
Charm Offensive at IBB 
----------------------- 
¶4. (C) After a military flight to Selibe-Phikwe, the group 
arrived at the USG's IBB/VOA facility at 1045.  They asked 
for an abbreviated tour as they were already running two and 
a half hours behind schedule.  The Station Manager and other 
staff welcomed the group and gave them a briefing on the 
station's history and activities.  Ambassador Nolan gave some 
background on Voice of America's purpose and worldwide 
activities and explained that it was similar to BBC, Deutsche 
Welle, or any other state-supported broadcast service.  He 
emphasized that we are proud of the role that VOA plays in 
 
GABORONE 00000485  002 OF 002 
 
 
bringing accurate news and information to people around the 
globe, and proud of the work of our colleagues in 
Selibe-Phikwe in achieving the VOA mission.  The troika team 
asked questions about Zimbabwe's allegations against the 
facility.  They learned that no programming originates in 
Selibe-Phikwe and that neither the GOB nor the USG has 
editorial control over VOA programming, except clearly 
labeled editorials which are the opinion of the USG.  The 
Ambassador explained that "Studio 7" is focused on Zimbabwe, 
but that VOA also offers other programming in local languages 
around the world to serve the needs and interests of our 
listeners.  One delegate asked whether there was any way that 
the powerful radio signals being emitted from the station 
could harm citizens of Zimbabwe.  The Ambassador responded 
that such an allegations was "simply a lie" and IBB 
technicians discussed the station's safety standards.  At the 
end of the tour, the group devoured refreshments in the 
Manager's office and eagerly accepted information packets 
about Studio 7, VOA history and its code of ethics, and the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors as well as VOA souvenir 
calendars, pencils, rulers, and coffee mugs.  The troika 
investigation team posed for smiling group photos before 
departing for Francistown. 
 
 
Sunshine the Best Medicine 
--------------------------- 
¶5. (C) COMMENT: It seems clear that our willingness to 
accommodate a last-minute request and our warm welcome 
achieved our desired aim.  The SADC delegation left our 
facility smiling and well-informed about our VOA programs and 
services.  We hope that some of them will tune into Studio 7 
(either on the radio or online) and judge our program on its 
own merits.  Zimbabwe's wholly unfounded allegations (at 
least about the IBB facility) seem to have been dispelled, 
though we will not know for sure until the troika's report is 
released.  Though we were disappointed that the Zimbabwean 
delegation did not attend (it would have been interesting to 
watch their reaction to our transparency in response to the 
lies they presented to SADC), we were pleased that the troika 
team was not swayed by the Zimbabwean boycott and went ahead 
with the investigation without them.  Post hopes that this 
tour will allow SADC to finally adjudicate the long-standing 
and spurious complaint by Zimbabwe against its neighbor and 
move on to other more productive activities.  END COMMENT. 
NOLAN