Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
00HARARE2164
2000-04-19 15:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Harare
Cable title:  

MUGABE'S SCRIPT DISAPPOINTS, BUT LATER

Tags:  PREL PGOV ZI 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

191557Z Apr 00


 CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3886

PAGE 01 HARARE 02164 01 OF 02 191552Z 
ACTION AF-00 

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-01 SRPP-00 
 DS-00 EUR-01 VC-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 
 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 
 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 
 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /011W
 ------------------4DC414 191553Z /38 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5791
INFO NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002164 

SIPDIS

PARIS PLEASE PASS TO A/S SUSAN E. RICE

DEPARTMENT FOR AF PDAS POWELL, AF DAS SCHNEIDMAN,
AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER, AF/S DESK OFFICER GURNEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/19/10
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: MUGABE'S SCRIPT DISAPPOINTS, BUT LATER
CANDOR IS REVEALING
CONFIDENTIAL


PAGE 02 HARARE 02164 01 OF 02 191552Z

REF: (A) STATE 64290, (B) HARARE 02121

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5
(B),(D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002164

SIPDIS

PARIS PLEASE PASS TO A/S SUSAN E. RICE

DEPARTMENT FOR AF PDAS POWELL, AF DAS SCHNEIDMAN,
AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER, AF/S DESK OFFICER GURNEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/19/10
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: MUGABE'S SCRIPT DISAPPOINTS, BUT LATER
CANDOR IS REVEALING
CONFIDENTIAL


PAGE 02 HARARE 02164 01 OF 02 191552Z

REF: (A) STATE 64290, (B) HARARE 02121

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5
(B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. PRESIDENT MUGABE'S ADDRESS TO
THE NATION ON INDEPENDENCE DAY WAS
DISAPPOINTINGLY LACKING IN INDICATING ANY WAY OUT
OF THE CURRENT CYCLE OF FARM OCCUPATIONS AND
VIOLENCE. HE ALSO WAS SILENT ON THE TIMING OF
THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. SUBSTITUTING BANAL
WORDS ABOUT PROGRESS SINCE INDEPENDENCE FOR THE
USUAL PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS, MUGABE MISSED AN
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP TO A NATION
THAT NEEDS IT NOW MORE THAN EVER. HOWEVER, IN
UNSCRIPTED COMMENTS MOMENTS AFTER HIS PREPARED
SPEECH, MUGABE SAID HE IS FULL OF ANGER TOWARD
THE COUNTRY'S FARMERS THAT ARE SEEING THEIR FARMS
OCCUPIED, AND BELIEVES THEY ARE ENEMIES OF
ZIMBABWE. THE EU DIPLOMATIC GROUP IN HARARE WILL
NOT UNDERTAKE A JOINT DEMARCHE WITH US TO PROTEST
THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS. THEY LOOK TO THEIR
MINISTERS IN EUROPE TO CARRY THE WATER.
AMBASSADOR MCDONALD BELIEVES IT IS TIME FOR THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE USG TO ENGAGE MUGABE. END
SUMMARY.

MUGABE MORE DIRECT THAN HIS SPEECHWRITERS


2. (C) READING HIS PREPARED SPEECH TO THE
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 HARARE 02164 01 OF 02 191552Z
NATION ON APRIL 18, ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE DAY,
PRESIDENT MUGABE MADE DISAPPOINTINGLY FEW
COMMENTS ON THE LAND OCCUPATION CRISIS OR THE
POLITICAL TURMOIL GRIPPING HIS COUNTRY. THE
OBSERVATIONS HE DID MAKE COULD MOST CHARITABLY BE
CALLED A MISSED OPPORTUNITY, SINCE THEY TENDED TO
LEGITIMIZE THE ACTIONS OF THE SO-CALLED "WAR
VETERANS" WHO HAVE OCCUPIED, AT VARIOUS TIMES,
OVER 1000 COMMERCIAL FARMS AND MURDERED TWO
FARMERS. MUGABE ALSO DISAPPOINTED THOSE WHO
THOUGHT HE WOULD USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ANNOUNCE
AN ELECTION DATE.


3. (C) MUGABE OPENED HIS SPEECH WITH A
DISCUSSION OF THE EFFECTS ON ZIMBABWE OF THE
RECENT CYCLONE. HE REPEATED THE GOVERNMENT'S
LINE THAT THE REASON THERE WERE NO PUBLIC
CEREMONIES TO MARK INDEPENDENCE DAY THIS YEAR IS

SO THE MONEY SAVED COULD INSTEAD GO TO THE
VICTIMS OF THE CYCLONE. IT IS SPECULATED THAT
PUBLIC EVENTS WERE NOT SCHEDULED BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT FEARED NO ONE WOULD ATTEND OR HE WOULD
BE MET BY PROTESTERS. MUGABE DID NOT COME TO THE
LAND OCCUPATION ISSUE UNTIL ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO
HIS SPEECH. MUCH OF HIS INITIAL REMARKS COVERED,
IN EXCRUCIATING DETAIL, STATISTICS SUCH AS THE
NUMBER OF BOREHOLES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, INTENDED
TO PROVE THAT ZIMBABWE HAS IMPROVED SINCE
INDEPENDENCE.


4. (C) IN A SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEW IN THE
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 HARARE 02164 01 OF 02 191552Z
BROADCAST STUDIO'S LOBBY WITH LOCAL TELEVISION
THAT APPEARED UNSCRIPTED, MUGABE MADE SOME VERY
DIRECT STATEMENTS THAT HE IS FULL OF ANGER TOWARD
THE FARMERS AND SEES THEM AS ENEMIES OF ZIMBABWE.
IT CERTAINLY APPEARS THAT THIS STATEMENT IS MORE
CONSISTENT WITH HIS ACTIONS THAN HIS SCRIPTED
TELEVISION ADDRESS, AND PROBABLY REVEALS MORE
CLEARLY HIS PRESENT STATE OF MIND.

NO DESIRE FROM EUROPEANS FOR A DEMARCHE


5. (C) THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN UNDERWHELMING TO
AMBASSADOR MCDONALD'S RECOMMENDATION TO HIS
EUROPEAN COLLEAGUES THAT A JOINT DEMARCHE TO
MUGABE BE UNDERTAKEN TO PROTEST THE GOVERNMENT'S
OBJECTIONABLE STATEMENTS AND TOLERANCE FOR THE
GROWING CLIMATE OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION
(REFTELS). THE LOCAL EU POSITION IS THAT THEY DO
NOT THINK HARARE IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORUM FOR
STATEMENTS TO BE MADE. INSTEAD, THEY WILL LOOK
TO THEIR CAPITALS TO TAKE THE LEAD. OUR POSITION
IS THAT A STATEMENT CAN COME FROM BRUSSELS, BUT
SHOULD ALSO BE DONE JOINTLY IN HARARE IN A

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTO8784

PAGE 01 HARARE 02164 02 OF 02 191552Z
ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 SRPP-00 DS-00
EUR-01 VC-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 TRSE-00
USIE-00 R-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00
SAS-00 /011W
-------------- 4DC41B 191553Z /38
R 191557Z APR 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5792
INFO NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002164

SIPDIS

PARIS PLEASE PASS TO A/S SUSAN E. RICE

DEPARTMENT FOR AF PDAS POWELL, AF DAS SCHNEIDMAN,
AF/S DIRECTOR RENDER, AF/S DESK OFFICER GURNEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/19/10
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI

SUBJECT: MUGABE'S SCRIPT DISAPPOINTS, BUT LATER
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 HARARE 02164 02 OF 02 191552Z
CANDOR IS REVEALING

FORCEFUL MANNER. AMBASSADOR MCDONALD ALSO
LEARNED THAT A SENIOR EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT MAY COME
HERE TO DELIVER A STRONG MESSAGE.

COMMENT: TIME TO TALK TO MUGABE


6. (C) WE BELIEVE MUGABE'S UNSCRIPTED REMARKS
ABOUT SEEING THE FARMERS AS ENEMIES OF ZIMBABWE
REVEAL HIS PRESENT STATE OF MIND. AFTER 20 YEARS
IN POWER HE APPEARS INCAPABLE OF DISTINGUISHING
HIS PERSONAL FEELINGS AND INTERESTS FROM THOSE OF
THE NATION AT LARGE AND DISINTERESTED IN TRYING
TO DO SO. WE ALSO THINK IT IS CLEAR THAT THE
TARGET OF HIS IRE IS NOT THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS,
WHITES, OR BRITAIN AS THE FORMER COLONIAL POWER
PER SE--ALTHOUGH ALL ARE HIGH ON HIS LIST OF
DISLIKES--BUT RATHER THAT HE IS TRYING TO GET AT
AND DISRUPT THE NEW AND RELATIVELY EFFECTIVE
OPPOSITION PARTY, THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC
CHANGE, HOWEVER HE CAN. BECAUSE THE FARMERS HAVE
EXERCISED THEIR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH
AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN SUPPORT OF THE MDC,
THEY ARE TARGETS.


7. (C) I BELIEVE IT IS TIME FOR THE HIGHEST
LEVELS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO MAKE
KNOWN TO MUGABE THAT WE WELL UNDERSTAND HIS
POSITION AND REJECT IT AS HE IS SENDING THE
COUNTRY IN A DISASTROUS DIRECTION. ZIMBABWE MUST
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 HARARE 02164 02 OF 02 191552Z
BE A NATION BASED ON LAWS, NOT ON THE
CALCULATIONS OF POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY OF ONE MAN
OR ONE PARTY. THE INCREASING LAWLESSNESS HERE IS
ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE DELIBERATE ACTIONS AND
CALCULATED INACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT, STARTING
WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE. BY THE SAME TOKEN, THE
DOWNWARD TREND HERE IS REVERSABLE, SHOULD MUGABE
DECIDE TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF POLITICAL TOLERANCE,
WHICH IS, AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, TRULY IN
HIS SELF INTEREST.


8. (C) ACCORDINGLY, I BELIEVE A TELEPHONE CALL
TO PRESIDENT MUGABE FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON, VICE
PRESIDENT GORE, OR SECRETARY ALBRIGHT SHOULD BE
PLACED AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME. WE SHOULD
ALSO MOVE FORWARD TO CONFIRM THE PROPOSED VISIT
OF U/S PICKERING. BY URGING MUGABE TO STEP BACK
FROM THE BRINK WE WILL BE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO
SALVAGE DEMOCRACY AND RULE OF LAW IN ZIMBABWE,
NOT TO MENTION THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY AND THE
LIVES OF SOME OF ITS CITIZENS- END COMMENT.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

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