AMBASSADOR CALLS ON NEW AGRICULTURE MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 004884 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/S TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE & HOFFMAN BARAK NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/05 TAGS: EAGR PREL PGOV ZI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON NEW AGRICULTURE MINISTER CLASSIFIED BY ECON/COMM OFFICER MARK PROKOP, REASONS 1.5 (B),(D) ¶1. (C) AS PART OF A SERIES OF CALLS BEING MADE ON THE NEWLY APPOINTED CABINET, ON AUGUST 30 AMBASSADOR, ECONOFF AND USAID OFFICER MET WITH DR. JOSEPH MADE, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04884 01 OF 02 011043Z MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, TO MAKE INTRODUCTIONS AND DISCUSS LAND REFORM AND THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. ALSO ATTENDING THE MEETING WAS VINCET HUNGWE, ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY. MADE, A U.S. EDUCATED TECHNOCRAT WHO LIVED IN THE STATES FOR 17 YEARS (MADE EARNED HIS B.S., M.S AND PHD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT MADISON AND KNOWS THE LAND TENUTE CENTER THERE VERY WELL),DISCUSSED WITH US IN GENERAL TERMS THE LAND ACQUISITION PROCESS GOING FORWARD AND PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS. HE TOLD US THAT A NEW OUTREACH PROGRAM TO THE INVADERS/SQUATTERS BEGAN ON AUGUST 29, WITH TEAMS MADE UP OF "THE POLICE, ARMY, THE GOVERNMENT, ETC" (WE READ THE LATTER AS PARTY OFFICIALS AND/OR THE CIO) FANNING OUT TO SPREAD THE WORD ON THE RELOCATION EXERCISE AND THE HALT OF NEW INVASIONS. NO HARD DATES OR A TIMETABLE WERE PROVIDED ON THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM, AND ONLY VAGUE ASSURANCES WERE GIVEN THAT COMMERCIAL FARMERS WILL NOT SUFFER OR BE SHUT DOWN IN THE PROCESS. ¶2. (C) THE FACTS MINISTER MADE PROVIDED US ARE: == THE POLICE WILL HALT NOW NEW INVASIONS AND PROTECT PRIVATE PROPERTY AND/OR PERSONAL ASSAULT/INJURY. == THE PROGRAM OF TEAMS GOING OUT TO MEET WITH WAR VETS AND SQUATTERS TO URGE RESTRAINT AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM SHOULD HAVE STARTED WEEKS AGO. MADE DID NOT KNOW HOW MANY TEAMS THERE WERE OR HOW LONG THE EFFORT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04884 01 OF 02 011043Z WOULD LAST. == THE MINISTER WOULD ALSO NOT TELL US WHEN THE RELOCATIONS OF INVADERS OFF NON-LISTED PROPERTIES WOULD OCCUR. HE TOLD US THAT A MAXIMUM OF 20 PERCENT OF THE ACQUIRED LAND WOULD GO TO WAR VETS, WITH THE REMAINING 80 PERCENT DESTINED FOR PEASANTS. == OF THE 5 MILLION HECTARES TO BE ACQUIRED, 2.1 MILLION HECTARES ARE TO BE PRIMARILY CROPPING LANDS (35 PERCENT CROP ARABLE); WITH THE OTHER 2.9 MILLION HA., PRIMARILY SUPPORTING LIVESTOCK (ONLY 10 PERCENT CROP ARABLE). MADE EXPLAINED THAT THE LATTER WAS TO ACCOMMODATE THE MANY COMMUNAL FARMERS WHO RUN SMALL CATTLE HERDS AND WHO HAVE NO DESIRE TO RELOCATE. THEY ONLY NEED LAND TO WHICH THEY CAN SEND STOCK FOR GRAZING/FATTENING BEFORE SALE (WHAT THE GOVERNMENT TERMS THE "THREE-TIERED MODEL" WITHIN EXISTING LAND REFORM DOCUMENTATION. == THE GOVERNMENT WILL CALL ON THE LANCASTER HOUSE AGREEMENT TO MAKE THE U.K. PAY FOR THE ACQUIRED 5 MILLION HECTARES. IF FARMERS AND THE CFU CAN PRIVATELY NEGOTIATE COMPENSATION FOR THE LAND FROM DONORS, THAT IS ALL THE BETTER FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE. == IN THE HISTORY OF LAND REFORM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, NO GOVERNMENT HAS EVER PUCHASED ON A WILLING SELLER/BUYER BASIS AS MUCH LAND AS ZIMBABWE HAS SINCE INDEPENDENCE. HE TOUTED THE FIGURE OF 3.8 MILLION HECTARES PAID FOR BY THE GOZ IN THE FIRST 18 YEARS OF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 04884 01 OF 02 011043Z NATIONHOOD. == MADE'S MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENT CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO HIM, ONLY LEARNING OF IT FROM THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: MINISTER MADE IS CERTAINLY SOMEONE WE CAN TALK WITH. GIVEN HIS BACKGROUND, HE HAS A COMFORTABLE FAMILIARITY WITH THE U.S.; AS A TECHNICIAN, HE APPRECIATES THE SERIOUS DAMAGE BEING PERPETUATED AGAINST ZIMBABWE'S AGRICULTURE SECTOR AT PRESENT, AS WELL AS THE RELATIVE MERITS OF VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO PROGRAM EXECUTION (E.G., LAND SUBDIVISION, TAXATION, OPEN MARKET SALES, ETC.). HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT HIS APPOINTMENT CAME AS A SURPRISE IS NOT SURPRISING TO US, GIVEN HIS RELATIVELY LOWER STATUS PRIOR TO HIS APPOINTMENT (FORMERLY DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY'S AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PARASTATAL (ARDA), RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF STATE-OWNED CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ9127 PAGE 01 HARARE 04884 02 OF 02 011043Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00 EB-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /002W -------------- 809DDD 011044Z /38 P 011042Z SEP 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6992 INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 004884 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/S TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE & HOFFMAN BARAK NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/05 TAGS: EAGR PREL PGOV ZI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON NEW AGRICULTURE MINISTER AGRICULTURAL LANDS, WITH LITTLE/NO POLITICAL CLOUT). WITH OTHER, MORE `QUALIFIED' CANDIDATES FOR THIS POST EITHER DEFEATED IN THE ELECTIONS, UNDER CRIMINAL INDICTMENT (THE GRAIN MARKETING BOARD SCANDAL) OR DISINTERESTED/OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, WE SUSPECT MADE'S APPOINTMENT WAS THE BEST MUGABE COULD DO AT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 04884 02 OF 02 011043Z THIS TIME. AS A RESULT OF THIS BACKGROUND AND STATUS, WE SUSPECT HIS PRIMARY MOTIVATION WILL BE IN TRYING TO PLEASE WHOEVER HE HAPPENS TO BE DEALING WITH AT THE TIME. FOR THIS REASON, HIS ASSURANCES TO TRY AND CORRECT THE CURRENT PROBLEMS MUST BE VIEWED WITH A CRITICAL EYE. NOTE: THIS POINT IS UNDERSCORED BY MADE'S STATEMENTS IN `THE HERALD' THE DAY OF OUR MEETING WHICH DIRECTLY CONTRADICTED HIS STATEMENT TO US THAT FARMERS WOULD BE GUARANTEED THE RIGHT TO HARVEST AND SELL ANY CROPS THEY PLANTED THIS SEASON, REGARDLESS OF THEIR LAND DESIGNATION STATUS, STATING ".GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT GIVE FARMERS ANY ASSURANCE TO PRODUCE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR; IT WAS GOING AHEAD WITH THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM (HERALD; 8/30/00)." NONETHELESS, AS A TECHNOCRAT, MADE UNDERSTANDS AGRICULTURE (AND LAND REFORM - HIS DISSERTATION THESIS AT U OF WISCONSIN WAS ON THIS SUBJECT AND, THROUGH ARDA, HE HAS BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT LAND REFORM EFFORTS TO DATE). SHOULD THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IMPROVE TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN RE-ENGAGE MEANINGFULLY ON THIS SUBJECT, MADE IS SOMEONE WE CAN WORK WITH IN ATTEMPTING TO RE-DIRECT CURRENT GOVERNMENT LAND REFORM PLANS TOWARDS A MORE TECHNICALLY, ECONOMICALLY SOUND AND RATIONAL APPROACH. END COMMENT. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 04884 02 OF 02 011043Z CONFIDENTIAL >