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,
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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
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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
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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

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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
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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

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