C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006803

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2010
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TAGS: PREL EAGR PGOV ECON ENRG ZI
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSIONER COMMENTS ON
MBEKI/OBASANJO VISIT

REF: HARARE 6802 (NOTAL)

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D).


1. (C) SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSIONER A.J.D. NDOU TOLD
AMBASSADOR MCDONALD AT LUNCH ON DECEMBER 2 THAT, WHILE HE
HAD WORKED ON THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE MEETING AMONG
PRESIDENTS MBEKI, OBASANJO AND MUGABE, HE HAD NOT BEEN
BRIEFED ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THEIR NOVEMBER 30 MEETING.
ACCORDING TO GODFREY MWEDZI, ZIMBABWEAN MINISTRY OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA, THE THREE HEADS OF
STATE MET ALONE FOR FOUR HOURS, EXCLUDING MINISTERS,
HIGH COMMISSIONERS AND NOTE TAKERS FROM THEIR
DELIBERATIONS. THEY EMERGED AFTER THEIR MEETING TO FACE
THE PRESS, AT WHICH TIME NEITHER MBEKI NOR MUGABE LOOKED
COMFORTABLE.


2. (C) PRESIDENT MBEKI HOPED TO HAVE A CANDID
CONVERSATION WITH MUGABE ABOUT ZIMBABWE'S POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC QUAGMIRE, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT
IS HAPPENING HERE, ACCORDING TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH
COMMISSIONER. THE SOUTH AFRICAN HEAD OF STATE REASONS
THAT IF THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT ONLY FOLLOWED ITS OWN
LAW WITH RESPECT TO LAND REFORM THE PROBLEMS IT IS
ENCOUNTERING COULD BE RESOLVED. THE ZIMBABWEAN
PRESIDENT SHOULD BE USING THE POLICE IN A NON-PARTISAN
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MANNER AND RESPECTING COURT ORDERS. AS IT WAS, THE LAND
ISSUE IS BECOMING A BIGGER REGIONAL PROBLEM, AFFECTING
NOT ONLY SOUTH AFRICA BUT OTHERS. MBEKI WAS MEASURED IN
WHAT HE SAID, HOWEVER, SINCE HE DID NOT WANT THE DOOR TO
CONTINUING ENGAGEMENT SHUT ON HIM, NDOU TOLD THE
AMBASSADOR. RATHER, THE SOUTH AFRICAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE
LOOKED TO HIS NIGERIAN COUNTERPART TO COME ON STRONGER.
ON AT LEAST THREE PREVIOUS OCCASIONS MBEKI HAD DELIVERED
A SIMILAR MESSAGE, BUT HAD CONCLUDED THAT HE COULD NOT
FORCE MUGABE TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DO,
THE SOUTH AFRICAN DIPLOMAT AVERRED. NDOU ALSO TOLD US
THAT THE TWO KEY SOUTH AFRICAN PARASTATALS, ESKOM AND
SASOL, WILL CONTINUE SUPPLYING ZIMBABWE LIMITED AMOUNTS
OF ELECTRICITY AND FUEL ON AN OPEN ACCOUNT BASIS, EVEN
THOUGH THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PAST HAVE ADVOCATED
BUSINESSLIKE DECISIONS BEING TAKEN REGARDING ZIMBABWE.


3. (C) DURING THE LUNCHEON THAT MUGABE HOSTED FOR HIS
GUESTS (THAT NDOU ATTENDED), HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER JOHN
NKOMO ARRIVED LATE AND IN GOOD SPIRITS DIRECTLY FROM HIS
MEETING WITH UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH-BROWN.
NDOU SAID THAT AFTER NKOMO REPORTED HOW PRODUCTIVE HIS
CONVERSATION HAD BEEN, MUGABE RESPONDED WITH A JOKE
ABOUT MALLOCH-BROWN BEING BRITISH. (COMMENT: ON
DECEMBER 2 AT A NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY CEREMONY,
PRESIDENT MUGABE DEPARTED FROM HIS PREPARED REMARKS AND
REVERTED TO HIS INCREASINGLY TRADEMARK, VITUPERATIVE
ATTACK AGAINST THE WHITE FARMERS, THE COURTS, THE
BRITISH AND ANY AND ALL STANDING IN THE WAY OF THE FAST-
TRACK LAND RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. "IF THEY ARE NOT
PREPARED TO BE PART OF US, THEN WE WILL ASK THEM TO
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LEAVE OUR COUNTRY HARMONIOUSLY," SAID MUGABE. END
COMMENT.)

MCDONALD

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