SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSIONER COMMENTS ON

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 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 06803 050607Z 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 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 06803 050607Z 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 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 06803 050607Z LEAVE OUR COUNTRY HARMONIOUSLY," SAID MUGABE. END COMMENT.) MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >