ZIMBABWE'S EMBATTLED CFU PRESIDENT SEEKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001021

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER
LONDON FOR CGURNEY
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA,
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/11
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAGR EAID PINR ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S EMBATTLED CFU PRESIDENT SEEKS
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PAGE 02 HARARE 01021 01 OF 02 150524Z
CLARIFICATION OF USG POSITION ON "FAST-TRACK"

REFTEL: HARARE 815

CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B/D).


1. (C) ON MARCH 13, CHARGE EARL IRVING AND ECONOFF
(NOTETAKER) MET WITH COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU)
PRESIDENT TIM HENWOOD AND DIRECTOR DAVID HASLUCK AT
THEIR REQUEST TO DISCUSS THE USG'S POSITION ON LAND
REFORM IN ZIMBABWE. HENWOOD ASKED THE CHARGE ABOUT THE
MARCH 11 ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN THE "THE SUNDAY TIMES"
OF LONDON (THE PAPER AND INTERNET VERSIONS) ENTITLED
"BRITAIN SCORNS 'SINISTER' BID TO END LAND GRAB." THIS
ARTICLE STATED THAT THERE EXISTS A "'SINISTER' AMERICAN-
BACKED DEAL TO END THE CRISIS FACING WHITE FARMERS IN
ZIMBABWE" OVER LAND REFORM. CHARGE TOLD HENWOOD THAT
THERE IS NO VALIDITY WHATSOEVER TO THE ARTICLE. HE
CONTINUED THAT THE USG WAS NOT PURSUING SECRET TALKS
WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) ON LAND REFORM,
AND THE OFFICIAL USG POSITION IS THAT WHILE WE SUPPORT
THE NEED FOR LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE, IT SHOULD BE DONE
IN A LEGAL AND TRANSPARENT MANNER, BASED ON THE
PRINCIPLES AGREED TO AT THE 1998 DONORS' CONFERENCE HELD
IN ZIMBABWE. HENWOOD WAS REASSURED BECAUSE HE STATED
THAT THE "CFU IS FEELING A BIT LONELY THESE DAYS." THE
CHARGE REASSURED THE CFU EXECUTIVES THAT THE USG
REMAINED DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BREAKDOWN IN THE
RULE OF LAW ON THE COMMERCIAL FARMS AND THE VIOLENCE
DIRECTED BY "WAR VETS" AT COMMERCIAL FARMERS AND THEIR
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WORKERS. HE ADDED THAT WE CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE THIS
CONCERN TO THE GOZ, AND THAT ACTING PRINCIPAL DEPUTY
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BELLAMY HAD FORTHRIGHTLY
COMMUNICATED THIS CONCERN TO THE GOZ DURING HIS RECENT
VISIT TO ZIMBABWE.


2. (C) HENWOOD AND HASLUCK BOTH INQUIRED ABOUT THE
STATUS OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY
ACT (ZDERA),AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE ACT COULD
BECOME LAW. THE CHARGE PROVIDED THE CFU EXECUTIVES WITH
A COPY OF THE ZDERA INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE, AND
EXPLAINED THAT THE PASSAGE OF THE ZDERA WAS NOT ASSURED,
BUT THAT RECENT GOZ ACTIONS AGAINST THE INDEPENDENT
PRESS AND THE JUDICIARY HAD PUT THE SPOTLIGHT BACK ON
THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE. HASLUCK ALSO ASKED
IF A NEW REGIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY HAD BEEN SELECTED
AS WELL AS A NEW AMBASSADOR FOR ZIMBABWE. THE CHARGE
CONFIRMED THAT WALTER KANSTEINER HAD BEEN PROPOSED AS
THE NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICA, AND WOULD LIKELY
BE CONFIRMED. WHILE A NEW AMBASSADOR HAS NOT BEEN
CHOSEN, HE INFORMED THEM THAT THE PROPOSED NEW DCM WAS
ROBERT WHITEHEAD. THE CHARGE OPINED THAT BOTH MEN HAVE
SOLID EXPERIENCE WITH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE, AND ARE
EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD CHOICES.


3. (C) CHARGE ASKED HENWOOD AND HASLUCK ABOUT THE
UPCOMING MARCH 21 CFU SPECIAL CONGRESS, AND WHETHER WE
SHOULD EXPECT ANY SURPRISES OR "FIREWORKS" TO COME OUT
OF IT. HENWOOD ANSWERED THAT HE BELIEVES THE CURRENT
CFU EXECUTIVE HAS THE SOLID BACKING OF A MAJORITY OF CFU
MEMBERS, AND THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT THERE WOULD BE A
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CHALLENGE TO THE UNION'S LEADERSHIP. HOWEVER, HE DID
ASK WHETHER THE CHARGE HAD TALKED WITH JOHN BREDENKAMP,
WHO IS MENTIONED IN THE "THE SUNDAY TIMES" ARTICLE. THE
CHARGE REPLIED THAT HE HAD NEVER MET WITH BREDENKAMP,
NOR, TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, HAD ANY OTHER MEMBERS
OF EMBASSY STAFF. HENWOOD APPEARED RELIEVED BY THIS
ANSWER. HE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE BREDENKAMP AS A
NEFARIOUS CHARACTER THAT IS INVOLVED IN, AMONG OTHER
ACTIVITIES, ARMS TRADING ON THE BLACK MARKET. HENWOOD
STATED THAT BREDENKAMP IS NOT A COMMERCIAL FARMER, AND
THAT HIS ONLY APPARENT LINK TO THE LAND ISSUE IS THROUGH
HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH NICK SWANEPOEL, A FORMER CFU
PRESIDENT. HE ADDED THAT NEITHER SWANEPOEL NOR
BREDENKAMP REPRESENT THE CFU OR ITS MEMBERSHIP, AND THAT
ANY DEALS THEY ARE NEGOTIATING ARE VERY SUSPECT IN HIS
EYES. HENWOOD STATED THAT THE CREDIBILITY OF SWANEPOEL
IS VERY LOW WITH THE CFU MEMBERSHIP, BECAUSE HIS
ALLEGATIONS OF A SECRET DEAL BETWEEN THE GOZ AND THE USG
THAT INCLUDED SUBSTANTIAL FINANCING FOR "FAST-TRACK"
PROVED TO BE NOT TRUE. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE SPECIAL
CONGRESS WILL NOT FOCUS ON CFU LEADERSHIP, BUT RATHER ON
THE CONSIDERATION OF STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS TO TAKE TO
BENEFIT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF COMMERCIAL FARMING IN
ZIMBABWE, AS WELL AS SHORT-TERM MEANS OF ADDRESSING THE
CURRENT POLITICAL CONUNDRUM AND THE PRESSURES COMMERCIAL

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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8428
INFO NSC WASHDC
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001021

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER
LONDON FOR CGURNEY
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA,
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/11
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAGR EAID PINR ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S EMBATTLED CFU PRESIDENT SEEKS
CLARIFICATION OF USG POSITION ON "FAST-TRACK"
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PAGE 02 HARARE 01021 02 OF 02 150524Z

FARMERS ARE FACING.


4. (C) COMMENT: BOTH HASLUCK AND HENWOOD WERE CLEARLY
CONCERNED THAT THE USG HAD SHIFTED ITS POSITION ON THE
GOZ'S "FAST-TRACK" PROGRAM, AND WERE EQUALLY RELIEVED TO
HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE CHARGE THAT THERE WAS NO
SUBSTANCE TO THE RUMORS OF "A SECRET DEAL INVOLVING THE
AMERICANS." WE EMPHASIZED TO THE CFU EXECUTIVES THAT
THE USG WILL SUPPORT LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE, BUT ONLY
WHEN IT IS DONE IN A LEGAL, TRANSPARENT AND SUSTAINABLE
MANNER AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS. AS IN
OTHER RECENT MEETINGS WITH CFU OFFICIALS, HASLUCK AND
HENWOOD WERE NOT VERY CONVINCING WHEN STATING THAT THEIR
LEADERSHIP WOULD NOT BE CHALLENGED AT THE SPECIAL
CONGRESS. THE MARCH 14 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT "THE
DAILY NEWS" CARRIED AN ARTICLE INDICATING THAT SWANEPOEL
STILL INTENDS TO PROPOSE AT THE CONGRESS A PLAN TO REACH
A COMPROMISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CFU AND THE GOZ ON
LAND REFORM. THIS PLAN, AS REPORTED REFTEL, INCLUDES
REPLACING THE CURRENT CFU EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP. WE DO
NOT HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF SWANEPOEL'S BACKING AMONG THE
GENERAL CFU MEMBERSHIP, AND THEREFORE, CANNOT PREDICT
HOW MUCH SUPPORT HIS PLAN MAY GARNER FROM FARMERS WEARY
OF STRUGGLING WITH THE FARM INVASIONS AND THE CLIMATE OF
INTIMIDATION AND VIOLENCE FROM THE "WAR VETS". ONE
THING WE CAN PREDICT IS THAT THERE WILL LIKELY BE
FIREWORKS AT THE CFU'S SPECIAL CONGRESS. END COMMENT.

IRVING

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