MUGABE ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION BID AND LASHES OUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 001354 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER AND AFR/SA - CPALMA AND NNEWMAN PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/11 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI UK SUBJECT: MUGABE ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION BID AND LASHES OUT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 01354 01 OF 03 191450Z AT THE BRITISH AND WHITE ZIMBABWEANS WHILE MARKING ZIMBABWE'S 21ST INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE, IN A ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ZBC) TELEVISION INTERVIEW THE NIGHT OF APRIL 17, AND THEN AGAIN IN HIS SPEECH AT THE OFFICIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS IN HARARE ON APRIL 18, REPEATEDLY CRITICIZED BRITAIN AND WHITE ZIMBABWEANS FOR BEING THE PRINCIPLE CAUSES OF ZIMBABWE'S CURRENT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. MOST OF THIS CRITICISM OF THE BRITISH AND WHITES CENTERED ON THE LAND ISSUE, BUT HE ALSO AGAIN ATTACKED THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) FOR MERELY BEING A FRONT FOR WHITES. HE CONFIRMED THAT HE WILL BE THE ZIMBABWE AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION - PATRIOTIC FRONT (ZANU-PF) CANDIDATE IN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, AND WILL ONLY RETIRE WHEN HE IS SURE THAT ZANU-PF HAS A SECURE HOLD ON POWER. MUGABE ALSO THREATENED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) WILL TAKE OVER COMPANIES THAT ATTEMPT TO SHUTDOWN OPERATIONS WITHOUT "GENUINE REASONS", ALLEGING THESE COMPANIES COMPLICITY IN FRUSTRATING THE "FAST-TRACK" LAND RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. WE SEE THIS THREAT AS A HARBINGER OF MORE URBAN VIOLENCE TO COME. END SUMMARY. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 01354 01 OF 03 191450Z -------------- THE BRITISH ARE TO BLAME -------------- ¶2. (SBU) ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OCCASIONS IN BOTH THE TELEVISION INTERVIEW AND DURING HIS SPEECH PRESIDENT MUGABE CASTIGATED THE BRITISH FOR INTERFERING IN ZIMBABWE'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND SEEKING TO TURN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AGAINST ZIMBABWE. THE FOCUS OF HIS ATTACK AGAINST THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REVOLVED AROUND THE LAND ISSUE, AND HIS BELIEF THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT RENEGED ON ITS COMMITMENT TO PAY FOR LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE. HE CRITICIZED THE BRITISH LABOR GOVERNMENT, AND PRIME MINISTER BLAIR, BY NAME ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND ALLEGED THAT "BRITAIN WAS BEHAVING LIKE AN INTERNATIONAL DELINQUENT ON THE MATTER." HE WENT ON TO ARGUE THAT THOSE COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORT THE BRITISH POSITION NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT ZIMBABWE IS A SOVEREIGN STATE AND THAT IT SHOULD BE ASSISTED WITH THE PROGRAMS IT DEVELOPS WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM ANY SOURCE. REVEALING HIS OBSESSION WITH THE INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE, DURING HIS INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH HE SAID, "THIS LAND, THIS ZIMBABWE, IS A SACRED INHERITANCE FROM OUR FOREFATHERS. IT WAS THE 'CASUS BELLI' OF OUR ARMED NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE. IT CANNOT, THEREFORE, BE THAT WHICH WE HAVE TO BEG A FOREIGN POWER FOR AND SO WE SAY HANDS OFF, BRITAIN, HANDS OFF, BRITAIN!" HE WENT ON TO SHOUT, "WE ARE NOT AN EXTENSION OF BRITAIN. SO MR. BLAIR HANDS OFF, PLEASE!" TOWARDS THE END OF THE TELEVISION INTERVIEW, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 01354 01 OF 03 191450Z MUGABE STATED THAT "LOOKING BACK 21 YEARS THE GREATEST MOMENT IN MY LIFE WAS SEEING THE BRITISH FLAG GO DOWN AND REPLACED BY THE FLAG OF THE NEW NATION OF ZIMBABWE." -------------- AND SO ARE THE WHITES -------------- ¶3. (U) MUGABE CONTINUED HIS VITRIOLIC ATTACKS ON WHITE ZIMBABWEANS IN BOTH THE TELEVISION INTERVIEW AND INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH. HE CRITICIZED THE WHITES FOR HAVING SPURNED THE HAND OF RECONCILIATION HE HAD EXTENDED AT INDEPENDENCE, SAYING "RECONCILIATION WAS NOT A ONE-SIDED AFFAIR. THE WHITES HAD NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING AND BEHAVED AS IF THEY BELONGED TO BRITAIN AND WERE IN ZIMBABWE ONLY TO MAKE MONEY." HE CONTINUED THAT, "THE WHITES WANTED TO REVERSE THE GAINS ATTAINED AT INDEPENDENCE BY OPPOSING THE 'FAST-TRACK' LAND REFORM PROGRAM." AS HE OFTEN DOES, HE REFERRED NUMEROUS TIMES TO WHITE ZIMBABWEANS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM WERE BORN IN THIS COUNTRY, AS "SETTLERS." ACCORDING TO MUGABE, "THE SETTLERS ARE USING EVERY TRICK, INCLUDING THAT OF USING SOME AMONG US, TO DERAIL THE EFFORT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW AN EQUITABLE REDISTRIBUTION OF LAND." CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ0658 PAGE 01 HARARE 01354 02 OF 03 191450Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 SS-00 STR-00 USIE-00 BBG-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- E171E3 191451Z /38 R 191447Z APR 01 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8668 INFO NSC WASHDC SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AMEMBASSY NAIROBI C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 001354 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER AND AFR/SA - CPALMA AND NNEWMAN PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/11 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI UK SUBJECT: MUGABE ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION BID AND LASHES OUT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 01354 02 OF 03 191450Z AT THE BRITISH AND WHITE ZIMBABWEANS WHILE MARKING ZIMBABWE'S 21ST INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY -------------- THE WHITES BEHIND THE MDC -------------- ¶4. (U) IN THE TELEVISION INTERVIEW MUGABE CRITICIZED THE MDC AS BEING JUST A FRONT FOR WHITES, SAYING THAT THE "MDC HAD MADE A MISTAKE BY PUTTING WHITES IN THE FOREFRONT." HE LINKED THIS ALLEGED DOMINATION OF THE MDC BY WHITES AS EVIDENCE OF THE CONSPIRACY TO RETURN ZIMBABWE TO WHITE MINORITY RULE, STATING "IT INVOKES IN ALL OF US A BELIEF THAT THE WHITE MAN DOES NOT CHANGE. AS LONG AS THE WHITES DID NOT CHANGE, PEOPLE SHOULD STRENGTHEN THEMSELVES TO FIGHT EVEN HARDER." IN HIS INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH HE STATED "LET US WATCH OUT FOR THESE VICIOUS ENEMIES AMONG US AND TRY TO OVERCOME THEM", CLEARLY A REFERENCE TO BOTH THE MDC AND ZIMBABWE'S WHITE MINORITY AND THEIR OSTENSIBLY VIOLENT AGENDA. -------------- MUGABE WILL RUN AGAIN -------------- ¶5. (U) MUGABE PUBLICLY CONFIRMED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ZANU-PF PARTY CONGRESS LAST FEBRUARY THAT HE WILL BE THE PARTY'S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. HE ASSERTED THAT HE IS IN GOOD HEALTH, AND THAT HE WILL ONLY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 01354 02 OF 03 191450Z CONSIDER RETIRING AFTER HE AGAIN LEADS ZANU-PF TO VICTORY IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION. -------------- NO COMPANY CLOSURES WITHOUT GOZ APPROVAL -------------- ¶6. (U) IN BOTH THE TELEVISON INTERVIEW AND THE INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH MUGABE THREATENED THAT THE GOZ WILL TAKE OVER THE OPERATIONS OF ANY COMPANIES THAT TRY TO SHUTDOWN OPERATIONS WITHOUT GOZ APPROVAL. HE ASSERTED THAT MANY OF THESE COMPANY CLOSURES DID NOT RESULT FROM THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE IN ZIMBABWE, BUT WERE BEING DONE AS PART OF THE BRITISH AND WHITE ZIMBABWEANS' CAMPAIGN TO FRUSTRATE THE "FAST-TRACK" LAND PROGRAM. HE STATED THAT "GOVERNMENT WILL IN THE FUTURE NOT ALLOW ANY VIABLE MINING OR MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISE TO CLOSE FOR UNCLEAR REASONS. ANY CLOSURES WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE ASSENT OF THE GOVERNMENT." -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE'S TELEVISION INTERVIEW, AND INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH AT THE HALF-FILLED NATIONAL STADIUM (WHERE A SOCCER MATCH BETWEEN RIVAL TEAMS HIGHLANDERS AND DYNAMOS THAT AFTERNOON WAS LIKELY THE BIGGER DRAW),CONFIRMED THAT HE IS A LEADER TRAPPED IN THE TIME WARP OF ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE AND HIS PERCEIVED GLORY DAYS. THE FACT THAT HIS "FAST- CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 01354 02 OF 03 191450Z TRACK" LAND REFORM PROGRAM WILL BE THE ISSUE ON WHICH HE WILL RUN HIS 2002 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN WAS EVIDENCED BY THE CENTRAL ROLE IT PLAYED IN THE INTERVIEW AND THE SPEECH. IN REALITY, THIS IS THE ONLY ISSUE MUGABE AND ZANU-PF CAN USE TO TRY AND GARNER SUPPORT FROM THE ZIMBABWE PEOPLE. HE MENTIONED THE TREMENDOUS STRIDES THAT ZIMBABWE HAD MADE SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE, BUT THE COLD-HARD TRUTH IS THAT BOTH THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS ARE ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE. INDEED, A TWENTY-ONE MINUTE POWER FAILURE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE INDEPENDENCE DAY CEREMONIES WAS ALMOST A LITERARY TROPE: A PATHETIC FALLACY TO ZIMBABWE'S REACHING THE AGE OF MAJORITY UNDER MUGABE'S LEADERSHIP. LASTLY, MUGABE'S BIZARRE AND PROBABLY UNENFORCEABLE THREAT TO PREVENT COMPANIES FROM SHUTTING DOWN, ALLEGING THEY ARE DOING SO JUST TO FRUSTRATE LAND REFORM, PORTENDS MORE URBAN VIOLENCE TO US. WE SEE ZANU-PF DEPLOYING WAR VETERANS IN EVEN GREATER NUMBERS TO FORCE OWNERS OF FALTERING FACTORIES AND OTHER BUSINESSES TO REMAIN OPEN THROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL INTIMIDATION AND THE OCCASIONAL VICIOUS BEATING. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS WILL NOT HELP THE ZIMBABWE ECONOMY TO IMPROVE NOR RESTORE INVESTOR CONFIDENCE. END COMMENT. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ0661 PAGE 01 HARARE 01354 03 OF 03 191450Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 SS-00 STR-00 USIE-00 BBG-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- E171F8 191452Z /38 R 191447Z APR 01 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8669 INFO NSC WASHDC SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AMEMBASSY NAIROBI C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 001354 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER AND AFR/SA - CPALMA AND NNEWMAN PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/11 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI UK SUBJECT: MUGABE ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION BID AND LASHES OUT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 01354 03 OF 03 191450Z AT THE BRITISH AND WHITE ZIMBABWEANS WHILE MARKING ZIMBABWE'S 21ST INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >