MUGABE PUTS ON THE DOG FOR MOGAE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001419 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SA - C. PALMA PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON ETRD PINR ZI BC SUBJECT: MUGABE PUTS ON THE DOG FOR MOGAE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 01419 260833Z CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (SBU) BOTSWANA'S PRESIDENT, FESTUS MOGAE, ARRIVED IN HARARE ON APRIL 25 FOR A FOUR-DAY STATE VISIT, THE STATED PURPOSE OF WHICH IS FOR THE BOTSWANA CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO OPEN THE ZIMBABWE INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR IN BULAWAYO. THIS IS MOGAE'S SECOND WORKING VISIT IN 8 MONTHS; HE WAS LAST HERE IN AUGUST TO OPEN AN AGRICULTURAL EXHIBIT IN HARARE. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CONVOKED HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS TO MEET THE PRESIDENT AT THE AIRPORT, A RARE HONOR GRANTED TO VISITING HEADS OF STATE IN ZIMBABWE. THE AIRPORT CEREMONY ENTAILED A TWENTY-ONE-GUN SALUTE AND AN HONOR GUARD REVIEW. THE TWO PRESIDENTS MET PRIVATELY FOR THREE HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON AND, INTER ALIA, SIGNED A TRADE AGREEMENT DESIGNED TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON CROSS- BORDER MOVEMENT OF MANUFACTURING INPUTS. INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE MINISTER NKOSANA MOYO INFORMED US THAT HE ORGANIZED THE VISIT AT THE LAST MOMENT AND WAS SURPRISED THAT IT ACTUALLY HAD COME TOGETHER. ¶2. (SBU) IN THE EVENING, PRESIDENT MUGABE HOSTED A SET- PIECE STATE DINNER FOR HIS BOTSWANA COUNTERPART. THE GUEST LIST CONSISTED MOSTLY OF DIPLOMATIC HEADS OF MISSION, SELECTED MINISTERS, AND ZANU-PF LUMINARIES, HALF OF WHOM DID NOT SHOW JUDGING FROM THE MASS OF EMPTY TABLES. THE ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT DELIVERED A TWENTY- MINUTE WELCOME SPEECH IN WHICH HE ADDRESSED MOGAE IN CLOYING TERMS -- "MY DEAR BROTHER" BEING ONE OF THE LESS SACCHARINE -- AND PLEDGED ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP. THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 01419 260833Z SPEECH CONTAINED A NUMBER OF BRICKBATS FOR THE WEST, AND PARTICULARLY THE BRITISH, FOR DISTORTING THE NATURE OF ZIMBABWE'S FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. HE WAS DISMISSIVE OF THOSE WHO CLAIMED THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN ZIMBABWE SINCE 1999 BOILED DOWN TO A PROBLEM OF BASIC GOVERNANCE AND A THREAT TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY. HE CLAIMED ZIMBABWE WAS READY TO ENGAGE BRITAIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AS DISPLAYED IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE LETTER OF UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH-BROWN. HE THANKED BOTSWANA FOR ITS HELP IN GETTING VITAL FUEL AND OTHER SUPPLIES TO ZIMBABWE AND CONDEMNED THE "VIRTUAL SANCTIONS IMPOSED FROM THE WEST," ON WHICH HE PARTIALLY BLAMED ZIMBABWE'S CURRENT BAD ECONOMIC PATCH. "WE ARE A DETERMINED NATION; AS GALLANT FIGHTERS WE SHALL NEVER ALLOW OUR ECONOMY TO COLLAPSE." MUGABE EXPRESSED CERTAINTY THAT WITH THE FORMATION OF THE AFRICAN UNION IN JULY IN LUSAKA, THE IMF, WORLD BANK AND WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WOULD BE OBLIGED TO TAKE THE CONTINENT SERIOUSLY. MOGAE RESPONDED LARGELY WITH PLEASANTRIES, CONCLUDING HIS REMARKS BY THANKING MUGABE FOR THE "FULL BRIEFING" HE GAVE ON THE CHALLENGES ZIMBABWE FACES AND THE MEASURES ITS GOVERNMENT IS TAKING TO ADDRESS THEM. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: MOGAE IS THE SECOND AFRICAN HEAD OF STATE TO VISIT ZIMBABWE IN THE LAST MONTH: THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO'S JOSEPH KABILA WAS HERE MARCH 25-27. MUGABE REGALED BOTH VISITORS WITH HOSPITALITY SO LAVISH IT BORDERED ON THE OBSCENE, GIVEN THE COUNTRY'S CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES. IT HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED. MOST HEADS OF MISSION HERE ATTRIBUTE THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 01419 260833Z LATEST STAGED HOOPLA TO MUGABE'S WISH TO COURT THE PEACEABLE MOGAE. BOTSWANA PROVIDES A LIFELINE FOR ZIMBABWE, SUPPLYING INPUTS THAT ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS COUNTRY'S ECONOMY AND REMITTANCES FROM ZIMBABWEANS LIVING AND WORKING IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRY. BOTSWANA ALSO CHAIRS THE COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP THAT CURRENTLY WISHES TO SEND A MISSION TO ZIMBABWE TO INVESTIGATE THE REIGN OF TERROR BEING UNLEASHED AGAINST SUSPECTED OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, THE JUDICIARY, THE INDEPENDENT PRESS AND MOST RECENTLY, COMPANY MANAGERS IN URBAN AREAS. THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) HAS COURTED THE MOGAE GOVERNMENT ASSIDUOUSLY -- A STRATEGY THAT HAS BEGUN TO PAY DIVIDENDS -- AND MUGABE LIKELY HOPES TO PREVENT THAT RELATIONSHIP FROM GETTING ANY WARMER. MUGABE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME TELLING MOGAE THAT ALL WAS WELL IN ZIMBABWE, BUT HEARD NO PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM HIS GUEST ENDORSING THE FAST-TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >