1. (C) IN A LUNCH MEETING WITH POLOFF NOVEMBER 1, NEW
DEPUTY JUSTICE MINISTER PAUL MANGWANA -- AND ZANU-PF
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT -- REVEALED THAT HIS MINISTRY IS
CURRENTLY DRAFTING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD BAN FOREIGN
FUNDING CHANNELED THROUGH NGOS FOR "POLITICAL TASKS,"
SUCH AS VOTER EDUCATION. HOWEVER, THE LEGISLATION WOULD
CLEARLY EXEMPT MONEY HEADED TO NGOS FOR USE IN
HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS, MANGWANA SAID. A PREVIOUS BILL
THAT WOULD BAN ALL FOREIGN FUNDING OF NGOS IS NO LONGER
UNDER CONSIDERATION. THE DEPUTY MINISTER INTIMATED THAT
THE BILL IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT ZIMBABWE'S SOVEREIGNTY.
IT IS NOT FOR FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO INTERFERE IN
ZIMBABWE'S ELECTORAL PROCESSES; IT IS UP TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE ALONE TO "EDUCATE" VOTERS, HE
STATED. THE JUSTICE MINISTRY IS PLANNING ON SUBMITTING
THE BILL TO PARLIAMENT BY DECEMBER SO THAT IT CAN BE
PASSED BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS RECESS, MANGWANA CONCLUDED.



2. (C) COMMENT: BY DUMPING A BLANKET BAN ON FOREIGN
NGO FUNDING AND DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN "POLITICAL" AND
"HUMANITARIAN" NGOS IN NEW LEGISLATION, THE GOZ APPEARS
TO BE BOWING TO THE REALITY OF LOOMING FOOD SHORTAGES IN
THE COUNTRY AND THE NEED FOR FOREIGN NGO HELP. IT IS
UNCLEAR WHETHER FUNDING FOR SPECIFIC NGOS WILL BE
BANNED, OR JUST CATEGORIES OF ORGANIZATIONS. IT IS ALSO
UNCLEAR HOW "POLITICAL TASKS" MAY BE DEFINED IN THE
FINAL LEGISLATION. IN ANY CASE, IT WILL PROBABLY PROVE
IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE GOZ TO TRACK HOW FOREIGN FUNDS GOING
TO ZIMBABWEAN NGOS ARE USED -- ALL IT WILL NEED IS A
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LEGAL PRETEXT AND A SUSPICION TO SHUT DOWN ORGANIZATIONS
ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES IT CONSIDERS A THREAT TO ITS
CONTINUED HOLD ON POWER. END COMMENT.



3. (U) BIO NOTE: PAUL MANGWANA, THE ZANU-PF MP FOR
KADOMA EAST, WAS MOVED FROM THE DEPUTY SLOT AT THE
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS TO THE
RECONSTITUTED POSITION OF DEPUTY JUSTICE MINISTER IN THE
JULY 2001 CABINET RESHUFFLE. MANGWANA, IN HIS LATE
THIRTIES, CAN BE CONSIDERED A "YOUNG TURK" IN ZANU-PF
WHO HAS ADMITTED THAT HE WOULD RATHER CHANGE THE SYSTEM
FROM WITHIN THAN FROM WITHOUT. MANGWANA OWNS A CHICKEN-
PRODUCTION BUSINESS AND IS WELL-OFF. THE DEPUTY
MINISTER IS A LAWYER BY TRAINING AND ENTERED PRIVATE
PRACTICE WITH CURRENT JUSTICE MINISTER PATRICK CHINAMASA
IN 1986. HE WAS ELECTED TO PARLIAMENT FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN 2000. END BIO NOTE.

SULLIVAN

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