LETTER TO PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI FROM MDC LEADER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002629

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CGURNEY
PARIS FOR CNEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2012
TAGS: OPDC PREL ZI
SUBJECT: LETTER TO PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI FROM MDC LEADER
TSVANGIRAI


SIPDIS

REF: HARARE 2620


1. (c) As reported reftel, we received a copy of a letter
sent by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai to South African
President, Thabo Mbeki. The letter was delivered in person
to President Mbeki's office by Tsvangirai's special advisor.
As of November 20, Tsvangirai had not yet received a response.


2. (c) Begin Text of Tsvangirai-Mbeki letter:

8th November, 2002

His Excellency
President Thabo Mbeki
Republic of South Africa

I greet you in the name of African brotherhood.

Your Excellency, I write to you to raise a few issues of
concern to ourselves as party to the dialogue co-sponsored by
yourselves and President Obasanjo. I want to believe that we
all accept that there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe
emanating from the presidential election that was not
conducted in a free and fair manner. Your Excellency as
member of the Commonwealth troika are party to the March 2002
decision of the organization to suspend Zimbabwe,
(government),from the councils of the same resulting from
its failure to uphold certain principles concerning the
conduct of elections.

We in the party salute your decision and indeed your boldness
to arrive at it. Indeed the election in Zimbabwe was not
free and fair and the political crisis in the country is
about a stolen election and is therefore a crisis of
legitimacy.

In-spite of the outcome we further salute your intervention
through the inter-party dialogue initiative, which without
your wisdom would not have taken place. The crisis of
legitimacy in Zimbabwe remains compounding the crisis of
governance that has been with us for some time now. The very
acceptance by the parties to enter into dialogue on the
agreed agenda is a recognition that there is a political
crisis in the country needing resolution through dialogue. I
still believe that dialogue is ultimately inevitable to the
resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Your Excellency while appreciating your role in trying to
resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe I wish to raise here two
issues of concern to us in the party.

Firstly, I note that since the inter-party dialogue stalled
many South African government delegations have visited
Zimbabwe engaging the ZANU(PF) government. The last such
delegation was led by Foreign Minister, Nkosazana Zuma, not
too long ago.

We in the party do not mind your continued engagement of the
government on the various issues concerning the political
crisis in the country. However, we believe that if Your
Excellency recognizes that the political crisis in the
country still persists and that you still consider yourself
as an impartial broker to the resolution of the crisis then
South African government delegations to the country engaging
the ZANU(PF) government should also take the courtesy of at
least allowing a briefing from ourselves as party to the
effort to finding a resolution of the crisis. I believe that
the failure by the various South African government
delegations to engage our party compromises your image as an
impartial broker.

Secondly, I note with concern the statement by Foreign
Minister, Nkosazana Zuma, during her last visit to Zimbabwe
in which she says that South Africa does not see any signs of
a looming bloodbath in Zimbabwe. I want to believe that her
statement was irresponsible. We in the party have made all
efforts and against all odds to contain public anger by
counseling patience on a restless population. But we could
be reaching a stage where that may no longer be possible
especially given the increasing arrogance of the ZANU(PF)
government on the one hand and the growing impatience of the
masses on the other hand. I want to believe that the
Minister's statement is unfortunate and therefore should be
withdrawn.

Your Excellency, the Zimbabwe crisis is real and needs
resolution rather than management.

I avail myself, Your Excellency, this opportunity to renew
the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours Sincerely,


Morgan Tsvangirai
President
End Text
SULLIVAN