CAPITALIZING ON POTUS VISIT TO MOVE SOUTH AFRICA

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001453

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF A/S KANSTEINER AND AF/S; NSC FOR AFRICA SR DIR
FRAZER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2008
TAGS: PGOV PREL SF ZI
SUBJECT: CAPITALIZING ON POTUS VISIT TO MOVE SOUTH AFRICA
ON ZIMBABWE

REF: A. (A) PRETORIA 3756


B. (B) HARARE 1446

Classified By: JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5(d)

1.(C) Embassy Harare agrees wholeheartedly with Ambassador
Hume's recommendation reftel to build on the cooperative
spirit expressed during President Bush's visit to try to
transform President Mbeki's words into useful action. We
hope, in particular, that every way can be tried to engage
the South African Government in fixing clear objectives and a
short-term timetable for resolution of Zimbabwe's crisis As
outlined in ref B, the GOZ has been managing its crisis on a
week-to-week basis and doing everything possible to buy time
and avoid deadlines or specific commitments. Of late, the
GOZ has latched onto President Mbeki's initiative as welcome
(presumably in lieu of anything else),which gives the South
Africans increased leverage to bring the parties to the
table. If dialogue between the parties is the immediate
objective, the agenda mediated by South Africa and Nigeria
and agreed to by ZANU/PF and the MDC in May, 2002 provides a
good starting point. With respect to a multilateral
initiative, we agree that prospects for initiating this in
the near term are not good. For this reason, it is all the
more important to make the South African effort effective.

SULLIVAN