CHRONOLOGY OF SOUTH AFRICAN FACILITATION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 003640 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S S. HILL NSC FOR B. LEO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2017 TAGS: PREL ZI SF SUBJECT: CHRONOLOGY OF SOUTH AFRICAN FACILITATION IN ZIMBABWE Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Following is a chronology of key events in the South African mediation in Zimbabwe since the Southern African Development Community (SADC) appointed President Thabo Mbeki as "facilitator" at its March 29, 2007 summit in Dar es Salaam. The South African Government (SAG) has not publicly announced the meetings with ZANU-PF or the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),so many of the events are not/not confirmed and based on reports from various press and privileged sources. March 27-29: SADC Extraordinary Summit in Dar es Salaam. Summit "mandates" Mbeki to "continue to facilitate dialogue between the opposition and government" in Zimbabwe and report on progress. Also "mandates" Executive Secretary to undertake "study of economic situation" and propose measures for assisting Zimbabwe. Early April: Mbeki sends letters to ZANU-PF and two MDC formations explaining his plans for the mediation and requesting papers on their views on the crisis. Mbeki appoints Minister for Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi as his lead negotiator for the Zimbabwe talks. Other members of the SAG team are Director General in the Presidency Frank Chikane, Presidential Legal Advisor Mojanku Gumbi, and Department of Foreign Affairs Director General Ayanda Ntsaluba. April 4: Mufamadi and SAG team meet with MDC Secretary-Generals Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube in Pretoria. SIPDIS April 11: MDC presents joint negotiating paper to SAG, focusing on necessary conditions for free and fair elections. May 4: MDC presents follow-up joint paper at request of SAG, identifying possible areas of "contention" during upcoming talks. Early May: Mufamadi and SAG team travel to Harare for talks with ZANU-PF, including key negotiators GOZ Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Labour Minister Nicholas Goche. June 1: Government of Zimbabwe/ZANU-PF presents negotiating paper to SAG, highlighting role of U.K. and sanctions in crisis. June 17-18: First round of South African/SADC-facilitated talks takes place in Pretoria; agreement on five-point agenda (constitution, electoral laws, security legislation, communications, and political climate). June 30: SADC Executive Secretary completes report on economic situation in Zimbabwe. July 7: ZANU-PF no-show at scheduled facilitation talks in Pretoria. Mbeki reportedly angry, calls Mugabe. Mid-July: ZANU-PF and MDC meet privately in Harare. ZANU-PF negotiators travel to Pretoria. SAG pressure on ZANU-PF to negotiate seriously. July 29: Following SAG Cabinet retreat, Mbeki says he is "quite confident" that agreement in Zimbabwe will be reached. Stresses that election results "should not be contested." August 13: SAG briefs Zimbabwe civil society in Johannesburg on talks. Civil society complains about exclusion from process. August 16-17: SADC Summit in Lusaka. Mbeki presents report on political facilitation. SADC Executive Secretariat reports on economic situation. Communique "commends" Mbeki and "welcomes progress" in negotiations. September 1-2: ZANU-PF and MDC negotiators meet in Pretoria on electoral process and constitutional reforms. September 14-15: Mbeki meets with MDC Presidents Tsvangirai and Mutumbara, and Secretary-Generals Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube in Pretoria; convinces them to support Constitutional Amendment 18. September 17: SAG briefs Zimbabwean civil society for second time in Johannesburg. PRETORIA 00003640 002 OF 002 September 18: Zimbabwean Parliament agrees on Constitutional Amendment 18 with support of ZANU-PF and MDC. September 19: South African Cabinet "welcomes" recent breakthrough on constitutional amendments in Zimbabwe. September 19-28: MDC and ZANU-PF meet regularly in Harare on new constitution and other issues. September 26: In UNGA speech criticizing U.S. and U.K., Mugabe expresses "gratitude" to Mbeki for "successfully facilitating" dialogue between ZANU-PF and MDC. Mbeki and Mugabe meet privately on margins of UNGA. September 29-30: MDC and ZANU-PF initial new constitution in Harare; SAG officials Mufamadi, Gumbi, and Chikane witness agreement. New constitution includes elements of rejected 2000 constitution, 2004 initialed document, and NCA draft. Early October: Mufamadi and Chikane meet ZANU-PF and MDC in Harare.. October 5: In public remarks with German Chancellor Merkel, Mbeki states that Zimbabwe talks "going very well," and he is "confident that they will reach an agreement." o/a October 17: Select SADC Finance Ministers, including SAG FinMin Manuel, to meet in Harare on economic crisis. Ongoing: MDC and ZANU-PF negotiators meeting in Harare to finalize remaining agenda items: repressive legislation, diaspora vote, sanctions, voters roll, timing of elections, and timing of implementation of constitution. October 30: MDC and ZANU-PF negotiators scheduled to return to Pretoria to report on progress. November: Target date for conclusion of South African/SADC facilitation. March 2008: Current date for Zimbabwe parliamentary and presidential elections; could be delayed to September or October. ¶2. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassy Harare. Teitelbaum