BOLIVIAN VP TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA; ANC DELEGATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 000537

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S M. TABLER-STONE AND WHA/AND L. PETRONI AND R.
TIBBETTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM BO SF
SUBJECT: BOLIVIAN VP TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA; ANC DELEGATION
IN BOLIVIA

REF: A. STATE 202776


B. PRETORIA 5152

C. PRETORIA 3182

Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond Brown. Reasons 1.4(b) and (
d).


1. (C) Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia plans to visit
South Africa soon, likely in March, according to Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Director Annelize Schroeder.
During a February 8 discussion with PolOff, Schroeder said
she hopes that the Garcia visit will "energize" the South
African-Bolivian relationship, which has been largely dormant
since the SAG delegation visited La Paz in July. DFA has not
received any response to its written offers for cooperation,
such as in the fields of constitutional reform and energy,
presented during the trip (Ref C). "The ball is in their
court," Schroeder said, expressing frustration with the lack
of response in the Bolivian bureaucracy.


2. (C) Despite previous plans for President Morales to visit
South Africa in early 2007, Schroeder said there is no date
for the Morales trip and she is not sure it will happen in
2007 (Ref B). (NOTE: Schroeder reported that the visit of
Venezuelan President Chavez to South Africa will likely take
place in the second half of 2007, possibly in September. END
NOTE.)


3. (SBU) Despite DFA's frustrations with the Bolivian
bureaucracy, the relationship between the two ruling parties
appears stronger. A senior-level African National Congress
(ANC) delegation, led by Secretary General Kgalema Motlanthe,
visited Bolivia January 31 to February 6. An ANC press
release characterized the visit as "highly successful" and
created the basis for "more systematic and sustained"
cooperation between the ANC and MAS, Bolivia's governing
party (www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/pr/2007/pr0208.html). The
delegation, which met with President Morales, Vice President
Garcia, and party leaders, included Blade Nzimande, South
African Communist Party (SACP) Secretary General; Zwelinzima
Vavi, Congress of SA Trade Unions (COSATU) General Secretary;
and Ebrahim Ebrahim, ANC National Executive Council member.
Post has previously discussed, in general terms, Ref A points
with Ebrahim and will meet him when he returns to the ANC
office to get a readout from the trip.


4. (C) COMMENT. As instructed in Ref A, Post will continue
to engage key DFA and ANC interlocutors on U.S. concerns
about the situation in Bolivia and would welcome any new
discussion points in advance of the Garcia trip in March.
While we await further details on the recent ANC trip to
Bolivia, we believe the deepening ties between the ANC and
MAS parties is potentially useful, if the ANC emphasizes
support for democratic institutions, rule of law, and
reconciliation. END COMMENT.
BOST