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