Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PRETORIA1000
2008-05-09 15:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:
MBEKI AND ADVISORS REVEAL BIAS AGAINST MDC (AND
how-toVZCZCXRO9878 PP RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHSA #1000/01 1301538 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091538Z MAY 08 FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4430 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 3658 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1520 RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN PRIORITY 5588 RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN PRIORITY 9805 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 001000
SIPDIS
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KHUM KDEM SF ZI
SUBJECT: MBEKI AND ADVISORS REVEAL BIAS AGAINST MDC (AND
WEST)
REF: PRETORIA 951
PRETORIA 00001000 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mary Deane Conners. Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 001000
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KHUM KDEM SF ZI
SUBJECT: MBEKI AND ADVISORS REVEAL BIAS AGAINST MDC (AND
WEST)
REF: PRETORIA 951
PRETORIA 00001000 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mary Deane Conners. Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).
1. (C) British diplomat Marianne Young (protect) told PolOff
on 09 May that President Mbeki's chief strategist, Joel
Netshitenzhe, has bought Mugabe's argument that the MDC is a
western puppet "hook, line, and sinker." Young had just
returned from a meeting with an unnamed source in the
presidency who told her that Netshitenzhe believes Zimbabwe
is a "failed Orange Revolution," and that the U.S. and UK are
using "western tactics like trying to cobble together 50
percent for MDC, which obviously did not happen." According
to Young's source, Netshitenzhe also believes the arguments
made to President Mbeki in Pretoria on 06 May by ZANU-PF
negotiators Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche that
teachers at polling stations manipulated the results in favor
of MDC.
2. (C) Young also revealed that Minister of Local Government
Sydney Mufamadi, a key member of Mbeki's mediation team on
Zimbabwe, called the British High Commissioner on 25 April to
relay two messages from President Mbeki. The first was that
Prime Minister Brown's suggestion that a UN arms embargo be
considered was completely unnecessary. The second was that
the British should not trust Morgan Tsvangirai. (NOTE:
Mufamadi's comments are ridiculous given the timing of his
demarche. The UK suggested the arms embargo soon after the
South African government approved the unloading and transport
of Chinese ammunition destined to Zimbabwe through South
Africa. In fact, Mufamadi, who chairs SAG's National
Conventional Arms Control Committee, personally approved the
transfer. Despite the SAG's public statements that there was
no legal basis to deny the license request, civil society
groups contested the transfer in Durban High Court on the
basis of human rights exemptions in the applicable domestic
law, forcing the ship to leave Durban on 19 April. END NOTE)
3. (C) President Mbeki also has recently publicly complained
that the US and UK have sought to subvert SADC's mediation
efforts and that Tsvangirai has reneged on agreements with
him, such as participating in a run-off, at the advice of the
US and UK. During a meeting with church leaders on 04 May,
Mbeki allegedly called Tsvangirai a "puppet of the west,"
though Mbeki's spokesperson Mokone Ratshitanga has publicly
denied such a statement was made. Earlier today, press
reports also noted that Mbeki has skoffed at the idea of
outside observers in Zimbabwe, saying that the suggestion
implies Africans cannot run their own elections.
4. (C) In what Post initially interpreted as good news,
Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo yesterday spoke out publicly
about the escalating violence in Zimbabwe, saying that a
run-off under current conditions is not possible. Mamabolo,
however, refused to lay blame on either party, saying
instead, "Both sides are blaming each other." (NOTE:
Mamabolo, who is well-respected in the diplomatic community
and leads the South African observer mission to Zimbabwe, has
voiced his concerns privately to Pretoria diplomats about the
increasing violence. END NOTE) Young's source in the
presidency told her that Mamabolo did not want to speak out
Qpresidency told her that Mamabolo did not want to speak out
because he thought it important to stay neutral, but was
forced to by the Presidency which wants to provide a
counterweight to ANC President Jacob Zuma's statements on the
crisis. Young also said that the South African observation
team of retired military officers sent in earlier this week
to investigate violence was an ANC-led initiative, not the
government's (reftel).
5. (C) COMMENT: Mbeki has consistently argued that he cannot
criticize ZANU-PF or Mugabe if he wants to be effective as a
mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis. However, both his words and
actions, as well as those of other South African officials
close to him, appear to be anything but neutral. His
critical comments of the US, UK, and MDC may be a way for him
to reassert himself as mediator and to regain some
credibility within the SADC region. Ironically, giving the
impression that the only two choices in the crisis are
himself or western imperialists also has been Mugabe's
(scare) tactic. END COMMENT.
PRETORIA 00001000 002.2 OF 002
BALL
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KHUM KDEM SF ZI
SUBJECT: MBEKI AND ADVISORS REVEAL BIAS AGAINST MDC (AND
WEST)
REF: PRETORIA 951
PRETORIA 00001000 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mary Deane Conners. Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).
1. (C) British diplomat Marianne Young (protect) told PolOff
on 09 May that President Mbeki's chief strategist, Joel
Netshitenzhe, has bought Mugabe's argument that the MDC is a
western puppet "hook, line, and sinker." Young had just
returned from a meeting with an unnamed source in the
presidency who told her that Netshitenzhe believes Zimbabwe
is a "failed Orange Revolution," and that the U.S. and UK are
using "western tactics like trying to cobble together 50
percent for MDC, which obviously did not happen." According
to Young's source, Netshitenzhe also believes the arguments
made to President Mbeki in Pretoria on 06 May by ZANU-PF
negotiators Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche that
teachers at polling stations manipulated the results in favor
of MDC.
2. (C) Young also revealed that Minister of Local Government
Sydney Mufamadi, a key member of Mbeki's mediation team on
Zimbabwe, called the British High Commissioner on 25 April to
relay two messages from President Mbeki. The first was that
Prime Minister Brown's suggestion that a UN arms embargo be
considered was completely unnecessary. The second was that
the British should not trust Morgan Tsvangirai. (NOTE:
Mufamadi's comments are ridiculous given the timing of his
demarche. The UK suggested the arms embargo soon after the
South African government approved the unloading and transport
of Chinese ammunition destined to Zimbabwe through South
Africa. In fact, Mufamadi, who chairs SAG's National
Conventional Arms Control Committee, personally approved the
transfer. Despite the SAG's public statements that there was
no legal basis to deny the license request, civil society
groups contested the transfer in Durban High Court on the
basis of human rights exemptions in the applicable domestic
law, forcing the ship to leave Durban on 19 April. END NOTE)
3. (C) President Mbeki also has recently publicly complained
that the US and UK have sought to subvert SADC's mediation
efforts and that Tsvangirai has reneged on agreements with
him, such as participating in a run-off, at the advice of the
US and UK. During a meeting with church leaders on 04 May,
Mbeki allegedly called Tsvangirai a "puppet of the west,"
though Mbeki's spokesperson Mokone Ratshitanga has publicly
denied such a statement was made. Earlier today, press
reports also noted that Mbeki has skoffed at the idea of
outside observers in Zimbabwe, saying that the suggestion
implies Africans cannot run their own elections.
4. (C) In what Post initially interpreted as good news,
Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo yesterday spoke out publicly
about the escalating violence in Zimbabwe, saying that a
run-off under current conditions is not possible. Mamabolo,
however, refused to lay blame on either party, saying
instead, "Both sides are blaming each other." (NOTE:
Mamabolo, who is well-respected in the diplomatic community
and leads the South African observer mission to Zimbabwe, has
voiced his concerns privately to Pretoria diplomats about the
increasing violence. END NOTE) Young's source in the
presidency told her that Mamabolo did not want to speak out
Qpresidency told her that Mamabolo did not want to speak out
because he thought it important to stay neutral, but was
forced to by the Presidency which wants to provide a
counterweight to ANC President Jacob Zuma's statements on the
crisis. Young also said that the South African observation
team of retired military officers sent in earlier this week
to investigate violence was an ANC-led initiative, not the
government's (reftel).
5. (C) COMMENT: Mbeki has consistently argued that he cannot
criticize ZANU-PF or Mugabe if he wants to be effective as a
mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis. However, both his words and
actions, as well as those of other South African officials
close to him, appear to be anything but neutral. His
critical comments of the US, UK, and MDC may be a way for him
to reassert himself as mediator and to regain some
credibility within the SADC region. Ironically, giving the
impression that the only two choices in the crisis are
himself or western imperialists also has been Mugabe's
(scare) tactic. END COMMENT.
PRETORIA 00001000 002.2 OF 002
BALL