Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PRETORIA771
2008-04-11 15:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:
ZUMA WARNS OF CRISIS ON ZIMBABWE
how-toVZCZCXRO0093 RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHSA #0771 1021515 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 111515Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA TO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0656 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1494 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0616 RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 5521 RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9745 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4140 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 5522 RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9746 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 000771
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON SF ZI
SUBJECT: ZUMA WARNS OF CRISIS ON ZIMBABWE
REF: PRETORIA 729
Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond L. Brown. Reasons 1.4(b) an
d (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 000771
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON SF ZI
SUBJECT: ZUMA WARNS OF CRISIS ON ZIMBABWE
REF: PRETORIA 729
Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond L. Brown. Reasons 1.4(b) an
d (d).
1. (U) On 10 April, ANC President Jacob Zuma addressed the
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry's annual dinner.
While not the focus of his remarks, Zuma specifically took up
the issue of Zimbabwe. Laughing incredulously at one point,
he said "all things we never thought of are happening in
Zimbabwe." Zuma added, "You have never heard of a situation
anywhere where people will vote, and the electoral commission
just sits on the results without saying anything." Zuma said
all parties should respect the will of the people, as well as
the rule of law, and that disputes should be resolved through
legal channels. He said that the ANC had already expressed
concern for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's delay in
announcing the election results. The ANC President again
urged the release of the results as soon as possible before
Zimbabwe "plunged into a more serious crisis." Zuma appealed
to the record crowd of 1,700 in Durban to ensure that the
"hard-won" political peace in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province
between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) be
maintained. He said that he did not want KZN to be compared
to the north (referring to Zimbabwe).
2. (U) In his wide-ranging remarks, Zuma sought to assure
Durban business leaders of the ANC's commitment to democracy,
fighting crime, and overcoming the electricity crisis in
South Africa. Zuma described the ANC's December conference
and its results as demonstrating the party's "maturity" and
its commitment to democracy. He reminded the audience that
the ANC had presided over an economy that had recorded the
highest growth in South African history over an extended
period of time. Employment, though still insufficient, was
on the rise and the overall outlook for South Africa's
economy was favorable. Zuma pressed for a new "urgency" in
the battle against crime, calling for street committees and
the closing of legal loopholes favoring criminals.
3. (C) COMMENT. Zuma's comments are in sharp contrast to
President Mbeki's and other SAG officials' more muted public
responses to the Zimbabwe crisis. A week after the polls,
Mbeki publicly urged "patience" and described the situation
as "manageable." Then on 10 April, both Deputy Foreign
Minister Aziz Pahad and Deputy President Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka told the press that the international community
had unrealistic expectations of what South Africa could
achieve. "We are not a government who can ask other
presidents to step down; Zimbabwe is not a province of South
Africa," Pahad said. Zuma's comments may be welcome, but
also may give false hope. After all, it is South Africa's
governmental representatives -- not Zuma -- who will be
sitting at the table tomorrow when SADC leaders convene to
discuss the crisis. END COMMENT.
4. (U) This message was drafted in conjunction with ConGen
Durban.
BOST
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON SF ZI
SUBJECT: ZUMA WARNS OF CRISIS ON ZIMBABWE
REF: PRETORIA 729
Classified By: Political Counselor Raymond L. Brown. Reasons 1.4(b) an
d (d).
1. (U) On 10 April, ANC President Jacob Zuma addressed the
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry's annual dinner.
While not the focus of his remarks, Zuma specifically took up
the issue of Zimbabwe. Laughing incredulously at one point,
he said "all things we never thought of are happening in
Zimbabwe." Zuma added, "You have never heard of a situation
anywhere where people will vote, and the electoral commission
just sits on the results without saying anything." Zuma said
all parties should respect the will of the people, as well as
the rule of law, and that disputes should be resolved through
legal channels. He said that the ANC had already expressed
concern for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's delay in
announcing the election results. The ANC President again
urged the release of the results as soon as possible before
Zimbabwe "plunged into a more serious crisis." Zuma appealed
to the record crowd of 1,700 in Durban to ensure that the
"hard-won" political peace in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province
between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) be
maintained. He said that he did not want KZN to be compared
to the north (referring to Zimbabwe).
2. (U) In his wide-ranging remarks, Zuma sought to assure
Durban business leaders of the ANC's commitment to democracy,
fighting crime, and overcoming the electricity crisis in
South Africa. Zuma described the ANC's December conference
and its results as demonstrating the party's "maturity" and
its commitment to democracy. He reminded the audience that
the ANC had presided over an economy that had recorded the
highest growth in South African history over an extended
period of time. Employment, though still insufficient, was
on the rise and the overall outlook for South Africa's
economy was favorable. Zuma pressed for a new "urgency" in
the battle against crime, calling for street committees and
the closing of legal loopholes favoring criminals.
3. (C) COMMENT. Zuma's comments are in sharp contrast to
President Mbeki's and other SAG officials' more muted public
responses to the Zimbabwe crisis. A week after the polls,
Mbeki publicly urged "patience" and described the situation
as "manageable." Then on 10 April, both Deputy Foreign
Minister Aziz Pahad and Deputy President Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka told the press that the international community
had unrealistic expectations of what South Africa could
achieve. "We are not a government who can ask other
presidents to step down; Zimbabwe is not a province of South
Africa," Pahad said. Zuma's comments may be welcome, but
also may give false hope. After all, it is South Africa's
governmental representatives -- not Zuma -- who will be
sitting at the table tomorrow when SADC leaders convene to
discuss the crisis. END COMMENT.
4. (U) This message was drafted in conjunction with ConGen
Durban.
BOST