AMBASSADOR CALLS ON DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KHUPE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000168 SIPDIS AF/S FOR B. WALCH DRL FOR N. WILETT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KHUPE Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4(b) and (d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In a cordial courtesy call in her freshly-painted office, Ambassador McGee and Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe discussed the immediate needs of the new government and how the U.S. government can assist. DPM Khupe acknowledged the serious challenges facing government and the forces within ZANU-PF that are working against its success. She also admitted that she, the Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara all need assistance and guidance in managing ministries and in such basic public relations issues as speech development. Khupe expressed her appreciation for the U.S. government's humanitarian assistance and specifically requested further assistance with capacity building for government, technical assistance within ministries, conflict resolution training for MDC and ZANU-PF ministers and deputy ministers, and continued humanitarian assistance. Ambassador McGee promised to investigate how the USG can further help. END SUMMARY. -------------- New Government Needs Deliverables... -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador McGee called on the Deputy Prime Minister in her freshly-painted and modestly-adorned new office, housed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a frank and friendly discussion, Khupe acknowledged the serious challenges facing government, particularly health, education, and lack of access to clean water. She expressed concern for the humanitarian crisis and said the government needs help in securing deliverable accomplishments to both help the Zimbabwean people and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the MDC in governance. ¶3. (C) Noting specific challenges including political detainees, recent farm invasions, breakdown in the rule of law, and lack of secure property rights, Khupe glanced at Mugabe's photo and indicated they were dealing with a "crazy" man. She went on to admit that while some in ZANU-PF are working to derail the new government, some are open minded and have been shocked with the unity government's accomplishments to date. She told the Ambassador that quickly delivering on opening schools and health facilities and paying civil servants in foreign currency were vital to demonstrating--both to ZANU-PF and to the voters--the MDC's ability to get things done. -------------- ...But Needs Help -------------- ¶4. (C) Khupe and the Ambassador specifically discussed several gaps that the USG may be able to fill: technical assistance to ministries, capacity building, conflict resolution training, and continued humanitarian assistance. Khupe understood USG limitations against funding salaries for government officials and development assistance. ¶5. (C) In terms of technical assistance, Khupe said there were only a handful of people in each ministry that understand both how the ministry works and that have the Qunderstand both how the ministry works and that have the technical knowledge needed in each sector. She conceded that some ZANU-PF ministers confessed they hadn't been doing anything. The Ambassador responded that while the USG couldn't provide salary assistance to civil servants, we might be able to fund local experts to fill technical knowledge gaps. HARARE 00000168 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Capacity building is another key gap. Khupe said that she, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara all needed help understanding how to oversee ministries, how government works, and assistance enhancing their own individual capacity to govern. Khupe is responsible for overseeing ministries in the social cluster (Education, Sport, Art and Culture; Higher and Tertiary Education; Health and Child Welfare; Public Service; Youth, Development, Indigenization and Empowerment; and Women's Affairs, Gender, and Community Development) and the rights and interests cluster (Foreign Affairs; Justice and Legal Affairs; Media, Information, and Publicity; and Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs). She said she had the right to recommend that ministers be fired and replaced; however, she and DPM Mutambara both lacked the management experience to help them oversee ministers and fire underperformers. ¶7. (C) Khupe also described conflict resolution training as an urgent priority. Ministers and deputy ministers alike would benefit from training that would enable them to work more effectively together and to diffuse conflicts. ¶8. (C) Khupe acknowledged the U.S.'s lead role in providing humanitarian assistance. She noted that she would be touring hospitals and schools in the area later this week to better familiarize herself with the reality on the ground. ¶9. (C) Ambassador McGee acknowledged these concerns and promised to meet with Khupe again to identify specific areas in which the USG can assist. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (C) Our meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Khupe was a breath of fresh air. Her ready acknowledgment that she and other MDC officials are unsure how to govern reflects an honest self-evaluation one rarely finds in the upper echelons of government. She is fully committed to doing her best to make this imperfect arrangement work and to ensure the MDC remains a credible political party. However, the MDC can only achieve success with help. Post will investigate means to provide assistance to humanitarian efforts within the boundaries of our legal obligations. END COMMENT. MCGEE