ZIM NOTES 07-10-2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000577 AF/S FOR B. WALCH ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR STATE PASS TO USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND J. HARMON COMMERCE FOR ROBERT TELCHIN SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ECON ZI SUBJECT: ZIM NOTES 07-10-2009 -------------- ¶1. SUMMARY -------------- Topics of the week: - Kimberley Team Urges Ban on Chiadzwa Diamonds... - Cabinet Presses Ministers on Outstanding Issues... - Constitutional All Stakeholders Conference to Kick-Off Monday... - Another MDC-T MP Convicted... - Swine Flu in Zimbabwe? - MIC Maintaining Journalist Accreditation Authority... - Well-Connected Brit Gets Off... - Zimbabweans Are World's Unhappiest People... - Cost of Living Rises Sharply in June 2009... - Zimbabwe's Horticulture Industry Affected by Global Recession... - Investment Conference Sends Mixed Signals... - Panning More Lucrative Than Ever... -------------- On the Political/Social Front -------------- ¶2. Kimberley Team Urges Ban on Chiadzwa Diamonds... A delegation from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has called for an immediate ban on trade in diamonds from Zimbabwe's Marange fields after unearthing gross human rights violations and other illegal activities at the notorious diamond fields. The delegation said their final report and recommendations (which could include Zimbabwe's suspension from the Kimberley Process) will take into account measures the GOZ implements over the two weeks following the visit. The Liberian team leader made a powerful rebuke of the state-sponsored violence when he compared the atrocities to those that occurred in his own country. The GOZ's initial public response pledged phased demilitarization of Chiadzwa, but did not include immediate suspension of mining. ¶3. Cabinet Presses Ministers on Outstanding Issues... In a contentious Cabinet meeting this week, MDC ministers pressed all three principals --Mugabe, Tsvangirai, and Mutambara-- for resolution of outstanding issues. With agreement apparently reached on the appointment of governors, ambassadors, and permanent secretaries, and the swearing-in of Roy Bennett as Deputy Minister of Agriculture to be implemented in August, the remaining unresolved issues are the continued presence of Gideon Gono as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Johannes Tomana as Attorney General. The ministers demanded that the principals report back to them at next week's Cabinet meeting. Separately, Tsvangirai plans to travel to SADC capitals within the next couple of weeks to urge an extraordinary SADC summit to deal with these issues. ¶4. Constitutional All Stakeholders Conference to Kick-Off Monday... 4,000 delegates representing a cross-section of Zimbabwe's populace are scheduled to converge on Harare on Monday to kick-off the first All Stakeholders Conference (ASC). The conference is charged with establishing thematic sub-committees that will direct a four-month nationwide consultative program to extract Zimbabwean's views on constitutional issues such as checks on executive authorities, control of the military, and potentially a Bill of Rights. The constitutional process has been progressing on schedule, but is Qconstitutional process has been progressing on schedule, but is threatened by political infighting, disagreements over the role of the Kariba Draft, and attempts by ZANU-PF to delay the process. See Harare 570. ¶5. Another MDC-T MP Convicted... A Chipinge magistrate sentenced the MP for Chipinge South, Meki Makuyana, to 18 months in prison on charges of kidnapping. He was sentenced along with three other MDC members, Hardwork Masaiti the counselor for ward 26 in Chipinge South, Simon Chaya and Wedzerai Gwenzi. According to an MDC statement, this brings to seven the number of MDC-T MPs who have HARARE 00000577 002 OF 003 been convicted or face trumped-up charges this year. ¶6. Swine Flu in Zimbabwe? The lead article in the Herald on July 9 warned of the country's first two cases of the deadly H1N1 swine flu virus. Neither case has resulted in a fatality. One victim was a visiting Asian man recently arrived from London, while the other was a Zimbabwean who had just returned from South Africa. Zimbabwe lacks the ability to test for the disease locally, indicating that most likely the diagnoses occurred overseas. ¶7. MIC Maintaining Journalist Accreditation Authority... The Media Information Commission --a body that a High Court judge in June ruled no longer had accreditation powers-- insisted that journalists wishing to cover this week's International Investment Conference would have to be vetted and accredited by the MIC. ¶8. Well-Connected Brit Gets Off... British property tycoon, Nicholas van Hoogstraten, has been cleared of illegal currency dealing and possession of pornography charges by a Zimbabwean court. The case was thrown out this week after judges said police had broken the rules when they raided his home. The 64-year-old, who appeared in court using his new surname von Hessen and owns about 200 properties in Zimbabwe, is reported to have good relations with President Mugabe. ¶9. Zimbabweans Are World's Unhappiest People... In a recent survey by a U.K.-based think tank, the New Economics Foundation, Zimbabwe ranked last out of 143 nations surveyed over the happiness of its citizens. The think tank attempted to measure life expectancy, personal satisfaction, and the natural environment to develop the "Happy Nation Index". Low life expectancy in Zimbabwe is cited as one of the core reasons for Zimbabwe's poor showing. Zimbabwean men are expected to live just 37 years, while women on average live only ¶34. -------------- On the Economic and Business Front -------------- ¶10. Cost of Living Rises Sharply in June 2009... The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe calculated that the cost of living for a family of six rose by 15 percent from US$438 in May to US$502 in June 2009. Much of this increase was accounted for by a 24 percent increase in the price of food and rent. The figures highlight the inadequacy of the US$100 allowance given to civil servants. ¶11. Zimbabwe's Horticulture Industry Affected by Global Recession... The Horticultural Promotion Council (HPC) of Zimbabwe says the industry has been adversely affected by the global recession. The flower sector has been the biggest loser with prices falling by as much as 35 percent. As a result, small-scale flower growers have gone under due to viability problems. The HPC is urging members to diversify their businesses by exploring the Australian, New Zealand, South African, and South East Asian markets in addition to their traditional European markets. ¶12. Investment Conference Sends Mixed Signals... The GOZ organized Q12. Investment Conference Sends Mixed Signals... The GOZ organized an international investment conference running from July 9 to 10, 2009 to market a more positive image of the country despite the economic and social realities on the ground. Mugabe opened the conference, but dampened spirits when he said the British will have to compensate farmers who lost their land during the chaotic land reform. At this point commercial farmers in attendance got up and left, while the remainder of the audience appeared more subdued. Only a handful of international investors attended the conference. ¶13. Panning More Lucrative Than Ever... Since dollarization and the release of gold price controls earlier this year, irregular panning has become more lucrative than ever in Penhalonga near Metallon Gold's Redwing gold mine. Metallon closed the mine in 2008 HARARE 00000577 003 OF 003 due to flooding caused by power blackouts. Residents of the mining settlement told us that ZANU-PF bigwigs pass through regularly and pay up to US$20 per gram (US$568/oz) cash for gold which is trading on the world market this week at around US$930/oz. -------------- Quote of the Week -------------- ¶14. "I am from Liberia, Sir I was in Liberia throughout the 15 years of civil war, and I have experienced too much senseless violence in my lifetime, especially connected to diamonds. In speaking with some of these people, Minister, I had to leave the room. This has to be acknowledged and it has to stop." -- An excerpt from the Kimberley Team report provided to GOZ officials this week. Liberian Kimberley Process Team Leader Kpandel Fayia describes his reaction to state-sponsored violence in the Chiadzwa diamond fields. DHANANI