US embassy cable - 00PRETORIA3416

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 003416 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/S 
ALGIERS FOR A/S SUSAN RICE 
GABORONE/LUSAKA PLS. PASS S/E WOLPE 
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2010 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SF 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT MBEKI "SEIZES THE MOMENT" IN STATE VISIT 
TO WASHINGTON; WANTS AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ON 
HIV/AIDS 
 
REF: PRETORIA 3414 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR DELANO LEWIS.  REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY. IN A MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR LEWIS, PRESIDENT 
MBEKI DESCRIBED HIS UPCOMING STATE VISIT TO THE U.S. AS AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO "SEIZE THE MOMENT" TO TACKLE PROBLEMS OF 
POVERTY AND LACK OF DEVELOPMENT THAT PLAGUE SOUTH AFRICA.  HE 
SEEKS INVESTMENT FOR SOUTH AFRICA AS A MEANS TO POVERTY 
ALLEVIATION IN A COUNTRY THAT CANNOT COMPETE FAVORABLY FOR 
INVESTORS WITH AN INDIA, CHINA, OR BRAZIL.  MBEKI WANTS TO 
EXPLORE WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON WAYS TO TACKLE THE NEGATIVE 
IMAGE, FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES, SOUTH AFRICA PRESENTS TO THE 
WORLD AS A COUNTRY RIDDLED WITH CRIME. MBEKI CONTRADICTS THE 
VIEW THAT CRIME IN SOUTH AFRICA IS WORSE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE. 
HE UNDERSTANDS THE NEGATIVE FALLOUT, IN PUBLIC RELATIONS 
TERMS, PRODUCED BY HIS CONTROVERSIAL POSITION ON HIV/AIDS HAS 
PRODUCED AND HAS DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH HIS STAFF. 
AMBASSADOR LEWIS WILL MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT'S DIRECTOR 
GENERAL TO EXPLORE A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY ON THE 
PRESIDENT'S HIV/AIDS POSITION THAT HIGHLIGHTS HIS POSITIVE 
ACHIEVEMENTS IN COMBATTING THE HIV/AIDS SCOURGE.  MBEKI 
CONTINUES TO HOLD THE VIEW THAT VARYING OPINIONS MUST BE 
HEARD.  THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT HIS DESIRE 
TO SEE MBEKI HAVE A SUCCESSFUL U.S. TRIP AND HAS OFFERED ALL 
HIS HELP AND CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCE TO ENABLE THE PRESIDENT TO 
ACHIEVE GOALS BOTH THE U.S. AND MBEKI SHARE FOR SOUTH AFRICA. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) AMBASSADOR LEWIS, ACCOMPANIED BY POLCOUNSELOR, MET 
WITH PRESIDENT MBEKI MAY 3 AT THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE IN 
PRETORIA.  PRESIDENT MBEKI WAS JOINED BY THE REV. FRANK 
CHIKANE, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, 
AND BY ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER AZIZ PAHAD.  THE AMBASSADOR 
REQUESTED THE MEETING TO DISCUSS GOALS FOR THE MBEKI STATE 
VISIT TO THE U.S. MAY 22-23, THE OPTICS OF MBEKI'S 
CONTROVERSIAL POSITION ON HIV/AIDS, AND THE SITUATION IN 
ZIMBABWE.  REFTEL ADDRESSED ZIMBABWE.  THIS CABLE REVIEWS THE 
DISCUSSION ON MBEKI'S U.S. STATE VISIT AND HIS HIV/AIDS 
POSTURE. 
 
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SEIZING THE MOMENT WITH A STATE VISIT 
------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) IN RESPONSE TO AN INQUIRY FROM AMBASSADOR LEWIS, 
PRESIDENT MBEKI GROUNDED HIS OBJECTIVES FOR HIS UPCOMING 
STATE VISIT TO THE U.S. IN REMARKS MADE BY PRESIDENT CLINTON 
IN THREE SPEECHES -- BEFORE THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW 
YORK LAST SEPTEMBER, AT DAVOS, AND AT THE COUNCIL OF FOREIGN 
RELATIONS IN NEW YORK IN 1998.  MBEKI REMARKED THAT IN THOSE 
SPEECHES, CLINTON HIGHLIGHTED THE ASTOUNDING HIGH NUMBERS OF 
POOR PEOPLE WORLDWIDE; THE TENDENCY OF PHARMACEUTICALS TO 
RESEARCH AND DEVELOP DRUGS THAT DON'T HELP CURE DISEASES OF 
THE POOR BECAUSE THE POOR COULD NOT AFFORD TO BUY THOSE 
DRUGS; AND THE ROLE THE INDONESIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS HAD HAD 
IN THRUSTING ENTIRE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES INTO POVERTY. 
SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE.  CLINTON IS RIGHT TO RAISE THESE 
ISSUES, MBEKI SAID, AND THERE IS A "PARTICULAR MOMENT" IN 
HISTORY NOW THAT HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO DEAL WITH THEM. 
 
4. (C)   MBEKI CONTINUED THAT HE DID NOT THINK MANY PEOPLE 
UNDERSTOOD THIS ASPECT OF WHAT CLINTON WAS SAYING.  AT THE 
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, CLINTON EXPRESSED A NEED TO 
LOOK AT THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE, TO SEEK 
STABLE ECONOMIC SYSTEMS, AND TO ADDRESS ISSUES SUCH AS 
SHORT-TERM  CAPITAL FLOWS AND STRENGTHENING THE BANKING 
SYSTEM.  YET IN THE END, CLINTON IS SAYING THAT ONE IS STILL 
LEFT WITH BILLIONS OF POOR PEOPLE.  EVEN RECENTLY, MBEKI 
ADDED, THE CEO OF CITICORP REMARKED THAT THOSE AT THE TOP END 
OF THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM SHOULD NOT PRESUME THAT THEIR ISSUES 
ARE THE KINDS OF ISSUES THE MASSES OF THE PEOPLE WANT 
ADDRESSED.   THIS STATEMENT, MBEKI SAID, INDICATES "FURTHER 
CHANGE IN THE AIR." 
 
------------------------- 
IN SEARCH OF DEVELOPMENT 
------------------------- 
 
5. (C)   THE AMBASSADOR COMMENTED TO MBEKI THAT HE APPEARED 
TO BE SAYING THAT HIS U.S. VISIT WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A 
PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME TO MAKE PROGRESS ON ISSUES SUCH AS 
DEVELOPMENT AND THAT PRIVATE INVESTMENT COULD VERY WELL FORM 
A PART OF THAT MOMENT.  MBEKI AGREED.  HE SAID ALL 
DEVELOPMENT HAS FOCUSED ON CAPITAL AND THE NEED TO INVEST 
CAPITAL.  AT THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, PRESIDENT 
CLINTON WAS SAYING THAT SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO GET DIRECT 
INVESTMENT INTO COUNTRIES, BUT WHAT MUST ONE DO?   IF ONE IS 
A CHINA, MBEKI SAID, IT IS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE MARKET 
IS HUGE AND NO ONE CAN STAY AWAY FROM THAT MARKET. BUT WHAT 
OF SOUTH AFRICA WITH ONLY 40 MILLION PEOPLE?  SOUTH AFRICA 
CANNOT ATTRACT THE INVESTMENT OF AN INIDIA, CHINA, OR BRAZIL. 
IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE SOUTH AFRICA ATTRACTIVE TO INVESTMENT? 
HE SPOKE OF POSSIBILITIES USING INTERNAL INSTRUMENTS SUCH 
AS THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES PENSION FUND.  "IF YOU 
POLITICALLY INTERVENE," MBEKI CONTINUED, "YOU MAY BE ABLE TO 
MAKE A DIFFERENCE."  MBEKI SAID CLINTON UNDERSTOOD THIS NEED 
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN HE SAID THAT POVERTY IS 
INTOLERABLE.  "BUT HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE DEVELOPMENT?," MBEKI 
ASKED. 
 
-------------------------------- 
THE DESIRE TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT 
-------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) AMBASSADOR COMMENTED ON HIS PERSONAL BACKGROUND WHICH 
BRINGS 20 PLUS YEARS OF BUSINESS EXPERIENCE TO THE "TIME AND 
MOMENT" OF HIS POSITION AS AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH AFRICA.  HE 
TOLD MBEKI HE WAS RIGHT THAT SOME PEOPLE DO NOT SEE THE TIME 
AND MOMENT.  HE INDICATED TO MBEKI HIS DESIRE AND THAT OF HIS 
MISSION TO WORK CLOSELY WITH HIM TO SEE IF TOGETHER THEY 
MIGHT SEEK WAYS TO PROMOTE FINANCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL 
INVESTMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA.  THE AMBASSADOR NOTED HIS 
POSITIVE MEETING EARLIER IN THE DAY WITH MEMBERS OF THE 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY WHO WERE EXCITED ABOUT BEING IN 
THE SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION AND EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECTS 
FOR INVESTMENT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. HE ALSO TOLD MBEKI THAT AT 
THE STATE DINNER PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS PLANNING FOR HIM IN 
WASHINGTON, THERE WOULD BE MANY BUSINESS LEADERS AND CHIEF 
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS PRESENT.  SOUTH AFRICA MUST CREATE A 
CLIMATE TO ATTRACT THEIR INVESTMENT HERE BY TACKLING ISSUES 
SUCH AS CRIME. IF THERE IS A PERCEIVED LACK OF STABILITY, 
ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS WOULD PROVE MORE DIFFICULT. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
THE NEED TO TACKLE SOUTH AFRICA'S CRIME-RIDDEN IMAGE 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
7. (C) FOLLOWING ON AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS, MBEKI MADE THE 
POINT THAT SOMETHING WITHIN SOUTH AFRICA SEEMS TO CONVEY A 
MESSAGE THAT CRIME IS AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM IN SOUTH AFRICA 
WHEN, IN FACT, IT IS NO WORSE THAN THAT OF A COUNTRY SUCH AS 
BRAZIL.   IT IS INCORRECT, IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT, MBEKI 
OPINED, TO ATTRIBUTE A HIGH VOLUME OF CRIME TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
MBEKI EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT SUCH TALK IS DRIVEN BY SOUTH 
AFRICANS WHO HAVE PLACED INTO THEIR OWN HEADS AND INTO THE 
HEADS OF OTHERS THE NOTION THAT THEIR COUNTRY IS NOT SAFE. 
WE IN SOUTH AFRICA, HE SAID, "BEAT THE DRUMS WHEN ONE BANK 
ROBBERY OCCURS", WHILE IN FRANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER 80 BANK 
ROBBERIES OCCUR PER MONTH, BUT THEY ARE NOT REPORTED IN THE 
PRESS.  THIS IS DONE BECAUSE FRANCE FEARS SUCH STATISTICS 
WOULD GIVE FRANCE A BAD NAME. "I  DON'T KNOW HOW," HE SAID, 
'WE TURN THIS NEGATIVE PUBLICITY AROUND."   MBEKI SAID HE 
WOULD DISCUSS THIS WITH PRESIDENT CINTON DURING THE STATE 
VISIT.  HE ADDED THAT THE MESSAGE ON CRIME MUST ALSO BE 
CONVEYED TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
DEALING WITH THE OPTICS OF A CONTROVERSIAL HIV / AIDS POSITION 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
 
8.  (C)  THE AMBASSADOR TOLD MBEKI THAT HE WANTED TO RAISE 
WITH HIM THE SCENARIO HE IS LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER UPON HIS 
ARRIVAL IN WASHINGTON FOR HIS STATE VISIT, ESPECIALLY IN 
LIGHT OF THE POSITION HE HAS TAKEN ON HIV/AIDS.  THE 
AMBASSADOR EXPLAINED THAT HE DID NOT WANT THAT POSITION, AND 
OTHERS' REACTION TO IT, TO OVERSHADOW THE VISIT AND THE VERY 
POSITIVE THINGS MBEKI IS DOING IN SOUTH AFRICA TO COMBAT 
AIDS.  HE NOTED THAT THE ISSUE HAD DOGGED VICE PRESIDENT GORE 
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND MANY ACTIVISTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT 
THE PRESIDENT'S VIEWS.  WE STAND READY, THE AMBASSADOR 
CONTINUED, TO HELP YOU THINK THROUGH A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 
TO CONFRONT THIS SCENARIO. HE TOLD THE PRESIDENT THAT HIS 
STATEMENTS HAD NOT BEEN FULLY UNDERSTOOD.  IT WOULD BE 
HELPFUL NOW TO STRESS THE POSITIVE THINGS BEING DONE IN SOUTH 
AFRICA TO COMBAT HIV/AIDS.  THE AMBASSADOR COMMENTED THAT 
THIS COULD COMPLEMENT THE VERY POSITIVE STATEMENTS BOTH 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY SUSAN RICE AND PRESIDENT CLINTON MADE 
ABOUT HIS LETTER ON HIV/AIDS.  THE AMBASSADOR ALSO EXPRESSED 
CONCERN THAT ACTIVISTS MIGHT ATTEMPT TO BOYCOTT THE DURBAN 
CONFERENCE ON AIDS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN JULY. 
 
9. (C)  MBEKI NODDED IN AGREEMENT, SAYING HE AND HIS STAFF 
HAD DISCUSSED APPROACHES TO THE SCENARIO THE AMBASSADOR 
DESCRIBED.  YET HE DID NOT THINK ANYONE WOULD BOYCOTT THE 
DURBAN CONFERENCE.  HE LAMENTED THAT THE ORGANIZERS OF THE 
DURBAN CONFERENCE APPEARED TO WANT TO BAR EXHIBITS THAT DID 
NOT DOVETAIL WITH THEIR VIEWS.  AS SUCH, THEY HAD WITHDRAWN 
PERMISSION FOR AN ACT-UP SAN FRANCISCO EXHIBITION, SAYING 
"OTHER NGOS" HAD BEEN UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THEIR POINT OF VIEW. 
THIS GROUP SUPPORTED DISSENTING VIEWS.  THE PRESIDENT'S LEGAL 
ADVOCATE MOJANKU GUMBI HAD DETERMINED THAT THE ACTION OF THE 
ORGANIZERS WAS ILLEGAL.  IN THE END, ACT-UP SAN FRANCISCO WAS 
GRANTED PERMISSION TO PUT UP ITS EXHIBIT, BUT THE PASSING OF 
TIME HAD MEANT THERE WERE NO LONGER SPACES IN THE MAIN 
EXHIBIT HALL.  WHAT IS TROUBLING, MBEKI SAID, IS THAT PEOPLE 
ARE SAYING THAT BECAUSE THEY DIFFER WITH YOUR VIEWS, 
DISCUSSION OF YOUR VIEWS IS NOT PERMITTED.  MBEKI SAID 
DESPITE ACT-UP'S DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE LOCATION ASSIGNED TO 
THEIR EXHIBIT, HE HAD INSTRUCTED HIS MINISTER OF HEALTH TO 
PUT THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT IN WRITING TO THE ORGANIZERS, BUT 
THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO DISRUPTION OF CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. 
 
10. (C) FOLLOWING THE MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT, REV. 
CHIKANE ASKED IF THE AMBASSADOR MIGHT MEET WITH HIM TO 
DISCUSS FURTHER POSSIBLE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES THE 
PRESIDENT MIGHT USE IN WASHINGTON TO TACKLE THE NEGATIVE 
PUBLICITY OF MBEKI'S STANCE ON HIV/AIDS.  THE AMBASSADOR 
AGREED TO DO SO. 
 
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COMMENT 
-------- 
 
11. (C) PRESIDENT MBEKI WAS VERY UPBEAT ABOUT HIS VISIT TO 
WASHINGTON AND HIS RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR PRESIDENT 
CLINTON, AS A "FRIEND OF AFRICA", PERMEATED HIS REMARKS. WHAT 
MBEKI WANTS MOST TO ACHIEVE IS INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT FOR 
SOUTH AFRICA. THAT REMAINS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF HIS VISIT 
AGENDA. ON HIS CONTROVERSIAL HIV/AIDS POSITION, WE DO NOT 
EXPECT TO SEE CHANGE.  WE DO EXPECT, HOWEVER, THAT MBEKI WILL 
MOVE EARLY ON IN HIS VISIT TO POINT OUT THE POSITIVE ASPECTS 
OF HIS HIV/AIDS PROGRAM.  THE AMBASSADOR WILL FOLLOW THROUGH 
ON A MEETING WITH CHIKANE TO EXPLORE VIABLE OPTIONS FOR MBEKI 
IN THIS AREA.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
LEWIS