US embassy cable - 03HARARE2160

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002160 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S. DELISI AND M. RAYNOR 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2008 
TAGS: PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: MUGABE WORKING AFTER POSSIBLE BRIEF "HEALTH 
EPISODE" 
 
REF: (A) IIR 692600504 (B) PRETORIA 5653 (C) PRETORIA 
 
     5639 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Win Dayton under Section 1.5(b)(d) 
 
1.  (C) Reports that President Mugabe suffered a stroke or 
other debilitating illness within the past week appear to be 
unfounded.  Reliable Embassy contacts confirmed that he had 
been sighted on numerous occasions during the past few days, 
including at a politburo meeting yesterday and at the 
construction site for his new mansion in suburban Harare.  In 
addition, local TV footage October 29 showed him in apparent 
good health at the 14th General Assembly and Scientific 
Symposium of the International Council on Monuments and Sites 
in Victoria Falls, where he reportedly that day addressed 
delegates from 38 countries. 
 
2.  (C) One well-connected contact reported that Mugabe 
suffered some temporary "health episode" while attending his 
nephew's wedding in Zvimba (Mugabe's hometown) on October 25 
but was treated by his doctor with no interruption to his 
work schedule.  The source indicated that the episode was not 
serious or life-threatening; his account is uncorroborated. 
In any event, the weight of the evidence before us suggests 
that Mugabe continues to exercise the powers of his office as 
fully as one might expect of a relatively healthy man his 
age. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: Given his 79 years and perhaps reflecting 
wishful thinking among many here, rumors of Mugabe's ill 
health are frequent and not surprising.  Were Mugabe to be 
seriously ill, the government quite possibly would 
intentionally conceal the fact, just as it attempted to hide 
the recent lengthy illness of the late Vice President 
Muzenda.  On occasion Mugabe may go weeks without a public 
appearance, making reports of incapacity further difficult to 
verify.  Some of the wilder turns of the rumor mill this time 
-- i.e., security forces barricading the city to prepare for 
a violent power struggle -- underscore yet again the 
deleterious effects of losing the country's only independent 
daily newspaper.   We appreciate Pretoria's timely and useful 
coverage of these confusing reports as they emerged. 
SULLIVAN