US embassy cable - 00HARARE6318

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006318 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: SYMBOLIC MEETING BETWEEN ZIMBABWE 
PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION 
 
REFS: A) HARARE 6189, B) HARARE 6082 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR MCDONALD SUPPORTED A DINNER 
HOSTED BY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE 
NKOSANA MOYO NOVEMBER 7 AIMED AT GETTING ZANU-PF AND MDC 
PARLIAMENTARIANS TALKING TO EACH OTHER.  AMONG THE 
GUESTS WERE TWO MDC AND TWO ZANU-PF MPS.  THE ATMOSPHERE 
WAS CORDIAL AND BOTH SIDES SPOKE FRANKLY OF THEIR OWN 
DELEGATIONS' FAILINGS IN PARLIAMENT.  MINISTER MOYO 
SOUGHT TO GET BOTH SIDES TALKING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT 
WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE ZIMBABWE'S INTERNATIONAL 
TRADE RELATIONS.  NO BREAKTHROUGH MATERIALIZED, NOR WAS 
ANY EXPECTED, BUT THE AMBASSADOR AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS 
IN THIS PROCESS INTEND THIS TO BE THE FIRST OF A SERIES 
OF LESS-FORMAL MEETINGS TO GET THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT 
AND OPPOSITION TALKING BEFORE THE TENSIONS BETWEEN THEM 
COMES TO BLOWS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) AMBASSADOR, ALONG WITH THE AMBASSADORS FROM 
GERMANY, AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND FRANCE, SUPPORTED A 
DINNER HOSTED BY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL 
TRADE NKOSANA MOYO AT MOYO'S RESIDENCE NOVEMBER 7.  THE 
INVITED GUESTS WERE WELSHMAN NCUBE, MDC SECRETARY- 
GENERAL AND MP FOR BULAWAYO NORTHEAST, FLETCHER NCUBE, 
MDC INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND TRADE SHADOW MINISTER AND MP 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  06318  091550Z 
FOR LOBENGULA-MAGWEGWE, TYSON KASUKUWERE, ZANU-PF MP FOR 
MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH, AND DANIEL NCUBE, ZANU-PF MP FOR 
ZHOMBE DISTRICT. 
 
3.  (C) THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DINNER WAS TO BEGIN A 
CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE ZANU-PF AND MDC 
PARLIAMENTARIANS, WHO HAVE SHOWN FEW SIGNS OF 
COOPERATION IN THIS NEW SESSION OF PARLIAMENT.  THE 
VITRIOL HAS REACHED A NEW LEVEL FOLLOWING THE 
INTRODUCTION OF THE MDC'S PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT 
MOTION (REF B).  THE ATMOSPHERE WAS CORDIAL AND THE 
DISCUSSION CENTERED AROUND PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE 
BEFORE TURNING TO INDIVIDUAL PARLIAMENTARIANS.  BOTH 
SIDES POINTED OUT THE "INCOMPETENT" MPS IN THEIR 
RESPECTIVE DELEGATIONS AND MUSED ABOUT HOW SOME STILL 
HAD NOT GOTTEN UP TO SPEED.  MINISTER MOYO REMARKED THAT 
HE BELIEVED LANDS, AGRICULTURE AND RESETTLEMENT MINISTER 
JOSEPH MADE TO BE INCOMPETENT.  ON THE OTHER HAND, 
KASUKUWERE SAID HE THOUGHT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MINISTER 
BORDER GEZI WAS "SMART," TO WHICH WELSHMAN NCUBE REPLIED 
THAT WOULD MAKE GEZI EVEN MORE DANGEROUS.  (COMMENT: 
GEZI, THE FORMER MASHONALAND CENTRAL GOVERNOR, 
PERSONALLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY DIRECTED THE CAMPAIGN OF 
PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN HIS PROVINCE.  KASUKUWERE ALSO 
IS REPORTED TO HAVE DIRTY HANDS FROM THE PRE-ELECTION 
PERIOD [REF A] END COMMENT.) 
 
4.  (C) AS PART OF HIS AGENDA FOR THE DINNER, MINISTER 
MOYO SOUGHT TO BUILD BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT FOR LAYING THE 
POLICY GROUNDWORK TO QUALIFY FOR AFRICAN GROWTH AND 
OPPORTUNITY ACT (AGOA) CONCESSIONS.  THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  06318  091550Z 
COMMISSIONER REPORTED TO DCM THAT THE MAIN INITIATIVE IN 
THE CARDS WAS A POSSIBLE JOINT TRIP TO WASHINGTON TO 
PLEAD ZIMBABWE'S CASE.  SUBSEQUENTLY, MINISTER MOYO 
BROACHED THE POSSIBLE TRIP TO THE AMBASSADOR, WHO 
COUNSELED THAT THE EFFORT NOT BE UNDERTAKEN UNTIL LATE 
FEBRUARY OR MARCH 2001 WHEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS IN 
PLACE.  HE ALSO ADVISED THE MINISTER TO MANAGE 
EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE THE AGOA DECISION RELATED TO 
ZIMBABWE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE REVERSED OR OVERTURNED 
SOON. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT: ALTHOUGH NO BREAKTHROUGHS WERE SEEN AT 
THIS DINNER, AS EXPECTED, WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE BOTH 
SIDES ENGAGED IN A CORDIAL AND FRANK DISCUSSION. 
WELSHMAN NCUBE, AN MDC MODERATE, IS WELL THOUGHT OF BY 
BOTH SIDES AND COULD BE A KEY PERSON IN FUTURE BI- 
PARTISAN MEETINGS.  MINISTER MOYO IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT 
INTERLOCUTOR AND CLEARLY WANTS ZIMBABWE TO QUALIFY FOR 
AGOA.  THE AMBASSADOR ENVISIONS A SERIES OF THESE LESS 
FORMAL, CONFIDENCE-BUILDING GATHERINGS, AND WILL BE 
WORKING WITH HIS DIPLOMATIC COLLEAGUES TO JUMPSTART THE 
DIALOGUE BETWEEN ZANU-PF AND MDC BEFORE THE TENSION 
BETWEEN THEM COMES TO BLOWS.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>