US embassy cable - 00HARARE6993

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006993 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
NAIROBI FOR AMBASSADOR CARSON 
 
PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCALL, AA/AFR V. DERRYCK AND 
AFR/SA C. PALMA 
 
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER 
 
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E.O. 12958: DECL: (12-13-2010) 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, EAGR, ZI, US 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL: MUGABE STILL BITTER 
ABOUT BRITISH BUT SAYS HE WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON 
MALLOCH-BROWN INITIATIVE 
 
REF: HARARE 6981 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL) 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE RECEIVED ME DECEMBER 13 FOR A 
ONE HALF-HOUR FAREWELL CALL.  WHILE THE ATMOSPHERICS OF 
THE MEETING WERE GOOD AND LIGHT, I DID MANAGE TO 
INTERRUPT THE START OF A TIRADE AGAINST THE BRITISH BY 
ADVANCING THE ARGUMENT THAT MUGABE SHOULD TO GIVE UNDP 
ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH-BROWN'S INITIATIVE A CHANCE 
AND TO REMAIN OPEN TO IT (REF).  I SUGGESTED THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE UNDP AGREE ON THREE OR 
FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES AND MOVE FORWARD ON A TRANSPARENT, 
ORDERLY AND SUSTAINABLE LAND REFORM PROGRAM.  THE 
PRESIDENT COUNTERED, "WHAT CAN MALLOCH-BROWN DO, THE 
POOR MAN?"  I STRESSED THAT THE UNDP ADMINISTRATOR HAD 
SPEARHEADED AN EFFORT THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY A NUMBER OF 
DONORS, WHICH REPRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEIZED 
FROM WHICH HE, MUGABE, COULD ACCRUE DOMESTIC POLITICAL 
ADVANTAGE.  MUGABE'S SOMEWHAT WAN RESPONSE WAS, "WE WILL 
TRY." 
 
2.  (C) I ALSO ALERTED THE PRESIDENT TO ZIMBABWE'S 
POTENTIAL 620(Q) VIOLATION STATUS FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF 
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MONEY OWED TO USAID: USD 210,000.  I EXPLAINED TO HIM 
THAT IF THE DEBT WAS NOT SETTLED BY THE DROP-DEAD DATE, 
DECEMBER 30, WE WOULD BE UNABLE, ACCORDING TO U.S. LAW, 
TO PROVIDE BILATERAL ASSISTANCE.  MUGABE SAID HE WOULD 
RAISE THE MATTER WITH FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
MINISTER SIMBA MAKONI WHOM HE WOULD SEE SOON. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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