US embassy cable - 04HARARE312

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000312 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, TEITELBAUM 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: MAKONI CONFIRMS TALKS A RUSE 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Kimberly Jemison for reasons 1.5 b/d. 
 
1. (C) Following a conversation he had with former Minister 
of Finance and Economic Development and Politburo member 
Simba Makoni on February 19, during which Makoni expressed 
regret that nothing was being done by ZANU-PF to resolve the 
political crisis besieging Zimbabwe, the Ambassador asked for 
clarification during a February 20 dinner.  The Ambassador 
asked specifically whether GOZ failure to move toward 
dialogue reflected Mugabe's ambivalence or bad faith on the 
subject.  Makoni reflected on his answer and admitted that 
based on his observations over the last several years Mugabe 
had laid no groundwork within the Politburo to encourage 
political accommodation with the MDC.  The party line, 
according to Makoni, has been to crush the opposition. 
(Comment: Makoni has been straightforward with the Embassy in 
the past and has been in favor of addressing the political 
crisis while still maintaining his loyalty to ZANU-PF. End 
comment.) 
 
2. (C) With respect to the economic situation, Makoni was 
positive about the economic measures recently adopted but 
admitted that without political stability, they would not 
achieve the desired results.  Makoni also thought removing 
the responsibility of lands from Minister of Agriculture 
Joseph Made was a positive step.  Makoni said John Nkomo was 
a much more reliable and moderate person than Made and would 
most likely try to rationalize the land redistribution 
process, using the Utete report as a guide.  Makoni claimed 
that over the last few years, Made has been intent on 
creating chaos and turmoil about the land process by 
regularly publishing new farm acquisition lists that included 
already acquired lands and by keeping the land issue on the 
front page.  Makoni concurred with the Ambassador that the 
Utete Commission's treatment of the Abuja agreement 
attributing responsibility for its failure to donors was not 
accurate.  Makoni admitted that the one man-one farm 
principle touted in Abuja in September 2001 was a ruse to get 
the international community off the GOZ,s back and not meant 
to be policy.  Makoni surmised that under Nkomo the one 
man-one farm policy would only be applied to new farmers and 
not result in return of land to white farmers. 
 
3. (C) Comment: Though estranged from Mugabe, Makoni remains 
in the Politburo and offers inside confirmation of the lack 
of Mugabe's  commitment towards political accommodation with 
the MDC.   His comments are consistent with recent high-level 
public comments projecting the party,s lack of seriousness 
on talks.  In a birthday interview February 20, President 
Mugabe asserted that his party was open to dialogue with the 
MDC but rejected MDC policies and said it would have to 
&wean itself8 from western backers. Information Minister 
Jonathan Moyo was more explicit in a Lusaka interview 
February 21, in which he asserted that interparty talks could 
only happen if the MDC distanced itself from &colonial 
masters8 and, even then, would not contemplate removal of 
ZANU-PF from power. Makoni,s conclusions about the 
limitations of one man-one farm implementation are consistent 
with the GOZ's failure to repeat its Abuja pledge, while 
vowing to remove multiple farms from new farmers. End 
comment. 
SULLIVAN