US embassy cable - 00HARARE7263

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 007263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PASS USAID FOR A/AID R.MCCALL, AA/AFR V. DERRYCK AND 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  07263  01 OF 02  281020Z 
AFR/SA C. PALMA 
 
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, EAID, PINR, ZI, Land Reform 
SUBJECT: LAND TASK FORCE TRIES TO PUT BEST FACE ON 
FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE 
 
REF: HARARE 7163 AND PREVIOUS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (UNDP) 
RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE VICTOR ANGELO HOSTED A MEETING 
ON DECEMBER 21 FOR SELECTED HEADS OF MISSION WITH 
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE'S LAND TASK FORCE 
THAT INCLUDED MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS 
AND NATIONAL HOUSING IGNATIUS CHOMBO, MINISTER OF 
FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIMBA MAKONI, MINISTER 
OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE AND RESETTLEMENT JOSEPH MADE, AND 
MINISTER OF STATE IN VICE PRESIDENT MSIKA'S OFFICE 
OLIVIA MUCHENA.  THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO 
ACQUAINT KEY DONORS WITH THE EVOLVING VIEWS OF AND STEPS 
TAKEN BY THE TASK FORCE WITH RESPECT TO THE CURRENT LAND 
REFORM AND RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE. THE METING WAS 
CONVENED SHORTLY AFTER UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH 
BROWN'S LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUGABE (REFTEL) WAS 
DELIVERED, BUT THE MINISTERS BEGGED OFF DISCUSSING IT, 
AS THEY HAD NOT YET SEEN IT. 
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2.  (C) CHOMBO DOMINATED THE MEETING AND COVERED A LOT 
OF WELL-TROD GROUND, SAYING LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE WAS 
IRREVERSIBLE AND THAT IT WAS "UNHEALTHY" TO CONTINUE TO 
DEBATE THE ISSUE.  HE WAVED AWAY THE RESULTS OF THE 1998 
LAND DONORS' CONFERENCE THAT PRODUCED NO FUNDS, A FACT 
THAT FORCED THE GOVERNMENT TO "GO IT ALONE" IN ORDER TO 
ACQUIRE LAND AND RESETTLE PEOPLE ON IT AS QUICKLY AS 
POSSIBLE.  HE ALSO SAID THAT ONCE THE GOALS OF THE FAST- 
TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE WERE ACCOMPLISHED, THE 
"FINANCE MINISTER CAN COME UP WITH POLICIES TO PICK UP 
THE ECONOMY."  HOWEVER, HE CONCEDED THAT "WE ARE 
AMENABLE TO DONORS ASSISTING US AFTER ACQUISITION."  HE 
STATED THAT THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION MASQUERADES AS 
A PRESSURE GROUP THAT DOES NOT REPRESENT MORE THAN 20 
PERCENT OF ITS MEMBERSHIP, AND WAS BLOCKING PROGRESS 
USING THE COURTS AND "BREATHING TERROR" INTO ITS MEMBERS 
WHO WOULD WANT TO COOPERATE WITH THE GOVERNMENT.  CHOMBO 
STIFF-ARMED ANY CALLS BY THE FOREIGN HEADS OF MISSION 
FOR A RETURN TO THE RULE OF LAW, SAYING THE WORDS STRUCK 
FEAR INTO PEOPLE'S HEARTS IN ZIMBABWE AS, IN HEARING 
THEM, THEY WERE REMINDED OF THE DAILY, DRACONIAN EDICTS 
ISSUED BY RHODESIAN FRONT LAW AND ORDER MINISTER LARDNER 
BECK. 
 
3. (C) THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL 
HOUSING MINISTER COUNTERED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS 
FOLLOWING ITS OWN LAW AND RULES ON LAND REFORM.  IT HAD 
DELISTED 190 FARMS, SOME OF WHICH FALL UNDER ITS 
CRITERIA OF LAND THAT WILL NOT BE ACQUIRED, FOR EXAMPLE 
CONSERVANCIES, CHURCH PROPERTY, EXPORT ZONES, LAND THAT 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  07263  01 OF 02  281020Z 
MET FOREIGN INVESTMENT CRITERIA, AND SOME NOT.  THE 
GOVERNMENT, HE CONTINUED, WOULD MOVE "DEMONSTRATORS" OFF 
LAND THAT WAS NOT TARGETED FOR ACQUISITION.  THE 
GOVERNMENT ALSO HAD INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF 
"ACQUISITION BY CONSENT," WHEREBY A COMMERCIAL FARMER 
WOULD GIVE UP A PORTION OF LAND NORMALLY NOT USED IN 
FARMING FOR RESETTLEMENT AND WOULD BE ALLOWED TO KEEP 
THE CORE AREA FOR HIS BUSINESS. 
 
4. (C) AFTER CHOMBO CONCEDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD 
HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING ITS POLICIES AND 
ACTIONS, LANDS, AGRICULTURE AND RESETTLEMENT MINISTER 
MADE EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACQUIRED THE 
INITIAL 804 FARMS LISTED IN JUNE AND THAT THE PROCESS BY 
WHICH IT HAD DONE SO MET WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 
LAW.  ACQUISITION ORDERS FOR THE BALANCE OF 2,000 FARMS 
WOULD BE ISSUED IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2001 AND THE 
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE HAD ALREADY MET TO ASSESS THE 
COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.  HE ALSO LAUNCHED A LONG, 
SINUOUS, EXPLANATION OF HOW THE LAND REFORM PROCESS WAS 
NOT MEANT TO DISRUPT THE STABILITY OF COMMERCIAL 
AGRICULTURE, THE BACKBONE OF ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMY, AND 
CONCLUDED, "IN THE POLITICAL ARENA, WE MUST ACCEPT THAT 
YOU HAVE YOUR CONSTITUENCY AND WE HAVE OURS." 
UNDERSCORING THE OSTENSIBLE ORDERLINESS OF THE 
GOVERNMENT'S LAND REFORM PROCESS, MINISTER OF STATE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7200 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  07263  02 OF 02  281020Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  COME-00 
      DINT-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EUR-00   FAAE-00 
      FBIE-00  VC-00    HHS-01   H-01     SSA-01   TEDE-00  INR-00 
      IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    DCP-01   NSAE-00  OES-01 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  R-00     PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /012W 
                  ------------------B05B84  281021Z /38 
R 281020Z DEC 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7895 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 007263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
PASS USAID FOR A/AID R.MCCALL, AA/AFR V. DERRYCK AND 
AFR/SA C. PALMA 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  07263  02 OF 02  281020Z 
 
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, EAID, PINR, UNDP, ZI 
SUBJECT: LAND TASK FORCE TRIES TO PUT BEST FACE ON 
FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE 
 
MUCHENA CHIMED IN THAT DETAILED PLANS EXISTED AS TO WHAT 
WOULD BE DONE WITH EVERY FARM IDENTIFIED FOR ACQUISITION 
IN HER MASHONALAND EAST CONSTITUENCY. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT: THE MEETING MARKED THE FIRST 
OPPORTUNITY FOR KEY DONORS TO MEET FACE-TO-FACE AND 
EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH GOVERNMENT CABINET MEMBERS.  THE 
PECKING ORDER WAS CLEAR: CHOMBO, FOLLOWED (DISTANTLY) BY 
MUCHENA, MAKONI AND MADE.  THE MINISTERS SEEMED TO HAVE 
AN ANSWER FOR EVERY ARGUMENT THE WESTERN AMBASSADORS 
MIGHT ADVANCE; CLEARLY THESE HAD BEEN DEBATED WITHIN THE 
COUNCILS OF STATE AND PARTY HERE.  TWO THINGS STRUCK US 
AS EYEBROW RAISING.  THE FIRST WAS CHOMBO'S RELEGATION 
OF THE ECONOMY TO SOMETHING TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT AFTER 
THE REAL BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED.  THE 
SECOND WAS THE ARROGANCE OF THIS GOVERNMENT THAT THINKS 
IT HAS THE MONOPOLY ON TRUTH AND JUSTICE AND INVITES THE 
DONOR COMMUNITY TO FUND ITS SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
EXPERIMENT UNCRITICALLY.  THE MINISTERS ONLY ENTERTAINED 
MEETING WITH THE DONORS BECAUSE THERE'S A CREEPING 
REALIZATION WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT THAT WITHOUT 
RESOURCES, THE FAST-TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE WILL 
FAIL.  ON THE BASIS OF THE ATTITUDES AND NEGOTIATING 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  07263  02 OF 02  281020Z 
SKILLS THEY DISPLAYED, DONORS WERE NOT READY TO SIGN ON. 
THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT SHIFT THE BLAME ONTO SOMEONE ELSE 
FOR ITS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FAILURES, A FACT THAT 
SHOULD NOT BE LOST SIGHT OF.  IF THE GOVERNMENT 
CONTINUES ALONG THIS PATH WITHOUT MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS 
TO ITS METHODS, ITS REAL LEGACY MAY WELL BE A 
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ENGINEERED IN HARARE AND PLACED AT 
THE DOORS OF THE DONORS FOR CLEAN-UP AND RESOLUTION. 
END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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