US embassy cable - 01HARARE612

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000612 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ILAB FOR RSHEPHARD 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL 01/31/11 
TAGS: ELAB, PGOV, PHUM, PINR 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE LABOR FEDERATION OFFICIAL INSISTS THAT 
LABOR STILL BACKS OPPOSITION MDC 
 
REF: HARARE 573 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE 
ZIMBABWE CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU) BELIEVES THAT 
THE LABOR FEDERATION WILL MAINTAIN ITS CLOSE TIES TO THE 
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PARTY 
AFTER ITS FEBRUARY CONGRESS.  HE IS ALSO OF THE OPINION 
THAT THE CONGRESS WILL PUBLICLY AFFIRM THAT THE 
FEDERATION HAS NO FORMAL LINKAGE TO ANY POLITICAL PARTY, 
THAT ZCTU EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE SENIOR 
OFFICIALS IN POLITICAL PARTIES, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL 
MEMBERS ARE FREE TO SUPPORT THE POLITICAL PARTY OF THEIR 
CHOICE.  HOWEVER, HE PREDICTS THAT PRO-MDC PERSONNEL 
WILL BE ELECTED TO FEDERATION LEADERSHIP, AND TRADE 
UNIONISTS AND THE URBAN ELECTORATE WILL SUPPORT THE MDC 
CANDIDATE IN THE 2002 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) ON JANUARY 25, LABOFF MET WITH ONE OF TWO 
ASSISTANT SECRETARIES-GENERAL OF THE ZCTU, NICHOLAS 
MUDZENGERERE.  MUDZENGERERE IS ALSO THE SECRETARY- 
GENERAL OF THE ZIMBABWE CATERING AND HOTEL WORKERS 
UNION, AND A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF 
THE MDC.  MUDZENGERERE HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN UNION 
ORGANIZATION HIS ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL LIFE.  HE HAS BEEN 
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SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CATERING AND HOTEL WORKERS 
 
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UNION SINCE 1995 AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE 
ZCTU SINCE 1985. 
 
3. (C) MUDZENGERERE TOLD LABOFF THAT THE ZCTU CONGRESS 
WOULD AFFIRM THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE LABOR FEDERATION 
FROM ANY ONE POLITICAL PARTY, BUT ALSO INSISTED THAT THE 
CONGRESS WOULD ELECT PRO-MDC UNION LEADERS TO THE 
EXECUTIVE AND GENERAL COUNCIL.  HE STATED THAT THE 
CONGRESS WILL AFFIRM THAT MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE 
COUNCIL CANNOT ALSO BE SENIOR OFFICIALS OF POLITICAL 
PARTIES.  THIS IS BECAUSE THE ZCTU CONSTITUTION STATES 
WHILE "EVERY MEMBER AND OFFICER OF A UNION, AND THE 
ZCTU, IS FREE TO JOIN A POLITICAL PARTY OF THEIR CHOICE, 
THAT RELATIONSHIP SHOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH HIS DUTIES 
TO THE UNION AND CONGRESS."  THIS CONSTITUTIONAL 
PROVISION IS NOT NEW, AND COMES FROM THE COMMON SENSE 
BELIEF THAT "ONE HEAD CANNOT WEAR TWO HATS," REMARKED 
MUDZENGERERE. 
 
4. (C) MUDZENGERERE CLARIFIED THAT THE ZCTU CONGRESS 
WILL INTERPRET THE "NO INTERFERENCE WITH DUTIES" CLAUSE 
AS ONLY EXCLUDING PARTY OFFICIALS AND LEADERS WHO HAVE 
FULL-TIME AND NATIONAL PARTY RESPONSIBILITIES.  LABOFF 
ASKED IF THIS WOULD EXCLUDE HIM FROM REELECTION TO THE 
ZCTU EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BECAUSE HE IS A MEMBER OF THE MDC 
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.  MUDZENGERERE ANSWERED THAT 
THIS WAS THE TYPE OF PARTY JOB THAT WAS NOT FULL TIME, 
AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT PRESENT A CONFLICT.  HE 
INDICATED THAT MEMBERS OF BOTH HIS UNION AND OTHERS HAVE 
ALREADY APPROACHED HIM PROPOSING THAT HE RUN FOR THE 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  00612  01 OF 02  311445Z 
POSITION OF SECRETARY-GENERAL.  MUDZENGERERE IS 
SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING THIS OPTION, HE INFORMED US. 
 
5. (C) LABOFF ASKED MUDZENGERERE'S OPINION OF THE 
VERACITY OF RUMORS THAT THE ACTING SECRETARY-GENERAL OF 
THE ZCTU, ISIDORE ZINDOGA, WAS PRO-ZANU-PF, AND THAT THE 
PARTY WAS PAYING THE DUES ARREARAGE OF CERTAIN UNIONS TO 
THE ZCTU IN ORDER TO ENSURE ZINDOGA'S ELECTION AS 
SECRETARY-GENERAL.  MUDZENGERERE WOULD NOT DIRECTLY 
 
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ANSWER THE QUESTION.  RATHER, HE STATED THAT THE ZCTU IS 
NOT OPPOSED TO ZANU-PF AS A POLITICAL PARTY.  THE ZCTU 
IS AGAINST THE CORRUPT OFFICIALS WHO CURRENTLY CONTROL 
ZANU-PF AND BELIEVES THAT THEY ARE OUT OF IDEAS FOR 
RUNNING ZIMBABWE.  THE CURRENT NATIONAL LEADERSHIP HAD 
BECOME SO ARROGANT, AND THEIR POLICIES SO ANTI-WORKER, 
THAT THE ZCTU HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS MEMBERS TO 
TAKE THE LEAD IN FORMING THE MDC AS AN ALTERNATIVE. HE 
CONTINUED THAT UNION MEMBERS KNOW THIS, AND THEY WILL 
ELECT EXECUTIVE AND GENERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE PRO- 
MDC. 
 
6. (C) MUDZENGERERE INDICATED THAT THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE 
ZCTU CANNOT BE BOUGHT OFF BY ZANU-PF.  HE STATED THAT 
ZIMBABWEANS IN GENERAL ARE VERY FAITHFUL TO THE TOP MAN, 
BUT ONCE THEY FEEL BETRAYED AND DECIDE TO ABANDON A 
LEADER, THEY WON'T GO BACK TO HIM.  THIS IS WHAT HAS 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ5583 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00612  02 OF 02  311445Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  COME-00 
      CTME-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  WHA-00   SRPP-00  DS-00 
      EB-00    EUR-00   EXIM-01  E-00     FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00 
      FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    ITC-01   LAB-01 
      L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01 
      OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00 
      SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01 
      DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /013W 
                  ------------------BE6354  311445Z /38 
R 311443Z JAN 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8156 
INFO DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000612 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ILAB FOR RSHEPHARD 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL 01/31/11 
TAGS: ELAB, PGOV, PHUM, PINR, ZI 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00612  02 OF 02  311445Z 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE LABOR FEDERATION OFFICIAL INSISTS THAT 
LABOR STILL BACKS OPPOSITION MDC 
 
HAPPENED WITH THE UNIONIZED WORKERS IN ZIMBABWE.  THEY 
HAVE BEEN BETRAYED BY MUGABE AND WILL THEREFORE NOT 
SUPPORT HIM AGAIN.  HE ALSO INDICATED THAT UNIONS WILL 
NOT BE INTIMIDATED INTO SUPPORTING MUGABE IN HIS 
PRESIDENTIAL BID.  THE RURAL ELECTORATE, LESS EDUCATED 
AND MORE ISOLATED THAN VOTERS IN URBAN AREAS, IS EASILY 
INTIMIDATED.  ONE TACTIC PRACTICED BY ZANU-PF, ACCORDING 
TO MUDZENGERERE, IS TO SHOW A PEASANT A CELL PHONE WITH 
THE PEASANT'S NAME ENTERED INTO IT, AND TELL THE PEASANT 
THAT THIS "MACHINE" WOULD TELL WHO THE PEASANT VOTES 
FOR.  UNION WORKERS ARE TOO EDUCATED AND CONNECTED TO 
THE MODERN WORLD TO FALL FOR THIS TYPE OF TRICK.  THEY 
WILL VOTE FOR THE MDC NO MATTER WHAT ZANU-PF DOES. 
 
7. (C) COMMENT: MUDZENGERERE MAY BE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC 
REGARDING THE INABILITY OF MUGABE AND ZANU-PF TO GARNER 
A PERCENTAGE OF UNION VOTES ONCE THEY PULL OUT ALL THEIR 
DIRTY TRICKS AND IMPLEMENT AN "URBAN" STRATEGY.  A 
COMBINATION OF BRIBES, OFFERS OF PATRONAGE, AND COERCION 
IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION IN THE RUN UP TO 2002. 
HOWEVER, WE AGREE WITH HIS ASSESSMENT THAT ZANU-PF WILL 
NOT WIN THE DAY AT THE UPCOMING FEBRUARY CONGRESS. 
UNION WORKERS, INCLUDING THOSE IN MUDZENGERERE'S 
CATERING AND HOTEL WORKERS UNION, HAVE BEEN HAMMERED BY 
THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BROUGHT ON BY MUGABE AND ZANU-PF. 
THE WORKERS BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN BETRAYED, AND WILL 
LIKELY ELECT A PRO-MDC EXECUTIVE AND GENERAL COUNCIL IN 
FEBRUARY.  IN OUR OPINION, THE ONLY CHANCE ISIDORE 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  00612  02 OF 02  311445Z 
ZINDOGA HAS OF BEING ELECTED TO THE TOP SPOT IS IF THERE 
ARE MULTIPLE CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITION, THEREBY 
SPLINTERING THE PRO-MDC VOTE.  IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL 
HOW MANY CANDIDATES WILL EMERGE IN THE NOMINATION 
PROCESS FOR THE POSITION OF SECRETARY-GENERAL, BUT WE 
HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT MDC LEADERS ARE WORKING BEHIND-THE- 
SCENES TO ENSURE ZINDOGA FACES A SINGLE OPPONENT.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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