US embassy cable - 01HARARE898

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000898 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/11 
TAGS: EAGR, PGOV, PHUM, EAID, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: A LOOMING SPECIAL CONGRESS COULD DETERMINE THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00898  01 OF 03  031504Z 
FATE OF ZIMBABWE'S COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
REF: A. HARARE 815, B. HARARE 743 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (C) ON FEBRUARY 28, ECONOFF MET WITH COLLIN CLOETE, 
VICE-PRESIDENT FOR COMMODITIES OF THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS 
UNION (CFU), TO DISCUSS THE UPCOMING MARCH 21 CFU 
SPECIAL CONGRESS AND REPORTS OF VEHEMENT DISAGREEMENTS 
AT THE UNION'S TOP LEADERSHIP LEVEL.  CLOETE, A KEY 
MEMBER OF THE CFU EXECUTIVE, TOLD US THAT THE SPECIAL 
CONGRESS WILL CENTER ON CONSIDERING WAYS THAT THE CFU 
CAN BROADEN ITS MEMBERSHIP AND INTEGRATE BETTER INTO 
ZIMBABWE'S BLACK MAJORITY SOCIETY, AS WELL AS TO 
CONSIDER DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENGAGE THE GOVERNMENT OF 
ZIMBABWE (GOZ) ON LAND REFORM.  CLOETE CLAIMED, NOT 
ENTIRELY CONVINCINGLY, THAT THE CONGRESS WILL NOT 
CONSIDER A WHOLESALE CHANGE IN THE CFU LEADERSHIP.  HE 
STATED THAT THE CFU COUNCIL HAS ALREADY AGREED THAT THE 
CURRENT LEADERSHIP WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE ANNUAL CFU 
ELECTIONS IN AUGUST, AND ADDED THAT THE SPECIAL CONGRESS 
WILL NOT ENDORSE THE GOZ "FAST-TRACK" RESETTLEMENT 
PROGRAM.  CLOETE INDICATED THAT THE ALLEGED DIVISIONS IN 
THE CFU MANAGEMENT THAT WERE RECENTLY COVERED IN THE 
PRESS WERE THE RESULT OF A FORMER CFU PRESIDENT, NICK 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00898  01 OF 03  031504Z 
SWANEPOEL, ATTEMPTING TO CUT A SECRET DEAL WITH THE GOZ 
ON THE LAND ISSUE (REF A).  END SUMMARY. 
 
----------------------------- 
THE NEED TO INTEGRATE THE CFU 
----------------------------- 
 
2. (C) CLOETE SAID THAT THE CFU NOW RECOGNIZES THAT IT 
WAS A MISTAKE NOT TO HAVE INTEGRATED ITS MEMBERSHIP BY 
MERGING WITH THE INDIGENOUS COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION 
(ICFU), WHICH REPRESENTS BLACK COMMERCIAL FARMERS.  THE 
SPECIAL CONGRESS IS GOING TO CONSIDER THE ISSUE OF 
FORMALLY APPROACHING THE ICFU TO BEGIN MERGER TALKS. 
CLOETE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE SPECIAL CONGRESS WILL 
CONSIDER WAYS FOR THE CFU TO BROADEN ITS OUTREACH AND 
LINKS TO BLACK ZIMBABWEAN CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
CHANGING THE LAND DEBATE TO THE COMMUNAL LANDS 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
3. (C) CLOETE INDICATED THAT THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF THE 
SPECIAL CONGRESS WILL BE TO BRAINSTORM ON WAYS TO ENGAGE 
THE GOZ AND ZIMBABWE'S BLACK MAJORITY ON THE LAND ISSUE. 
THIS EFFORT WILL CENTER ON HOW TO HELP MAKE THE 
COUNTRY'S COMMUNAL FARMING AREAS AND COMMUNAL FARMERS 
MORE PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL.  CLOETE POINTED OUT THAT 
COMMUNAL LANDS COMPRISE 42 PERCENT OF ZIMBABWE'S TOTAL 
LAND, AND CONTRARY TO WHAT THE GOZ STATES, THE MAJORITY 
OF THIS LAND IS NOT UNSUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE, CATTLE 
OR GAME RANCHING.  RATHER, WHAT IS NEEDED IS FOR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00898  01 OF 03  031504Z 
COMMUNAL FARMERS TO BE GIVEN THE TRAINING, 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND INPUTS THAT ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THESE 
LANDS PRODUCTIVE AND TO MOVE THEM FROM SUBSISTENCE TO 
COMMERCIAL FARMING.  CLOETE BLAMED THE GOZ FOR NOT DOING 
THIS IN THE PAST, BECAUSE IT WANTED TO KEEP COMMUNAL 
FARMERS POOR AND WHOLLY DEPENDENT ON THE GOVERNMENT. 
HOWEVER, HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CFU SHOULD HAVE 
TAKEN THE LEAD IN THIS ENDEAVOR WHEN THE GOZ ABDICATED 
ITS RESPONSIBILITY.  THE SPECIAL CONGRESS WILL ALSO 
CONSIDER HOW THE CFU CAN TAKE THE LEAD IN ORGANIZING A 
COALITION OF NGOS, INTERNATIONAL DONORS, AND HOPEFULLY 
THE GOZ, TO WORK ON THE ISSUE OF THE PRODUCTIVITY AND 
PRESERVATION OF THE COMMUNAL LANDS. 
 
----------------------------- 
DIVISIONS REVEALED IN THE CFU 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (C) CLOETE STATED THAT A FEBRUARY 17 ARTICLE IN THE 
GOZ-CONTROLLED "THE HERALD" DESCRIBING A SPLIT IN THE 
CFU WAS INACCURATE (REF A).  ACCORDING TO CLOETE, NICK 
SWANEPOEL (A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CFU), WITHOUT THE 
KNOWLEDGE OR APPROVAL OF THE CFU EXECUTIVE, CONTACTED 
THE GOZ TO OFFER A DEAL TO BREAK THE IMPASSE ON THE LAND 
ISSUE.  AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOZ, SWANEPOEL 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0200 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00898  02 OF 03  031505Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00 
      COME-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00 
      EUR-00   OIGO-00  FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  BBG-00   PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /010W 
                  ------------------CD2CE5  031505Z /38 
R 031502Z MAR 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8338 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 000898 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/11 
TAGS: EAGR, PGOV, PHUM, EAID, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: A LOOMING SPECIAL CONGRESS COULD DETERMINE THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00898  02 OF 03  031505Z 
FATE OF ZIMBABWE'S COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION 
 
REQUESTED THE CFU EXECUTIVE TO CONVENE A SPECIAL COUNCIL 
MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON FEBRUARY 13.  AT THE MEETING, 
SWANEPOEL REVEALED THE DEAL THAT HE HAD PRESENTED TO THE 
GOZ (REF A).  THE COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE 
INDEPENDENT AND UNAUTHORIZED APPROACH WERE QUITE WIDE- 
RANGING AND ANIMATED, AND INCLUDED THE WITHDRAWAL OF CFU 
AND INDIVIDUAL FARMER LAWSUITS AGAINST THE GOZ, PUBLICLY 
ENDORSING "FAST-TRACK", AND LOBBYING INTERNATIONAL 
DONORS TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM FINANCIALLY, ACCORDING TO 
CLOETE.  SWANEPOEL THEN DROPPED THE OTHER SHOE, 
REVEALING THAT THE DEAL ALSO ENTAILED THE RESIGNATION OF 
THE CFU EXECUTIVE AND THE CHANGING OF THE NAME OF THE 
CFU. 
 
5. (C) THIS LED TO A VERY HEATED DISCUSSION, WHERE 
CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, LED BY SWANEPOEL, CRITICIZED 
THE CURRENT CFU EXECUTIVE FOR BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM 
FARMERS FACE IN REACHING A DEAL WITH THE GOZ TO DEFUSE 
THE LAND CRISIS.  SWANEPOEL SINGLED OUT CFU PRESIDENT 
TIM HENWOOD, DIRECTOR DAVID HASLUCK, AND VICE-PRESIDENT 
FOR REGIONS WILLIAM HUGHES AS PEOPLE WHO HAD TO GO. 
AFTER AN HOUR OF HEATED DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN AND AMONGST 
THE COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE MEMBERS, THE EXECUTIVE 
DECLARED THAT IF THEY WERE PART OF THE PROBLEM, AND DID 
NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL, THEY WOULD ALL 
RESIGN.  THE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS THAN ALL WALKED OUT, AND, 
ACCORDING TO CLOETE, LEFT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS STUNNED. 
AN HOUR LATER, THE COUNCIL PHONED ALL THE EXECUTIVE 
MEMBERS AND REQUESTED THAT THEY RETURN TO CFU 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00898  02 OF 03  031505Z 
HEADQUARTERS.  WHEN THE EXECUTIVE WAS ALL PRESENT, THE 
COUNCIL INFORMED THEM THAT THEY DID NOT ACCEPT THEIR 
RESIGNATIONS AND THAT THEY CONTINUED TO RECEIVE THE FULL 
SUPPORT AND BACKING OF THE COUNCIL.  WITH THIS VOTE OF 
CONFIDENCE, THE UNION LEADERSHIP DECIDED TO MOVE AHEAD 
BY CALLING A SPECIAL CONGRESS TO CONSIDER THE STEPS 
ALREADY DESCRIBED. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
THE MACHIAVELLIAN MANEUVERS OF A FORMER PRESIDENT 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
6. (C) CLOETE STATED THAT THE DIVISIONS IN THE CFU WERE 
THE RESULT OF THE MACHIAVELLIAN MANEUVERS OF SWANEPOEL. 
HIS DEAL WITH THE GOZ WAS INDEPENDENT OF THE PRIVATE 
SECTOR INITIATIVE (REF B) THAT THE CFU EXECUTIVE 
SUPPORTS, AND ALSO WENT BEYOND THE EXECUTIVE'S 
APPOINTMENT OF A SMALL GROUP OF CFU MEMBERS TO ENGAGE 
THE GOZ.  CLOETE ALLEGED THAT SWANEPOEL HAS A HISTORY OF 
CONNIVING AGAINST CFU EXECUTIVES WITH WHOM HE DOES NOT 
AGREE.  CLOETE CITED AN INCIDENT WHEN SWANEPOEL 
CONVINCED THE COUNCIL TO REMOVE A CFU PRESIDENT SO 
SWANEPOEL COULD COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM. 
ACCORDING TO CLOETE, SWANEPOEL TOLD THE COUNCIL AT THE 
FEBRUARY 13 MEETING THAT HE WAS GOING TO THE UNITED 
STATES TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT BUSH OVER HIS DEAL, AND HE 
WOULD BE RETURNING WITH US $60 MILLION TO FUND LAND 
REFORM.  HE ALSO ALLEGEDLY SAID THAT HE WAS AVAILABLE TO 
TRAVEL ANYWHERE IN ZIMBABWE TO MEET WITH FARMERS WHO 
WANTED TO DISCUSS HIS PLAN BECAUSE HE HAD ACCESS TO THE 
HELICOPTER OF ZIMBABWE ARMS DEALER JOHN BREDENKAMP. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00898  02 OF 03  031505Z 
CLOETE ASSERTED THAT SWANEPOEL HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED 
CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ZANU-PF POLITICIANS, SOCIALLY 
AND OTHERWISE.  WE HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER SOURCES THAT 
SWANEPOEL IS PERHAPS THE ONLY COMMERCIAL FARMER WHOM 
PRESIDENT MUGABE TRUSTS.  ACCORDING TO CLOETE, SWANEPOEL 
TOLD THE CFU COUNCIL THAT ONE OF HIS ZANU-PF CONTACTS 
HAD TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS TIME TO MAKE A DEAL WITH THE 
GOZ ON LAND, OR THERE SOON WOULD BE 300 WHITE FARMERS 
ROUNDED UP AND KILLED.  SWANEPOEL WOULD NOT TELL THE 
COUNCIL WHO HAD TOLD HIM THIS OR WHO WOULD DO THIS, ONLY 
THAT HE WAS THE MESSENGER. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
7. (C) ALTHOUGH CLOETE TOLD US THAT THE COUNCIL ENDED UP 
BACKING THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE, HIS DEMEANOR AND DELIVERY 
LEFT US LESS THAN WILLING TO BET THE FARM ON ITS 
CONTINUING TO DO SO.  WE ASSESS SWANEPOEL'S EFFORT TO 
CUT A SECRET DEAL WITH THE GOZ AS ILL-TIMED AND ILL- 
ADVISED AND ONE THAT COULD UNDERMINE THE CFU AS AN 
INSTITUTION.  THE CFU'S EFFORTS TO ASSIST AND ALIGN 
ITSELF MORE CLOSELY TO THE BLACK FARMING COMMUNITY, BOTH 
COMMERCIAL AND COMMUNAL, IS, AT THIS STAGE, LIKELY TOO 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0201 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00898  03 OF 03  031505Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00 
      COME-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00 
      EUR-00   OIGO-00  FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  BBG-00   PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /010W 
                  ------------------CD2CE9  031505Z /38 
R 031502Z MAR 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8339 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 000898 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, 
NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/11 
TAGS: EAGR, PGOV, PHUM, EAID, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: A LOOMING SPECIAL CONGRESS COULD DETERMINE THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00898  03 OF 03  031505Z 
FATE OF ZIMBABWE'S COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION 
 
LITTLE AND TOO LATE TO REDUCE THE GOZ PRESSURE ON WHITE 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS, BUT NEVERTHELESS A MOVE THAT SHOULD 
BE ENCOURAGED. 
 
8. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: WE EXPECT THAT MUGABE AND 
ZANU-PF WILL PURSUE ANY CRACKS IN THE UNITY OF THE CFU 
TO IMPLEMENT A DIVIDE-AND-CONQUER STRATEGY AGAINST THE 
UNION.  WHILE WE DO NOT DISCOUNT THAT MORE WHITE FARMERS 
MAY BE KILLED BEFORE THE RULE OF LAW IS RESTORED IN 
ZIMBABWE, WE DO NOT TAKE AS CREDIBLE THE THREAT TO KILL 
300 COMMERCIAL FARMERS.  WE BELIEVE THE UPCOMING 
CONGRESS MAY BE A WATERSHED EVENT, NOT FOR BREAKING THE 
IMPASSE WITH MUGABE OVER LAND, BUT IN DETERMINING 
WHETHER THE CFU REMAINS A UNITED ORGANIZATION 
REPRESENTING COMMERCIAL FARMERS, OR ENDS UP COLLAPSING 
INTO DISSENTING FACTIONS THAT WILL TRY TO CUT INDIVIDUAL 
DEALS WITH THE GOZ TO SAVE THEMSELVES.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>