US embassy cable - 01HARARE1021

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001021 
 
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: 03/14/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, EAGR, EAID, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S EMBATTLED CFU PRESIDENT SEEKS 
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CLARIFICATION OF USG POSITION ON "FAST-TRACK" 
 
REFTEL: HARARE 815 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
1. (C) ON MARCH 13, CHARGE EARL IRVING AND ECONOFF 
(NOTETAKER) MET WITH COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU) 
PRESIDENT TIM HENWOOD AND DIRECTOR DAVID HASLUCK AT 
THEIR REQUEST TO DISCUSS THE USG'S POSITION ON LAND 
REFORM IN ZIMBABWE.  HENWOOD ASKED THE CHARGE ABOUT THE 
MARCH 11 ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN THE "THE SUNDAY TIMES" 
OF LONDON (THE PAPER AND INTERNET VERSIONS) ENTITLED 
"BRITAIN SCORNS 'SINISTER' BID TO END LAND GRAB."  THIS 
ARTICLE STATED THAT THERE EXISTS A "'SINISTER' AMERICAN- 
BACKED DEAL TO END THE CRISIS FACING WHITE FARMERS IN 
ZIMBABWE" OVER LAND REFORM.  CHARGE TOLD HENWOOD THAT 
THERE IS NO VALIDITY WHATSOEVER TO THE ARTICLE.  HE 
CONTINUED THAT THE USG WAS NOT PURSUING SECRET TALKS 
WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) ON LAND REFORM, 
AND THE OFFICIAL USG POSITION IS THAT WHILE WE SUPPORT 
THE NEED FOR LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE, IT SHOULD BE DONE 
IN A LEGAL AND TRANSPARENT MANNER, BASED ON THE 
PRINCIPLES AGREED TO AT THE 1998 DONORS' CONFERENCE HELD 
IN ZIMBABWE.  HENWOOD WAS REASSURED BECAUSE HE STATED 
THAT THE "CFU IS FEELING A BIT LONELY THESE DAYS."  THE 
CHARGE REASSURED THE CFU EXECUTIVES THAT THE USG 
REMAINED DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BREAKDOWN IN THE 
RULE OF LAW ON THE COMMERCIAL FARMS AND THE VIOLENCE 
DIRECTED BY "WAR VETS" AT COMMERCIAL FARMERS AND THEIR 
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WORKERS.  HE ADDED THAT WE CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE THIS 
CONCERN TO THE GOZ, AND THAT ACTING PRINCIPAL DEPUTY 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BELLAMY HAD FORTHRIGHTLY 
COMMUNICATED THIS CONCERN TO THE GOZ DURING HIS RECENT 
VISIT TO ZIMBABWE. 
 
2. (C) HENWOOD AND HASLUCK BOTH INQUIRED ABOUT THE 
STATUS OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY 
ACT (ZDERA), AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE ACT COULD 
BECOME LAW.  THE CHARGE PROVIDED THE CFU EXECUTIVES WITH 
A COPY OF THE ZDERA INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE, AND 
EXPLAINED THAT THE PASSAGE OF THE ZDERA WAS NOT ASSURED, 
BUT THAT RECENT GOZ ACTIONS AGAINST THE INDEPENDENT 
PRESS AND THE JUDICIARY HAD PUT THE SPOTLIGHT BACK ON 
THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE.  HASLUCK ALSO ASKED 
IF A NEW REGIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY HAD BEEN SELECTED 
AS WELL AS A NEW AMBASSADOR FOR ZIMBABWE.  THE CHARGE 
CONFIRMED THAT WALTER KANSTEINER HAD BEEN PROPOSED AS 
THE NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICA, AND WOULD LIKELY 
BE CONFIRMED.  WHILE A NEW AMBASSADOR HAS NOT BEEN 
CHOSEN, HE INFORMED THEM THAT THE PROPOSED NEW DCM WAS 
ROBERT WHITEHEAD.  THE CHARGE OPINED THAT BOTH MEN HAVE 
SOLID EXPERIENCE WITH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE, AND ARE 
EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD CHOICES. 
 
3. (C) CHARGE ASKED HENWOOD AND HASLUCK ABOUT THE 
UPCOMING MARCH 21 CFU SPECIAL CONGRESS, AND WHETHER WE 
SHOULD EXPECT ANY SURPRISES OR "FIREWORKS" TO COME OUT 
OF IT.  HENWOOD ANSWERED THAT HE BELIEVES THE CURRENT 
CFU EXECUTIVE HAS THE SOLID BACKING OF A MAJORITY OF CFU 
MEMBERS, AND THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT THERE WOULD BE A 
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CHALLENGE TO THE UNION'S LEADERSHIP.  HOWEVER, HE DID 
ASK WHETHER THE CHARGE HAD TALKED WITH JOHN BREDENKAMP, 
WHO IS MENTIONED IN THE "THE SUNDAY TIMES" ARTICLE.  THE 
CHARGE REPLIED THAT HE HAD NEVER MET WITH BREDENKAMP, 
NOR, TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, HAD ANY OTHER MEMBERS 
OF EMBASSY STAFF.  HENWOOD APPEARED RELIEVED BY THIS 
ANSWER.  HE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE BREDENKAMP AS A 
NEFARIOUS CHARACTER THAT IS INVOLVED IN, AMONG OTHER 
ACTIVITIES, ARMS TRADING ON THE BLACK MARKET.  HENWOOD 
STATED THAT BREDENKAMP IS NOT A COMMERCIAL FARMER, AND 
THAT HIS ONLY APPARENT LINK TO THE LAND ISSUE IS THROUGH 
HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH NICK SWANEPOEL, A FORMER CFU 
PRESIDENT.  HE ADDED THAT NEITHER SWANEPOEL NOR 
BREDENKAMP REPRESENT THE CFU OR ITS MEMBERSHIP, AND THAT 
ANY DEALS THEY ARE NEGOTIATING ARE VERY SUSPECT IN HIS 
EYES.  HENWOOD STATED THAT THE CREDIBILITY OF SWANEPOEL 
IS VERY LOW WITH THE CFU MEMBERSHIP, BECAUSE HIS 
ALLEGATIONS OF A SECRET DEAL BETWEEN THE GOZ AND THE USG 
THAT INCLUDED SUBSTANTIAL FINANCING FOR "FAST-TRACK" 
PROVED TO BE NOT TRUE.  HE ALSO SAID THAT THE SPECIAL 
CONGRESS WILL NOT FOCUS ON CFU LEADERSHIP, BUT RATHER ON 
THE CONSIDERATION OF STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS TO TAKE TO 
BENEFIT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF COMMERCIAL FARMING IN 
ZIMBABWE, AS WELL AS SHORT-TERM MEANS OF ADDRESSING THE 
CURRENT POLITICAL CONUNDRUM AND THE PRESSURES COMMERCIAL 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1228 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  01021  02 OF 02  150524Z 
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    EB-00    EUR-00 
      FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   L-00 
      VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /006W 
                  ------------------D1E4F3  150524Z /38 
R 150521Z MAR 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8428 
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 001021 
 
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: 03/14/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, EAGR, EAID, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S EMBATTLED CFU PRESIDENT SEEKS 
CLARIFICATION OF USG POSITION ON "FAST-TRACK" 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  01021  02 OF 02  150524Z 
 
FARMERS ARE FACING. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: BOTH HASLUCK AND HENWOOD WERE CLEARLY 
CONCERNED THAT THE USG HAD SHIFTED ITS POSITION ON THE 
GOZ'S "FAST-TRACK" PROGRAM, AND WERE EQUALLY RELIEVED TO 
HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE CHARGE THAT THERE WAS NO 
SUBSTANCE TO THE RUMORS OF "A SECRET DEAL INVOLVING THE 
AMERICANS."  WE EMPHASIZED TO THE CFU EXECUTIVES THAT 
THE USG WILL SUPPORT LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE, BUT ONLY 
WHEN IT IS DONE IN A LEGAL, TRANSPARENT AND SUSTAINABLE 
MANNER AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS.  AS IN 
OTHER RECENT MEETINGS WITH CFU OFFICIALS, HASLUCK AND 
HENWOOD WERE NOT VERY CONVINCING WHEN STATING THAT THEIR 
LEADERSHIP WOULD NOT BE CHALLENGED AT THE SPECIAL 
CONGRESS.  THE MARCH 14 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT "THE 
DAILY NEWS" CARRIED AN ARTICLE INDICATING THAT SWANEPOEL 
STILL INTENDS TO PROPOSE AT THE CONGRESS A PLAN TO REACH 
A COMPROMISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CFU AND THE GOZ ON 
LAND REFORM.  THIS PLAN, AS REPORTED REFTEL, INCLUDES 
REPLACING THE CURRENT CFU EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP.  WE DO 
NOT HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF SWANEPOEL'S BACKING AMONG THE 
GENERAL CFU MEMBERSHIP, AND THEREFORE, CANNOT PREDICT 
HOW MUCH SUPPORT HIS PLAN MAY GARNER FROM FARMERS WEARY 
OF STRUGGLING WITH THE FARM INVASIONS AND THE CLIMATE OF 
INTIMIDATION AND VIOLENCE FROM THE "WAR VETS".  ONE 
THING WE CAN PREDICT IS THAT THERE WILL LIKELY BE 
FIREWORKS AT THE CFU'S SPECIAL CONGRESS.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
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