US embassy cable - 01PRETORIA1599

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001599 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2006 
TAGS: PREL, ECIN, SADC, WA 
SUBJECT: SADC SUMMIT:  SOUTH AFRICA HOPED FOR MORE ON ORGAN 
 
REFORM 
 
REF: WINDHOEK 526 
 
CLASSIFIED BY ACTING POLCOUNSELOR JMCNAMARA, REASONS 1.5(B) 
AND (D). 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY.  SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI WAS 
DISAPPOINTED THAT THE MARCH 9 SADC SUMMIT DID NOT SELECT THE 
SUCCESSOR TO ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE AS CHAIR OF THE 
ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE, AND SECURITY.  SAG OFFICIALS 
INDICATED MARCH 13 THAT MBEKI PREFERRED THIS DECISION BE MADE 
IN WINDHOEK SO AS TO ENSURE THAT THE ORGAN'S CHAIRMANSHIP DID 
INDEED ROTATE IN AUGUST 2001.  SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIALS APPEAR 
PLEASED WITH THE SUMMIT'S APPROVAL OF SADC'S RESTRUCTURING 
EXERCISE BUT STRESSED THAT MUCH WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE TO 
ACHIEVE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS BY 
THE TWO-YEAR TARGET DATE.  ON ZIMBABWE, SAG OFFICIALS 
MAINTAINED THAT THE ISSUE "SIMPLY WAS NOT DISCUSSED" AT 
SUMMIT.  ON THE DROC, SAG OFFICIALS INDICATED THAT MAURITIUS 
OFFERED TO HOST THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ORGAN REFORM - SAG RELIEF BUT DOUBTS REMAIN 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C)  AT A MARCH 13 BRIEFING TO EUROPEAN UNION DIPLOMATS 
WHICH POLOFF ATTENDED, DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' (DFA) 
CHIEF DIRECTOR FOR SADC AFFAIRS G KUDJOE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR 
SADC POLITICAL AFFAIRS AJ BRAMDEO, AND SADC GENERAL AFFAIRS 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY WENDY RAUCH TOLD THE ASSEMBLED AUDIENCE 
THAT ZIMBABWE'S REPORT TO THE SUMMIT ON REFORM OF THE ORGAN 
FOR POLITICS, DEFENSE, AND SECURITY (THE ORGAN) CONTAINED NO 
SURPRISES.  THE SADC SUMMIT UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO SUPPORT 
THE YEARLY ROTATION OF THE ORGAN CHAIR BEGINNING IN AUGUST 
2001, WHEN THE SUMMIT WOULD SELECT A NEW CHAIR.  ZIMBABWEAN 
PRESIDENT MUGABE, THE CURRENT ORGAN CHAIR, WOULD RETAIN THIS 
POSITION IN THE INTERIM PERIOD AND WOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF 
THE ORGAN TROIKA (COMPOSED OF CURRENT, PAST, AND FUTURE ORGAN 
CHAIR) IN AUGUST.  KUDJOE INDICATED THAT THE SUMMIT WOULD 
ALSO SELECT THE FUTURE ORGAN CHAIR AT THE BLANTYRE SUMMIT. 
ASIDE FROM STATING THAT THE ORGAN CHAIR COULD NOT 
SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLD THE SADC CHAIRMANSHIP, KUDJOE GAVE NO 
INDICATION AS TO THE IDENTITY OF THE NEXT TWO CHAIRS. 
 
3.  (C)  BOTH KUDJOE AND BRAMDEO EXPLAINED HOW SOUTH AFRICAN 
PRESIDENT MBEKI ATTEMPTED TO SECURE THE NAMING OF THE NEXT 
SADC CHAIR AT THE WINDHOEK SUMMIT, ONLY TO MEET WITH NO 
RESPONSE FROM HIS FELLOW SADC HEADS OF STATE.  THE SAG, SAID 
KUDJOE, WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN THE NAMING OF THE NEXT 
CHAIR IN ORDER TO "CLOSE THE CHAPTER" ON ORGAN REFORM. 
BRAMDEO INDICATED THAT THE SAG WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THIS AS 
ADDED ASSURANCE THAT THE CHAIRMANSHIP WOULD INDEED ROTATE IN 
AUGUST.  NEVERTHELESS, SOUTH AFRICA FIRMLY SUPPORTS SADC 
SUMMIT'S OVERALL DECISION ON ORGAN REFORM, CONCLUDED KUDJOE. 
 
4.  (C)  ACCORDING TO KUDJOE, THE ORGAN'S CHAIR WOULD PROVIDE 
ITS OWN SECRETARIAT WHICH WOULD BE HOUSED WITH THE SADC 
SECRETARIAT IN GABORONE. 
 
SUPPORT FOR RAMSAMY AS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 
------------------------------------------ 
 
5.  (C)  SOUTH AFRICA FULLY SUPPORTS FORMER ACTING EXECUTIVE 
SECRETARY RAMSAMY AS THE NEW SADC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SAID 
BRAMDEO.  GOING TO SOME PAINS TO DESCRIBE RAMSAMY'S 
APPOINTMENT PROCESS,  NAMIBIAN FIRST SECRETARY SACKY SHIVUTE 
TOLD POLOFF MARCH 14 THAT AFTER A "LONG AND INTENSIVE" 
INTERVIEW PROCESS, THE SADC TROIKA PLUS SOUTH AFRICA AND 
ZIMBABWE CHOSE RAMSAMY AS THE "BEST" CANDIDATE FOR EXECUTIVE 
SECRETARY.  SHIVUTE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ANGOLA MOUNTED A 
SERIOUS LOBBYING CAMPAIGN ON BEHALF OF ITS CANDIDATE, BUT 
THAT RAMSAMY WAS JUDGED THE BETTER CANDIDATE.  RATHER 
UNCHARITABLY, SHIVUTE ADDED ON AN ASIDE THAT MUCH OF 
RAMSAMY'S SUCCESS AS ACTING EXECUTIVE SECRETARY WAS PROBABLY 
DUE TO HIS "PROFESSIONAL" SUPPORT STAFF. 
 
6.  (C)  ACCORDING TO BRAMDEO, THE SADC SUMMIT REALIZES THAT 
BOTH SADC'S EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND SECRETARIAT NEEDED TO BE 
STRENGTHENED TO OVERSEE THE REFORM IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. 
SADC, SAID BRAMDEO, NEEDED TO BETTER DEFINE THE MANDATE OF 
BOTH THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND THE SECRETARIAT.  THE SADC 
TREATY NEEDED TO BE AMENDED, ADDED KUDJOE, TO RESTRUCTURE THE 
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY APPOINTMENT PROCESS FROM AN ELECTION 
FORMAT TO ONE BASED ON "JOB INTERVIEWS." 
 
7.  (C)  IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM AN EU DIPLOMAT, 
BRAMDEO EXPLAINED THAT SADC DECIDED NOT TO UPGRADE THE 
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY POSITION TO A SECRETARY GENERAL POSITION 
BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD ENTAIL REDEFINING HIS RELATIONSHIP 
VIS-A-VIS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE OAU'S 
SECRETARY GENERAL.  FURTHER, SAID BRAMDEO, WITH REGARD TO 
FUTURE APPOINTMENTS, SADC IS ANTICIPATING INTEREST FROM 
APPLICANTS SUCH AS REGIONAL MINISTERS OR CEO'S OF LARGE 
COMPANIES.  IF THE POSITION WERE UPGRADED TO THE SECRETARY 
GENERAL LEVEL, APPROPRIATE APPLICANTS WOULD HAVE TO BE AT THE 
HEADS OF STATE LEVEL. 
 
SECTOR COORDINATING UNIT REFORM 
------------------------------- 
 
8.  (C)  THE SAG OFFICIALS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL THE APPROVED 
PROPOSAL FOR CONSOLIDATING THE SECTOR COORDINATING UNITS 
(SCUS) INTO FOUR DIRECTORATES:  TRADE, INDUSTRY, FINANCE, AND 
INVESTMENT; FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES; 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES; AND SOCIAL AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 
AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS (REFTEL).  ACCORDING TO KUDJOE, 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REFORM PROCESS WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY 
AND THE TRADE DIRECTORATE SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL BY AUGUST 
2001.  ALL FOUR DIRECTORATES WILL BE BASED IN GABORONE. 
 
9.  (C)  COST IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REFORMED SADC REMAIN 
SKETCHY, SAID KUDJOE.  SHE REVIEWED THE POSSIBLE FORMULAS: 
ASSESSMENT RATES BASED ON GDP, POPULATION SIZE, A COMBINATION 
OF THE TWO, OR RETAINING THE CURRENT STRUCTURE.  KUDJOE 
OPINED THAT PLACING TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON MEMBER STATES' 
POPULATION COULD PREJUDICE THE DROC AND TANZANIA, TWO OF THE 
REGION'S MOST POPULATED STATES ASIDE FROM SOUTH AFRICA. 
 
10.  (C)  ALSO UNCLEAR, CONTINUED BRAMDEO, IS THE REFORMED 
SADC STAFFING PATTERNS.  SOME SCUS WITH LARGE STAFFS WOULD 
PROBABLY END UP RETRENCHING NUMEROUS OFFICIALS WHILE OTHERS 
MIGHT RETAIN MORE.  FOR EXAMPLE, SOUTH AFRICA CURRENTLY PLANS 
TO SEND ABOUT TWO OF ITS EIGHT-PERSON FINANCE SCU TO 
GABORONE.  KUDJOE NOTED THAT THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE 
SECRETARIAT'S GABORONE STAFF WOULD INCREASE, WITH AN 
ENVISIONED MINIMUM OF 129. 
 
11.  (C)  SOUTH AFRICA WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE INITIAL 
IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD OF TWO YEARS ACCELERATED, WITH THE 
PHASING OUT OF THE SCUS TAKING PLACE IN LESS TIME THAN THIS. 
THE MORE RAPIDLY THE UNITS CAN BE DISMANTLED, THE SOONER THE 
FOUR NEW DIRECTORATES CAN BE ESTABLISHED, STRESSED KUDJOE. 
 
12.  (C)  AN INTEGRATED COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS (SEPARATE FROM 
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS) WILL OVERSEE THE DIRECTORATES' 
PROGRAMS AND WILL ASSIST THE SCUS IN DISMANTLING AND 
TRANSFERRING TO GABORONE.  BY THE END OF DECEMBER, SAID 
BRAMDEO, THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE ORGANIZED A REGIONAL 
INDICATIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. 
 
TREATY AMENDMENT 
---------------- 
 
13.  (C)  KUDJOE MAINTAINED THAT SADC WOULD EMBARK ON THE 
SADC TREATY AMENDMENT PROCESS IMMEDIATELY WITH THE TARGET OF 
PRESENTING THE AMENDMENT PROPOSALS TO THE BLANTYRE SUMMIT IN 
AUGUST 2001 FOR APPROVAL. 
 
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 
-------------------- 
 
14.  (C)  THE SADC SUMMIT AGREED THAT THE COUNCIL OF 
MINISTERS SHOULD MEET FOUR TIMES A YEAR INSTEAD OF THE 
CURRENT TWICE A YEAR PROGRAM. 
 
DROC 
---- 
 
15.  (C)  KUDJOE COMMENTED THAT DROC PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA 
SPOKE "WELL" AT WINDHOEK.  MAURITIUS, AS A CURRENT UN 
SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBER, OFFERED TO HOST THE DROC'S NATIONAL 
DIALOGUE. 
 
COMESA 
------ 
 
16.  (C)  SADC SUMMIT DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE INCREASED TIES 
WITH COMESA AT THIS TIME, REPORTED KUDJOE, BUT SUPPORTED 
"COLLABORATING" WITH COMESA ON SELECT ISSUES. 
 
ZIMBABWE 
-------- 
 
17.  (C)  ACCORDING TO KUDJOE, ZIMBABWE "SIMPLY DID NOT COME 
UP" AT WINDHOEK.  SHE ADDED THAT IT WAS UNFAIR TO BE ASKED 
(AS ONE EU DIPLOMAT DID) WHY SOUTH AFRICA DID NOT RAISE THIS 
SUBJECT AT THE SUMMIT.  "WHY NOT ASK MALAWI," DIRECTED 
KUDJOE.  SHE CONCLUDED BY STATING THAT THE SUMMIT WAS NOT THE 
PROPER FORA FOR DISCUSSING EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
18.  (C)  AFTER EXPENDING COUNTLESS MAN-HOURS TO THE ORGAN 
REVIEW PROCESS, SOUTH AFRICA CAN BARELY WAIT FOR THE REFORM 
TO BE COMPLETED ONCE AND FOR ALL.  THE SAG WILL NOT REST EASY 
UNTIL A NEW ORGAN CHAIR IS FINALLY NAMED.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
LEWIS