US embassy cable - 01HARARE1276

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001276 
 
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: 04/09/11 
TAGS: EAGR, PGOV, PHUM, EAID, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S COMMERCIAL FARMERS QUIETLY WORKING 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  01276  01 OF 02  091254Z 
TO RE-ENGAGE WITH THE GOZ ON LAND REFORM 
 
REF: HARARE 1102 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: THE CFU AND THE GOZ ARE QUIETLY MEETING 
TO TRY AND REACH AN AGREEMENT TO END THE STAND-OFF OVER 
LAND.  THE CFU IS PITCHING A PROPOSAL TO THE GOZ WHEREBY 
IT WILL PROVIDE A LIST OF FARMS TOTALING FIVE MILLION 
HECTARES THAT WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR RESETTLEMENT, 
A PORTION OF THEM IMMEDIATELY.  THE GOZ WOULD THEN 
PRIVATELY AGREE TO AN ACQUISITION TIMETABLE SPREAD OVER 
A NUMBER OF YEARS, GIVING THE FARMERS TIME TO WIND-DOWN 
THEIR OPERATIONS.  THE PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS IN THESE 
NEGOTIATIONS HINGE ON THE CFU AND COMMERCIAL FARMERS 
DECIDING THAT THEY CAN TRUST THE GOZ TO HONOR AN 
AGREEMENT OF THIS TYPE, INCLUDING PROVIDING FAIR 
COMPENSATION FOR THE VALUE OF THE FARMS OBTAINED (NOTE: 
THE FARMERS WILL ACCEPT FAIR COMPENSATION FOR THE 
IMPROVEMENTS, WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY WOULD LATER BE 
COMPENSATED FOR THE VALUE OF LAND IF DONOR OR GOZ FUNDS 
BECAME AVAILABLE FOR THIS.)  MORE CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS 
OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS IS A DEAL THAT WILL ALLOW 
PRESIDENT MUGABE TO PROCLAIM THAT HE HAS FULFILLED HIS 
PROMISE TO PROVIDE LAND TO THE BLACK MAJORITY.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) ON APRIL 5, ECONOFF MET WITH WILLIAM HUGHES, 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU) VICE PRESIDENT FOR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  01276  01 OF 02  091254Z 
REGIONS, AND COLLIN CLOETE, CFU VICE PRESIDENT FOR 
COMMODITIES, TO DISCUSS THE STATUS OF CFU EFFORTS TO RE- 
ENGAGE THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) ON THE ISSUE OF 
LAND REFORM.  HUGHES AND CLOETE WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT 
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CFU AND THE GOZ HAD IMPROVED 
SINCE THE CFU SPECIAL CONGRESS IN MARCH (REFTEL), AND 
SAID THAT THE CFU HAD PRESENTED TO THE GOZ ITS PLAN FOR 
A WAY FORWARD ON THE ISSUE OF LAND REFORM.  HUGHES 
STATED THAT GOZ OFFICIALS WITH WHOM THE CFU HAS MET IN 
THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE BEEN RECEPTIVE TO THE 
CFU'S PROPOSALS, BUT ADDED THAT THESE OFFICIALS WERE 
"TECHNOCRATS" AND IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT THEY CARRY MUCH 
WEIGHT IN NEGOTIATING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CFU AND 
THE GOZ. 
 
3. (C) IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, A CFU GROUP, LED BY NICK 
SWANEPOEL, THE CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC 
CONSULTATIVE FORUM (NECF) LAND TASK FORCE, HAS MET WITH 
VINCENT HUNGWE, THE PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE LANDS 
MINISTRY AND THE OTHER CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE NECF LAND TASK 
FORCE, LANDS MINISTER JOSEPH MADE, FINANCE MINISTER 
SIMBA MAKONI, AND VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH MSIKA, WHO IS 
THE NOMINAL HEAD OF THE GOZ LAND REFORM AND RESETTLEMENT 
EFFORT IN THE CABINET.  THE SWANEPOEL-LED GROUP HAS BEEN 
ATTEMPTING TO SELL THE CFU'S PROPOSAL ON LAND REFORM TO 
A SUSPICIOUS GOZ THAT CONTINUES TO VIEW ANY PROPOSALS 
FROM THE CFU AND COMMERCIAL FARMERS AS DELAYING TACTICS 
RATHER THAN GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO SUPPORT LAND REFORM. 
ACCORDING TO CLOETE, THE GOZ OFFICIALS HAVE INDICATED A 
DESIRE TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE, BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO 
SEE CONCRETE ACTIONS BY THE CFU.  THESE INCLUDE THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  01276  01 OF 02  091254Z 
WITHDRAWAL OF THE CFU LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GOZ ON THE 
CONSTITUTIONALITY OF "FAST-TRACK" AND A PUBLIC 
COMMITMENT TO IDENTIFY FIVE MILLION HECTARES OF 
COMMERCIAL FARMLAND FOR RESETTLEMENT. 
 
4. (C) CLOETE SAID THAT THE REQUEST TO WITHDRAW THE CFU 
LAWSUIT IS A MOOT POINT.  THE SUPREME COURT HAS ALREADY 
RULED ON THE SUIT AND HAS FOUND IN FAVOR OF THE CFU AND 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS.  HOWEVER, THE CFU HAS PROMISED THAT 
IT WILL NOT PURSUE A RULING OF CONTEMPT