US embassy cable - 01HARARE1419

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001419 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SA - C. PALMA 
 
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ECON, ETRD, PINR, ZI, BC 
SUBJECT: MUGABE PUTS ON THE DOG FOR MOGAE 
 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (SBU) BOTSWANA'S PRESIDENT, FESTUS MOGAE, ARRIVED IN 
HARARE ON APRIL 25 FOR A FOUR-DAY STATE VISIT, THE 
STATED PURPOSE OF WHICH IS FOR THE BOTSWANA CHIEF 
EXECUTIVE TO OPEN THE ZIMBABWE INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR 
IN BULAWAYO.  THIS IS MOGAE'S SECOND WORKING VISIT IN 8 
MONTHS; HE WAS LAST HERE IN AUGUST TO OPEN AN 
AGRICULTURAL EXHIBIT IN HARARE.  THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS CONVOKED HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS TO MEET 
THE PRESIDENT AT THE AIRPORT, A RARE HONOR GRANTED TO 
VISITING HEADS OF STATE IN ZIMBABWE.  THE AIRPORT 
CEREMONY ENTAILED A TWENTY-ONE-GUN SALUTE AND AN HONOR 
GUARD REVIEW.  THE TWO PRESIDENTS MET PRIVATELY FOR 
THREE HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON AND, INTER ALIA, SIGNED A 
TRADE AGREEMENT DESIGNED TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON CROSS- 
BORDER MOVEMENT OF MANUFACTURING INPUTS.  INDUSTRY AND 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE MINISTER NKOSANA MOYO INFORMED US 
THAT HE ORGANIZED THE VISIT AT THE LAST MOMENT AND WAS 
SURPRISED THAT IT ACTUALLY HAD COME TOGETHER. 
 
2.  (SBU) IN THE EVENING, PRESIDENT MUGABE HOSTED A SET- 
PIECE STATE DINNER FOR HIS BOTSWANA COUNTERPART.  THE 
GUEST LIST CONSISTED MOSTLY OF DIPLOMATIC HEADS OF 
MISSION, SELECTED MINISTERS, AND ZANU-PF LUMINARIES, 
HALF OF WHOM DID NOT SHOW JUDGING FROM THE MASS OF EMPTY 
TABLES.  THE ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT DELIVERED A TWENTY- 
MINUTE WELCOME SPEECH IN WHICH HE ADDRESSED MOGAE IN 
CLOYING TERMS -- "MY DEAR BROTHER" BEING ONE OF THE LESS 
SACCHARINE -- AND PLEDGED ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP.  THE 
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SPEECH CONTAINED A NUMBER OF BRICKBATS FOR THE WEST, AND 
PARTICULARLY THE BRITISH, FOR DISTORTING THE NATURE OF 
ZIMBABWE'S FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.  HE WAS 
DISMISSIVE OF THOSE WHO CLAIMED THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED 
IN ZIMBABWE SINCE 1999 BOILED DOWN TO A PROBLEM OF BASIC 
GOVERNANCE AND A THREAT TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE 
JUDICIARY.  HE CLAIMED ZIMBABWE WAS READY TO ENGAGE 
BRITAIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AS DISPLAYED IN 
ITS RESPONSE TO THE LETTER OF UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MARK 
MALLOCH-BROWN.  HE THANKED BOTSWANA FOR ITS HELP IN 
GETTING VITAL FUEL AND OTHER SUPPLIES TO ZIMBABWE AND 
CONDEMNED THE "VIRTUAL SANCTIONS IMPOSED FROM THE WEST," 
ON WHICH HE PARTIALLY BLAMED ZIMBABWE'S CURRENT BAD 
ECONOMIC PATCH.  "WE ARE A DETERMINED NATION; AS GALLANT 
FIGHTERS WE SHALL NEVER ALLOW OUR ECONOMY TO COLLAPSE." 
MUGABE EXPRESSED CERTAINTY THAT WITH THE FORMATION OF 
THE AFRICAN UNION IN JULY IN LUSAKA, THE IMF, WORLD BANK 
AND WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WOULD BE OBLIGED TO TAKE 
THE CONTINENT SERIOUSLY.  MOGAE RESPONDED LARGELY WITH 
PLEASANTRIES, CONCLUDING HIS REMARKS BY THANKING MUGABE 
FOR THE "FULL BRIEFING" HE GAVE ON THE CHALLENGES 
ZIMBABWE FACES AND THE MEASURES ITS GOVERNMENT IS TAKING 
TO ADDRESS THEM. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: MOGAE IS THE SECOND AFRICAN HEAD OF 
STATE TO VISIT ZIMBABWE IN THE LAST MONTH: THE 
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO'S JOSEPH KABILA WAS 
HERE MARCH 25-27.  MUGABE REGALED BOTH VISITORS WITH 
HOSPITALITY SO LAVISH IT BORDERED ON THE OBSCENE, GIVEN 
THE COUNTRY'S CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES.  IT HAS NOT GONE 
UNNOTICED.  MOST HEADS OF MISSION HERE ATTRIBUTE THE 
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LATEST STAGED HOOPLA TO MUGABE'S WISH TO COURT THE 
PEACEABLE MOGAE.  BOTSWANA PROVIDES A LIFELINE FOR 
ZIMBABWE, SUPPLYING INPUTS THAT ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF 
THIS COUNTRY'S ECONOMY AND REMITTANCES FROM ZIMBABWEANS 
LIVING AND WORKING IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRY.  BOTSWANA 
ALSO CHAIRS THE COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP 
THAT CURRENTLY WISHES TO SEND A MISSION TO ZIMBABWE TO 
INVESTIGATE THE REIGN OF TERROR BEING UNLEASHED AGAINST 
SUSPECTED OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, THE JUDICIARY, THE 
INDEPENDENT PRESS AND MOST RECENTLY, COMPANY MANAGERS IN 
URBAN AREAS.  THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC 
CHANGE (MDC) HAS COURTED THE MOGAE GOVERNMENT 
ASSIDUOUSLY -- A STRATEGY THAT HAS BEGUN TO PAY 
DIVIDENDS -- AND MUGABE LIKELY HOPES TO PREVENT THAT 
RELATIONSHIP FROM GETTING ANY WARMER.  MUGABE SPENT 
CONSIDERABLE TIME TELLING MOGAE THAT ALL WAS WELL IN 
ZIMBABWE, BUT HEARD NO PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM HIS GUEST 
ENDORSING THE FAST-TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
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