US embassy cable - 04HARARE882

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000882 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, D. TEITELBAUM 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, EAID, ECON, KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: MUGABE VISIBLY AGITATED DURING SKY NEWS INTERVIEW 
 
REF: PRETORIA 2332 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Controversy has swirled around President 
Mugabe's May 22 interview with Sky News.  The fallout might 
result in some turmoil within the higher echelons of ZANU-PF, 
and some discomfort for Mbeki, but it is unlikely to affect 
Mugabe's domestic political fortune.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) Sources inside Mugabe's cabinet have said that 
Minister of Information Jonathan Moyo opposed the interview, 
while ZANU-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Nathan 
Shamuyarira and Minister of Special Affairs for Land Reform 
John Nkomo, supported it. 
 
3. (C) The GOZ reportedly believed that by agreeing to a Sky 
News interview with the President, the GOZ would get positive 
treatment and Mugabe's image would be bolstered before an 
international audience.  The deal almost fell through when an 
initial Sky News team left with no interview on May 12, 
reportedly on Jonathan Moyo's instructions to the Department 
of Immigration to request their departure.  When Sky News 
subsequently ran a balanced story on land reform that 
concluded that history would judge whether the Zimbabwean 
land reform exercise was right, the GOZ allowed Sky News to 
return, probably anticipating that the tone of the Mugabe 
interview would be "let history judge".  The actual interview 
took a more "hard talk" approach.  Although he made one 
pointed comment directed at the 'racist white mentality' of 
the interviewer, Mugabe remained articulate throughout.  He 
was, however, clearly agitated at times, caught off-guard, 
and made a number of ill-considered statements that have had 
repercussions. 
 
Talks Not Necessary 
------------------- 
 
4. (C) Mugabe said that because the MDC's voice was heard in 
parliament, interparty talks were not necessary.  The 
statement clearly contradicted the GOZ's recent party line on 
interparty talks, and did not jive with South Africa's 
longstanding rhetoric that talks are ongoing and are the best 
route to political reconciliation in Zimbabwe.  Mugabe's 
comment apparently stirred some public reaction from the 
South Africans (Ref). 
 
Who's Paying for Mugabe's Residence? 
------------------------------------ 
 
5. (C) Referring to Mugabe's retirement mansion in the posh 
Harare suburb of Borrowdale Brook, the interviewer asked if 
Mugabe himself were corrupt and how he had funded the 
construction of a twenty-five room mansion.  Mugabe, visibly 
surprised, gave a somewhat rambling answer saying that the 
builders were Yugoslav, but ZANU-PF was paying.  Mugabe said 
he had received tiles and roofing materials from the Chinese 
and timber from former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir.  A 
May 26 article in the Malaysian newspaper Malaysiakini quoted 
Malaysian opposition leader Lim Kit as shocked that Malaysian 
funds might have been used to fund the personal residence of 
the dictator of a rotten and corruptible regime.  The same 
article quoted Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Joseph 
Salang Gandum as denying that funds were given to Mugabe for 
his house and saying that the government would check into the 
allegation. 
 
Plenty of Food? 
--------------- 
 
6. (C) Mugabe categorically stated after some prodding that 
Zimbabwe would in fact produce 2.3 million metric tons of 
maize this year, would have a food surplus, would not need 
donor food assistance, and definitely would not buy food from 
elsewhere.  On May 26 Harare-based Australian diplomats 
informed Emboff that the Australian Embassy in Harare had 
issued visas to Zimbabwe Grain Marketing Board (GMB) 
officials who were currently in Australia negotiating a deal 
to buy wheat from the Australia Wheat Board through an 
American brokerage firm.  Emboffs are in possession of a 
November 2003 memo from the local Jewel Bank to the GMB 
confirming a US$80 million loan as part of a US$700 million 
loan facility to purchase grain for Zimbabwe.  The memo 
states that part of the US$80 million would be for maize, and 
part would be for wheat.  The facts do not mesh with Mugabe's 
statements. 
 
Trade Increasing or Decreasing? 
------------------------------- 
 
7. (C) Mugabe stated that contrary to published figures, 
trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe had not declined by 
15 billion Rand in 'fact', trade with South Africa had been 
increasing for the past few years.  The interviewer pointed 
out that Mugabe's statements contradicted published figures 
which said that trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe had 
declined. 
 
Succession a Taboo Topic 
------------------------ 
 
8. (C) Mugabe asked the interviewer who had commented on 
succession.  The interviewer said Jonathan Moyo had.  Mugabe 
said it was fine to discuss succession, but it was 
unacceptable for ZANU-PF officials to jockey for position. 
Responding in typical vitriolic fashion, Jonathan Moyo in a 
Herald article on May 27, denied that he had conferred with 
anyone from Sky News before or after the interview.  He said 
Sky News was a colonial mouthpiece that had continually 
demonized the President and burned Zimbabwe through the fires 
of falsehoods. 
 
Comment: 
-------- 
 
9. (C) This was not Robert Mugabe's finest hour.  Sky News 
took off the kid gloves once it obtained the interview it 
sought, and Mugabe suffered treatment to which he is rarely, 
if ever, exposed, thanks to the captive government media and 
his normal reluctance to engage with the international press. 
 Since the interview, Moyo has gone into full spin control 
mode, hoping to shore up his own image which may have been 
damaged by the association of his name to the succession 
issue.  Going a step further, the Zimbabwean Ambassador to 
South Africa publicly castigated the South African media for 
saying that ZANU-PF was not interested in talks with the MDC, 
apparently denying what Mugabe clearly stated in the 
interview.  It is still unclear what the blowback within GOZ 
will be, but it is unlikely that the stocks of those who 
promoted the interview have gone up in Mugabe's eyes. 
 
10. (C) Continued: Regardless of the obvious inconsistencies, 
any damaging part of the interview is unlikely to be 
broadcast by the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting 
Corporation (ZBC).  It is therefore unlikely to affect 
Mugabe's image with ordinary Zimbabweans who generally do not 
have access to satellite television. 
SULLIVAN