US embassy cable - 04HARARE931

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000931 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR P: U/S GROSSMAN, D AND AF A A/S SNYDER 
NSC FOR AFRICA DIRECTOR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2014 
TAGS: PREL, ZI, U.S.-Zimbabwe Bilateral Relations 
SUBJECT: CONSOLIDATION OF MUGABE REGIME REPRESSION 
CONTINUES: HOW WILL WE RESPOND? 
 
REF: A. (A) HARARE 882 
 
     B. (B) PRETORIA 2332 
     C. (C) MASERU 323 
     D. (D) HARARE 541 
     E. (E) PRETORIA 1338 
 
Classified By: JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5, B AND D 
 
 1.(C) Over the past two months, as reported by post, the 
Mugabe regime has made it crystal clear that it has no 
intention of engaging in serious dialogue with the domestic 
opposition; that it is committed to manipulating food 
supplies, utilizing intimidation and its control of the 
electoral machinery to secure a crushing victory in the March 
2005 parliamentary elections. The Regime increasingly 
disregards any court orders it dislikes and is systematically 
shutting down local governments controlled by the MDC. Mugabe 
publicly stated his intention to renege on previous 
commitments to dialogue with the opposition in his Sky News 
interview reported ref A.  The GOZ's putative efforts to 
stabilize the economy remain subject to political and 
self-interest, as demonstrated by ongoing seizures of the 
small remaining number of white-owned commercial farms, 
notwithstanding the negative effect this will have on food 
production and economic productivity. 
 
2. (C) Mugabe's SADC neighbors still have taken no steps, by 
word or deed, to prevent Mugabe from consolidating his 
repressive rule.  Indeed, Mugabe is counting on their 
acquiescence to legitimize any and all steps he takes under 
an increasingly thin veneer of legality. Ref C reveals how 
Mugabe has successfully turned a SADC effort to address 
Zimbabwe's crisis into a series of visits by heads of 
government which, whatever is said in private, will be 
portrayed as recognition of, and applause for the Mugabe 
regime. 
 
3. (C) We recommended in ref D steps we can take to help 
stimulate African engagement in addressing Zimbabwe's growing 
crisis, and thus make our own and the EU's words and actions 
more effective in countering Mugabe's claim of African 
solidarity for his regime in its "war" with the West.  While 
we have only modest hope that our efforts can persuade key 
Africans to press Mugabe more effectively or that he will 
respond, even if pressed, we believe that our effort is 
important and should be tried urgently before Zimbabwe slips 
even further toward total dictatorship and failed state 
status. 
 
4. (C) Action requested: We urge that steps be taken promptly 
to implement US engagement with African states on Zimbabwe, 
as well as intensify our own actions toward promoting 
positive change in Zimbabwe. 
SULLIVAN