US embassy cable - 01HARARE1955

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001955 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CLASS BY ADDEED) 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/11 
TAGS: PREL, OPDC, ZI 
SUBJECT:  LETTER FROM ZIMBABWEAN FM MUDENGE TO SECRETARY 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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POWELL 
 
REF:  HARARE 1717 
 
(U) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE' D'AFFAIRS AUBREY HOOKS; REASON: 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (U) ON JUNE 19, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' UNDER 
SECRETARY FOR EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS JONATHAN WUTAWUNASHE 
 
SIPDIS 
CONVOKED POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF TO DELIVER A LETTER FROM 
FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE TO SECRETARY POWELL.  THE SIGNED 
ORIGINAL HAS BEEN POUCHED TO AF/S.  THE TEXT OF THE LETTER 
FOLLOWS BELOW: 
 
2.  (C) BEGIN TEXT: 
18 JUNE, 2001 
 
MR. SECRETARY 
 
I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EFFORTS TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF 
AFRICA BY VISITING SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THOSE 
IN OUR SUB-REGION, SO EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE PRESENT U.S. 
ADMINISTRATION. YOUR VISIT WOULD, OF COURSE, HAVE BEEN MOST 
WELCOME, HAD YOUR SCHEDULE ALLOWED YOU TO VISIT ZIMBABWE 
BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE ENABLED YOU TO FORM FIRST HAND 
IMPRESSIONS OF THE CHARACTER OF OUR NATION, ITS HISTORICAL 
EXPERIENCES AND ASPIRATIONS.  IT WILL CERTAINLY BE MY 
PLEASURE TO RECEIVE YOU SHOULD SUCH A VISIT BE IN PROSPECT. 
 
SOUTHERN AFRICA WAS THE LAST FRONTIER IN THE EPIC STRUGGLE 
FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE FROM THE BRUTAL 
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SCOURGES OF COLONIALISM, DISPOSSESSION AND MARGINALISATION. 
IT STILL BEARS THE SCARS OF THAT STRUGGLE, AND IN MANY WAYS 
IT STILL HAS TO RESOLVE MANY UNFINISHED ASPECTS OF THAT 
STRUGGLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE REALM OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC JUSTICE 
FOR ALL ITS PEOPLE.  BUT THERE IS STIFF RESISTANCE, BOTH 
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, ESPECIALLY ON SUCH ISSUES AS LAND 
REFORM IN ZIMBABWE.  WE HAVE WITNESSED A VIGOROUS 
DELIBERATE OBFUSCATION OF THIS STRUGGLE FOR EQUITY FROM 
CERTAIN QUARTERS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE THROUGH THE 
INTRODUCTION OF EXTRANEOUS ISSUES. 
 
THOSE OPPOSED TO THE STRUGGLE HAVE RESORTED TO A CAMPAIGN 
OF DISTORTION OF THE FACTS ON THE LAND REFORM PROGRAMME IN 
ZIMBABWE, AND ARE BUSY CARICATURING OUR LEADERS WHO ARE 
CHAMPIONING THAT CAUSE. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE DEMONISED 
IMAGES OF OUR LEADERS, WHEN DISSEMINATED THROUGH SUCH A 
POWERFUL CHANNEL AS THE GLOBAL MEDIA, HAVE TREMENDOUS 
INFLUENCE IN THE SHAPING OF OPINIONS AT ALL LEVELS.  TODAY, 
ZIMBABWE FINDS ITSELF A SUBJECT OF SUCH MANIPULATION, WHERE 
THE VICTIM IS TURNED INTO THE VILLAIN. 
 
DURING THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE, PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE, 
WHO LED THE FORCES THAT BROUGHT FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND THE 
RULE OF LAW TO OUR COUNTRY AFTER YEARS OF ILLEGALITY AND 
RACIST OPPRESSION, WAS THE TARGET OF SUCH A VICIOUS RACIST 
SMEAR CAMPAIGN BY THE ADVERSARIES OF FREEDOM AND 
INDEPENDENCE.  THOSE SAME NEGATIVE FORCES HAVE NEVER 
FORGIVEN HIM FOR HIS ROLE IN THE DEMISE OF THEIR HEGEMONY 
AND HAVE NOW REGROUPED AND SEIZED ON HIS EFFORTS TO EFFECT 
A FAIR AND JUST LAND REFORM TO ORCHESTRATE A VICIOUS AND 
MALICIOUS CHARACTER ASSASSINATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO 
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FRUSTRATE HIS EFFORTS TO CORRECT, ONCE AND FOR ALL, THE 
GROTESQUE AND SKEWED LAND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN THIS 
COUNTRY, WHERE ONE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION (THE WHITE 
COMMUNITY) OWNS 70% OF THE ARABLE LAND.  PERCEPTIONS ARE 
BEING CREATED THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE, WHOSE MANDATE THE 
PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY RENEWED IN 
SUCCESSIVE ELECTIONS HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 
CONSTITUTION OF OUR COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE FREE AND 
FAIR BY ALL, IS "REFUSING TO GO".  THE FACT THAT PRESIDENT 
MUGABE IS SERVING A TERM OF OFFICE TO WHICH THE PEOPLE OF 
ZIMBABWE ELECTED HIM, AND THAT THE SAME PEOPLE WILL, NEXT 
YEAR, EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ELECT A 
PRESIDENT OF THEIR CHOICE IS BEING CYNICALLY IGNORED. 
 
IT IS IN THE LIGHT OF THESE OBSERVATIONS THAT WE REGRETTED 
THE FACT THAT COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOU, MR. SECRETARY, 
DURING YOUR RECENT VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA APPEARED NOT TO BE 
ENRICHED WITH THIS ZIMBABWEAN PERSPECTIVE. IT OCCURS TO ME 
NOW THAT PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SENSE OF SHOCKED 
SURPRISE THAT WAS EXPERIENCED HERE AND ELSEWHERE WHEN WE, 
AS THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT IN THIS COUNTRY, HEARD THOSE 
COMMENTS, HAD WE SOUGHT AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH 
THE INFORMATION ON THE REALITIES AND ASPIRATIONS OF 
ZIMBABWE AND ITS PEOPLE AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, PRIOR TO YOUR 
VISIT TO THE REGION, ESPECIALLY AS WE WERE AWARE THAT YOU 
HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE ZIMBABWE IN YOUR ITINERARY 
THIS TIME ROUND.  SINCE ZIMBABWE IS COMMITTED TO 
MAINTAINING A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE WITH YOUR COUNTRY, WE 
HAVE NOT ALLOWED OUR DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THOSE COMMENTS TO 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9949 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  01955  02 OF 02  221838Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   COR-01   NP-00    AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  CPR-02 
      DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSC-01   SSO-00 
      SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00 
      DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------FC8129  221839Z /38 
O 191504Z JUN 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9138 
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 001955 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CLASS BY ADDEED ON SECT 01) 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/11 
TAGS: PREL, OPDC, ZI 
SUBJECT:  LETTER FROM ZIMBABWEAN FM MUDENGE TO SECRETARY 
POWELL 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  01955  02 OF 02  221838Z 
 
AFFECT OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS AND I AM, THEREFORE, AT YOUR 
DISPOSAL FOR AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND VIEWS ON THIS 
AND OTHER TOPICS IN KEEPING WITH THE LONG-STANDING GOOD 
RELATIONS BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND THE UNITED STATES. 
 
PLEASE ACCEPT, MR. SECRETARY, THE ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST 
CONSIDERATION. 
 
/S/ 
 
I.S.G. MUDENGE 
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
3. (C) THE SUBSTANCE OF FM MUDENGE'S LETTER -- PORTRAYING 
ZIMBABWE AS A VICTIM OF EXTERNAL PREDATORS -- IS CONSISTENT 
WITH THE REFRAIN THAT WE REGULARLY HEAR FROM SENIOR 
ZIMBABWEAN OFFICIALS.  THAT SAID, HOWEVER, WE CONSIDER IT A 
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT MUDENGE HAS DECIDED TO REACH OUT 
TO SECRETARY POWELL.  TAKEN TOGETHER, THE MUDENGE LETTER, 
PRESIDENT MUGABE'S RECENT WARM MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS 
TO BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR ON HIS ELECTION 
VICTORY, AND INDICATIONS THAT HARARE MIGHT HAVE MOVED 
TOWARD ACCEPTING AN "INVESTIGATORY" MISSION OF THE 
COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP (CMAG), SUGGEST THAT 
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE MIGHT BE CHANGING TACTICS 
SLIGHTLY IN ITS INTERACTIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY.  WE ARE NOT CONVINCED, HOWEVER, THAT THE 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  01955  02 OF 02  221838Z 
GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED TO MOVE BEYOND APPEARANCES AND LIP 
SERVICE TO ADDRESS GENUINELY THE CRITICAL ISSUES OF 
CONCERN TO ZIMBABWE'S NEIGHBORS AND THE BROADER 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  WE WOULD RECOMMEND A RESPONSE 
FROM SECRETARY POWELL THAT WELCOMES MUDENGE'S INTEREST IN 
MAINTAINING AN OPEN DIALOGUE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, BUT 
WHICH EMPHASIZES OUR SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT INCREASING 
LAWLESSNESS AND RAPID ECONOMIC DECLINE.  SUCH A RESPONSE 
MIGHT EMPHASIZE THAT THE USG EXPECTS THE UPCOMING 
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO BE FREE AND FAIR, LAY OUT 
PRECISELY WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT, AND MAKE CLEAR WHAT THE 
CONSEQUENCES WILL BE FOR OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IF 
THOSE STANDARDS ARE NOT ADHERED TO. 
 
HOOKS 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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