US embassy cable - 01HARARE2397

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002397 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AF/RA, AND DRL 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS-MANIGAULT 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZIER 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/06 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, UK, US, ZI 
SUBJECT: MUGABE HEWS TO HARD LINE IN HEROES' DAY 
ADDRESS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CDA REWHITEHEAD DUE TO 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE'S NATIONAL HEROES' DAY ADDRESS 
TO A LARGE BUT LISTLESS CROWD AT HEROES' ACRE WAS 
DEFIANT IN TONE AND UNCHANGED IN SUBSTANCE.  MUGABE 
LAMBASTED THE BRITISH FOR THEIR HISTORICAL SINS AND TOOK 
AIM AT THE U.S. OVER THE SENATE PASSAGE OF ZDERA.  HE 
TALLIED UP FIGURES FOR LAND ACQUIRED AND PEOPLED 
RESETTLED IN THE FAST TRACK LAND PROGRAM AND WARNED 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS NOT TO RESIST.  MUGABE CALLED ON 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS TO COOPERATE AND IMPLIED TROUBLE IF 
THEY DID NOT.  IN FOLLOWING CONVERSATIONS, UK HIGH 
COMMISSIONER DONNELLY TERMED THE ADDRESS "AN OLIVE 
BRANCH WITH THORNS."  OTHER WESTERN DIPLOMATS WITH MORE 
SEASONING IN ZIMBABWE WONDERED IF THIS WERE NOT AN 
OVERLY OPTIMISTIC READ. 
 
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THE ANGLO-SAXON CONSPIRACY 
-------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) A CROWD ESTIMATED BETWEEN 4,000 (OPPOSITION 
PRESS) AND 10,000 (GOVERNMENT PRESS) WERE TREATED TO AN 
HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES OF PRESIDENTIAL RHETORIC ON 
AUGUST 11.  A HEARTY LOOKING MUGABE, WHO DELIVERED HIS 
ADDRESS IN FIRM TONES, BEGAN WITH A CONDEMNATION OF 
WESTERN HYPOCRISY.  HE ACCUSED THE DEMOCRATIC WORLD OF 
NOT RAISING A FINGER IN THE PAST AS THE "BRITISH RACIAL 
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AUTOCRACY" BRUTALIZED AND TRAUMATIZED BLACK ZIMBABWEANS. 
HE ACCUSED THE COLONIALISTS OF PILLAGING THE COUNTRY'S 
MINERAL WEALTH AND FORCING THE ZIMBABWEANS TO WORKS THE 
LAND "TO FEED THEIR (BRITISH) CHILDREN."  HE ACCUSED UK, 
US, AND GERMAN MERCENARIES OF FIGHTING ON THE SIDE OF 
THE RHODESIANS DURING THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE, USING 
NATO WEAPONS AGAINST THE POPULATION. 
 
3.  (SBU) MUGABE DELIVERED A DIATRIBE AGAINST THE 
AMERICAN SENATE AND CONGRESS, WHO HE STATED HAD NEVER 
CONSIDERED IMPOSING SANCTIONS AGAINST THE UDI 
RHODESIANS.  INSTEAD, THE U.S. HAD ASKED TO BE EXEMPTED 
FROM UN SANCTIONS IN ORDER TO BUY CHROME FROM THE IAN 
SMITH REGIME, REFUSING THE OPTION OF BUYING FROM THE 
SOVIET UNION, WHICH WAS "A FREE STATE AT THAT TIME."  HE 
CHARGED THE SAME SENATORS OF WORKING WITH THE OPPOSITION 
TODAY ON THE "INFAMOUS ZDERA."  HE ASKED RHETORICALLY 
WHAT CRIME ZIMBABWE HAD COMMITTED TO CAUSE TALK OF 
SANCTIONS, THEN ANSWERED BY SAYING HOW DARE A BLACK 
GOVERNMENT WITH A WHITE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE THE KIN OF 
THE GOD-CHOSEN ANGLO-SAXONS.  THIS WAS SEEN AS 
PRACTICING TERRORISM AND AUTOCRACY. 
 
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A WALLOW IN COLONIAL HISTORY 
---------------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) MUGABE NEXT TOOK DIRECT AIM AT THE BRITISH, 
NOTING THAT VICE PRESIDENT MUZENDA HAD BEEN TORTURED 
WITH NEEDLES WHILE IN INCARCERATION.  SPEAKER OF 
PARLIAMENT MNANGAGWA WAS HARD OF HEARING DUE TO BEATINGS 
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FROM PRISON AUTHORITIES.  MUGABE THEN READ FROM THE 
JOURNALS OF COLONIAL AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE 1897/1898 
EXECUTION IN SALISBURY OF TWO MEN AND A WOMAN CONVICTED 
OF MURDERING AN ASSISTANT DISTRICT COMMISSIONER.  HE 
CONTINUED BY CRITICIZING BRITISH REFUSAL TO RETURN THE 
HEAD OF AN EXECUTION VICTIM STILL HELD IN (THE) BRITISH 
MUSEUM.  MUGABE DESCRIBED THE BURNING OF CROPS BY 
BRITISH SOLDIERS IN 1896/7 AND HOW INVADERS HAD CAUSED 
"ARTIFICIAL HUNGER." 
 
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HOLDING FIRM ON LAND 
-------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) MUGABE SEGUED INTO THE LAND ISSUE, EMPHASIZING 
THAT "WE WILL NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL OF 
CONTROLLING THE LAND."  HE REPEATED THE STANDARD LINE ON 
THE FAST TRACK PROGRAM, CALLING COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE 
UNFAIR, INEFFICIENT, AND NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY 
SUSTAINABLE.  HE DENOUNCED "RACIAL, IMPERIALIST 
DOMINANCE" BUT NOTED THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT PARTS OF THE 
COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU) HAD CHANGED THEIR HEARTS 
AND WANTED TO JOIN THE GOVERNMENT IN REFORM.  THESE WERE 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4071 
 
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ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EUR-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     NSAE-00  NSCE-00 
      OIC-02   PM-00    PRS-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00 
      TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     SSR-00 
      SAS-00     /006W 
                  ------------------11FA08  141202Z /07 
O 141105Z AUG 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9458 
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
NSC WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002397 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S, AF/RA, AND DRL 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS-MANIGAULT 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZIER 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/06 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, UK, US, ZI 
SUBJECT: MUGABE HEWS TO HARD LINE IN HEROES' DAY 
ADDRESS 
 
WELCOME.  IN THE PAST, HOWEVER, FARMERS HAD EMPLOYED 
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WILES AND SUBTERFUGE AND WORKED WITH THE "SO-CALLED" 
OPPOSITION TO EXTEND BRITISH HEGEMONY BY PROCURING UK 
MONEY FOR THE OPPOSITION. 
 
6.  (SBU) HE SPOKE DIRECTLY TO RECENT EVENTS IN 
CHINHOYI, CHARGING THAT THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS HAD 
ORGANIZED TO ATTACK LANDLESS SETTLERS.  HE STATED: "WE 
WARN THEM (FARMERS) TO DESIST."  MUGABE SAID THAT WHITE 
FARMERS ARE WELCOME TO STAY BUT ONLY IF THEY OBEY THE 
LAW.  HE SAID THAT THE GOZ WILL NOT BUDGE ON LAND 
REFORM, AND WILL PROCEED WITH THE REFORM PROGRAM WITH OR 
WITHOUT CFU COOPERATION AND INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS. 
MUGABE THEN READ A LIST OF THE NUMBER OF FARMS GAZETTED, 
ACREAGE TOTALS, AND PEOPLE RESETTLED. 
 
--------------------------------- 
QUOTING HIMSELF ON RECONCILIATION 
--------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) MUGABE STRESSED THAT WHAT ANGERS AND DISTURBS 
THE CIO, POLICE, AND ZDF MOST IS THE FACT THAT THE 
FARMERS NOW PROVOKING INCIDENTS ARE THE SAME ONES WHO 
FOUGHT AGAINST THE CURRENT AUTHORITIES IN THE LIBERATION 
STRUGGLE.  HE OBSERVED THAT IF HE HAD DONE AS THE 
MILITANTS HAD WANTED IN 1980, THE (FORMER RHODESIAN 
FIGHTERS) WOULD HAVE BEEN "DECAPITATED" AND WOULD NOT 
"BE WRIGGLING BACK TO LIFE AGAIN."  HE SAID THAT WE 
(ZIMBABWEANS) WERE BETTER, MORE MORAL, AND HAD INSTEAD 
EXTENDED THE HAND OF FRIENDSHIP AND RECONCILIATION. 
MUGABE QUOTED HIMSELF FROM 1980 ON BEATING SWORDS INTO 
PLOWSHARES BEFORE CONCLUDING WITH SOME PORK BARREL 
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POLITICS -- INCREASED SCHOOL (AND OTHER) ALLOWANCES FOR 
THE WIDOWS AND CHILDREN OF HEROES -- AND A FINAL 
CONCLUDING SHOT AT ZDERA AND THE U.S. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8.  (C) MUGABE WAS IN FINE FETTLE, AND HIS PERFORMANCE 
-- DEMAGOGIC THOUGH IT OFTEN WAS -- PUTS TO REST FOR NOW 
TALK THAT HE IS TOTTERING ON THE BRINK OF PHYSICAL 
COLLAPSE.  WESTERN DIPLOMATS WHO HAVE BEEN TREATED TO 
PAST PERFORMANCES NOTED THAT THERE WAS AN UNUSUALLY 
LARGE COMPONENT OF UNIFORMED MILITARY IN THE AUDIENCE 
THIS YEAR.  THE CROWD CHEERED ON CUE, BUT THERE WAS A 
NOTABLE LACK OF ENTHUSIASM OVERALL. 
 
9.  (C) IN A FOLLOWING CONVERSATION, BRITISH HIGH 
COMMISSIONER DONNELLY SPOKE ON THE CHINHOYI SITUATION AS 
WELL AS HIS TAKE ON THE SPEECH.  HE SAID THAT THE CFU 
TEAM NEGOTIATING THE LAND ISSUE WITH THE GOZ HAD 
REPORTED A "GOOD" MEETING WITH MUGABE ON AUGUST 19, 
ALBEIT ONE THAT HAD BROUGHT NO BREAKTHROUGH.  CONNELLY 
CALLED THE SPEECH AN "OLIVE BRANCH WITH THORNS." 
SEVERAL OF HIS WESTERN COUNTERPARTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN 
ZIMBABWE FOR LONGER PERIODS TOLD CHARGE THAT THEY HAD 
PERCEIVED MORE THORN THAN OLIVE BRANCH AND FELT THAT 
MUGABE'S POSITION REMAINS UNCHANGED. 
 
10.  (C) THE SENATE'S PASSAGE OF ZDERA HAS CLEARLY 
CAUGHT MUGABE'S ATTENTION.  DONNELLY OBSERVED THAT WHILE 
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THE UK'S SINS HAD BEEN MOSTLY HISTORICAL THIS TIME 
AROUND, THE U.S. WAS NOW GRABBING TOP BILLING IN THE 
AREA OF CURRENT EVENTS. 
 
WHITEHEAD 
 
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