US embassy cable - 01HARARE3715

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AGOA DECISION CONVEYED TO GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Identifier: 01HARARE3715
Wikileaks: View 01HARARE3715 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2001-12-13 11:49:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: ETRD ECON PHUM PREL ZI
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

131149Z Dec 01

 

                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO8587

PAGE 01        HARARE  03715  131614Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  CTME-00  DODE-00  EB-00    EUR-00   
      EXIM-01  E-00     VC-00    FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   
      ITC-01   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  ACE-00   SP-00    
      SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  G-00     SAS-00     /006W
                  ------------------4B0EE9  131615Z /45    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0535
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003715 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 12/13/11 
TAGS: ETRD, ECON, PHUM, PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT:  AGOA DECISION CONVEYED TO GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE 
 
REF:  STATE 211333 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. 
REASONS:  1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (U) POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING 
POINTS ON DECEMBER 13 TO MINISTRY OF FINANCE PERMANENT 
SECRETARY NICHOLAS NCUBE.  POLCHIEF REPORTED THAT ZIMBABWE 
 
SIPDIS 
WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR AGOA BENEFITS IN 2002, DESCRIBED THE 
REASONS ELABORATED IN REFTEL, AND LEFT NCUBE WITH A NON- 
PAPER.  HE STRESSED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PERMANENT DECISION. 
WE CONDUCT AN ELIGIBILITY REVIEW ANNUALLY, AND SIGNIFICANT 
PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING USG CONCERNS WOULD STRENGTHEN 
ZIMBABWE'S CHANCES FOR ELIGIBILITY IN 2003. 
 
2.  (C) THE DECISION WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO NCUBE.  WHILE HE 
WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A DIFFERENT OUTCOME, HE DESCRIBED THE 
USG DETERMINATION AS "STRAIGHTFORWARD, BASED PRIMARILY ON 
GOOD GOVERNANCE CONCERNS."  HE LAMENTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT 
HAS BEEN IN ELECTION MODE FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS, BEGINNING 
WITH THE FAILED CAMPAIGN FOR A NEW CONSTITUTION IN 1999. 
DURING THAT PERIOD, ALL GOZ POLICIES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED 
WITH THE NEED TO WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN MIND.  HE 
AND FINANCE MINISTER MAKONI HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED PRIMARILY 
TO DAMAGE CONTROL -- HE SHOOK HIS HEAD AT SOME OF THE 
PROPOSALS THAT HAVE LANDED ON HIS DESK -- BUT HE HOPED 
THAT, ONCE THE ELECTION IS OVER, HE AND HIS BOSS CAN BEGIN 
TO NURSE ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMY BACK TO HEALTH. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: LIKE HIS BOSS, SIMBA MAKONI, NCUBE IS A 
FRANK INTERLOCUTOR WHO IS USUALLY HONEST ABOUT HIS 
UNHAPPINESS OVER THE NATIONAL POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT HERE. 
IN THIS MEETING, HE WAS MOST FRUSTRATED THAT ZANU-PF'S 
DETERMINATION TO WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS 
PREVENTED HIS MINISTRY FROM ADDRESSING THIS COUNTRY'S 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03715  131614Z 
SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, AND HE WAS RESIGNED TO THE FACT 
THAT THIS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE UNTIL THE ELECTION. 
WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE AGOA DECISION, FOLLOWING SO 
CLOSELY ON THE HEELS OF ZDERA'S PASSAGE, WILL LEAD THE GOZ 
TO MOVE US UP A NOTCH OR TWO ON THE ENEMIES LIST AND TO 
SUBJECT US TO FURTHER ROASTING FROM THE GOVERNMENT- 
CONTROLLED PRESS -- LED BY INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN 
MOYO. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 

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