US embassy cable - 04HARARE2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002009 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR BNEULING 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2009 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, ZI, ZANU-PF 
SUBJECT: CHISSANO BOOSTS MUGABE AT ZANU-PF PARTY CONGRESS 
 
REF: (A) MAPUTO 1533 (B) MAPUTO 1520 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher W. Dell under Section 1.5 b/d 
 
1.  (U) In an address to the ruling ZANU-PF,s Fourth Party 
Congress that was broadcast live on Zimbabwe state radio on 
December 3, Mozambican President Chissano recounted at length 
the close historical ties between his Frelimo party and 
ZANU-PF, and stressed in particular Mozambique's support for 
Zimbabwean land reform.  He noted his imminent departure from 
the Presidency but explicitly distinguished his situation 
from President Mugabe's.  He said he did not believe in term 
limits and that nobody need follow his example in stepping 
down.  He was leaving the political stage because Mozambique 
was stable but Zimbabwe was "different," he said without 
elaborating.  He noted that Western leaders often asked him 
about why his government supported the GOZ but concluded that 
"democracy forced from the outside will fail, democracy 
developed from within will prevail." 
 
2.  (C) At a state dinner for Chissano on December 3, the 
Ambassador engaged Chissano Diplomatic Adviser and former 
Mozambican Ambassador to the United Nations Carlos dos Santos 
about the situation in Zimbabwe.  While giving token 
acknowledgement of Mugabe's flaws, dos Santos hewed to the 
line that Zimbabwe's problems are largely due to outside 
pressure on Mugabe and could easily be resolved if the West, 
especially the UK and the United States, were willing to 
compromise.  The Ambassador replied that it was specious to 
blame the outside world for Mugabe's homegrown misgovernance, 
and challenged dos Santos' assertion that there was no 
willingness on our side to be flexible toward Zimbabwe.  On 
the contrary, if Mugabe demonstrated real -- as opposed to 
rhetorical -- commitment to reform and good governance, we 
would be prepared to respond.  The Ambassador urged that, 
upon his departure from the presidency, Chissano use his 
elder statesman status to influence Zimbabwean politics 
constructively and to press Mugabe to take that first step. 
Dos Santos undertook to raise the point with Chissano. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: The state media replayed Chissano's public 
solidarity with Mugabe and ZANU-PF repeatedly.  His unalloyed 
tribute underscored for domestic audiences the continued high 
stature accorded Mugabe by the region's leaders -- a message 
particularly important to a party leadership concerned by the 
high level reception being given opposition leader Morgan 
Tsvangirai in Europe and Africa over the past two weeks. 
 
SIPDIS 
(Note: Tsvangirai told the Ambassador December 8 that he 
plans to visit Washington in late January or early February.) 
 
 
DELL