US embassy cable - 02HARARE936

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000936 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
STATE FOR AF/S FOR KRAFT AND DELISI 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER 
 
USAID/W FOR A/AID; AFR/SA FOR COPSON, WILLIAMS, POE AND 
HAGELMAN; AFR/SD FOR WHELAN; DCHA/FFP FOR PETERSEN, 
CARLSON, SKORIC AND BRAUSE; DCHA/OFDA FOR BRYAN, HANDAGLE 
AND MARX 
 
GENEVA PLEASE PASS TO OFDAG, IFRC 
 
ROME PLEASE PASS TO FODAG 
 
NAIROBI PLEASE PASS TO USAID/REDSO/ARO 
 
PRETORIA PLEASE PASS TO USDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ECON 
SUBJECT: POLITICAL ABUSE OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
 
SENSITIVE, BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR INTERNET DISSEMINATION 
 
1.   RECENT REPORTS INDICATE WIDESPREAD ABUSE IN THE DISTRIBUTION 
OF FOOD AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (AND SOCIAL SERVICES, 
PRINCIPALLY IN GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED PROGRAMS, IN ZIMBABWE. 
REPORTS INDICATE THAT THIS PRACTICE IS PARTICULARLY ACUTE 
IN THOSE AREAS DOMINATED BY RULING PARTY INTERESTS (E.G., 
MBERENGWA EAST IN MASVINGO PROVINCE). WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS 
(E.G., CARE SUPPLEMENTARY CHILD FEEDING PROGRAM IN MBERENGWA 
EAST), SUCH DISCRIMINATORY AID ARGETING/DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES 
DO NOT APPEAR TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM IN DONOR-ASSISTED PROGRAMS 
TO DATE.  HOWEVER, AS THE COUNTRY FOOD SECURITY SITUATION 
CONTINUES TO WORSEN, EXTREME VIGILANCE WILL BE REQUIRED BY 
ALL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTING AGENTS TO ENSURE THAT THIS DEPLORABLE 
PRACTICE IS NOT PERMITTED TO OCCUR.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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"THIS IS ZANU FOOD -- LET TSVANGIRAI FEED YOU" 
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2.   SEVERAL REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED RECENTLY OF POLITICAL 
ABUSE OF HUMANITARIAN (ESPECIALLY FOOD) ASSISTANCE BY RULING 
PARTY INTERESTS IN ZIMBABWE.  THE MOST GLARING EXAMPLE HAS 
OCCURRED IN MBERENGWA EAST IN MASVINGO PROVINCE WITH NUMEROUS 
DOCUMENTED CASES OF OUTRIGHT DENIAL OR RESTRICTED ACCESS TO FOOD, 
WATER, HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES (SCHOOLS) TO SUPPORTERS 
AND CHILDREN OF SUPPORTERS OF THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR 
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) BY LOCAL RULING PARTY SUPPORTERS 
(INCLUDING LOCAL PARTY COUNCILORS, TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES, 
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICERS, WAR VETS, 
MILITIA YOUTH, ETC.).  IN THIS DISTRICT, "MASSIVE" DENIAL OF 
ACCESS TO FOOD HAS BEEN REPORTED IN GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED FOOD 
DISTRIBUTION, CHILD FEEDING AND FOOD-FOR-WORK/CASH AID PROGRAMS 
AS WELL AS IN THE PARASTATAL GRAIN MARKETING BOARD'S (GMB) 
COMMERCIAL FOOD SALES AND LOAN DISTRIBUTIONS.  THIS DISTRICT 
ALSO PRESENTS THE ONLY DOCUMENTED INSTANCE TO DATE OF SUCH 
DISCRIMINATORY ABUSE IN ONE DONOR-ASSISTED SUPPLEMENTARY CHILD 
FEEDING PROGRAM (SCFP) CONDUCTED BY THE PVO CARE INTERNATIONAL 
(CARE).  OTHER VICTIMS FROM THIS DISTRICT REPORTED HAVING TO PAY 
EXHORBITANT FEES EVEN FOR DRAWING WATER SUPPLIES FROM COMMUNITY 
BOREHOLES WHICH ARE ACCESSED BY OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR FREE. 
SEVERAL EXAMPLES WERE ALSO DOCUMENTED IN THIS DISTRICT OF CHILDREN 
BEING DENIED ACCESS TO OR EVICTED FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THEIR 
PARENTS' POLITICAL PREFERENCES. 
 
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"SURRENDER TO ZANU-PF AND GET FOOD AID" 
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3. ALTHOUGH ACCURATE ESTIMATES ARE DIFFICULT, AVAILABLE 
INFORMATION SUGGESTS THAT SELECTIVE ACCESS TO FOOD IS FAIRLY 
WIDESPREAD IN GOVERNMENT/GMB-CONTROLLED FOOD AID AND COMMERCIAL 
SALES PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS 
DOMINATED BY RULING PARTY INTERESTS. A RELATED FORM OF THIS 
ABUSE, REPORTED RECENTLY IN RUSAPE IN MANICALAND PROVINCE, IS 
SELECTIVE WHOLESALING OF GMB FOOD TO RULING PARTY INTERESTS WHO, 
IN TURN, CHARGE EXHORBITANT ILLEGAL BLACK MARKET PRICES TO 
OPPOSITION PARTY SUPPORTERS WHO ARE DENIED DIRECT ACCESS TO THE 
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED SOURCE OF SUPPLY.  DISCUSSIONS WITH A WIDE 
VARIETY OF SOURCES INDICATE, HOWEVER, THAT THIS PRACTICE HAS NOT 
BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM IN DONOR-ASSISTED FOOD OR OTHER ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAMS TO DATE, INCLUDING ANY USG-ASSISTED PROGRAMS OF THIS 
NATURE. 
 
4. SOURCES POINT OUT THAT THIS ABUSE IS POSSIBLE AS, IN MANY 
INSTANCES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES DOMINATED BY RULING 
PARTY INTERESTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAWING UP AND MAINTAINING 
BENEFICIARY LISTS WITHIN TARGETED CONSTITUENCIES.  ONE VICTIM 
FROM BRUNAPEG IN BULALILAMANGWE DISTRICT REPORTED A REQUIREMENT 
FOR AN "OLD" RULING PARTY CARD TO BE INCLUDED ON SUCH FOOD 
ASSISTANCE LISTS, AS A NEW CARD DID NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT 
TRUE PARTY FEALTY.  THIS PERSON HAD TO UNDERGO AN ELABORATE 
"CLEANSING RITUAL" BEFORE HE COULD BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR THE 
FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS. 
 
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DUE DILIGENCE REQUIRED 
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5. DISCUSSIONS WITH THE U.N.'S WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP), CONCERNED 
PVOS/NGOS AND OTHER DONORS INDICATE THAT WHILE ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN 
MADE TO PRESSURE DONOR-ASSISTED AID PROGRAMS TO DISCRIMINATE AMONG 
PROSPECTIVE PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES IN THIS MANNER, TO DATE, THESE 
PRESSURES HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVELY RESISTED (WITH THE EXCEPTION CARE'S 
SCFP IN MBERENGWA EAST NOTED ABOVE).  HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM IS 
EXPECTED TO BECOME WORSE OVER TIME, AS MORE PEOPLE BECOME FOOD 
INSECURE AND ARE NOT (YET) INCLUDED ON EXISTING BENEFICIARY AID 
LISTS.  UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCH ABUSIVE, 
DISCRIMINATORY TARGETING PRACTICES FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
INCREASES.  THIS SITUATION WILL REQUIRE INCREASED VIGILANCE IN 
VERIFICATION AND MONITORING OF ALL FACETS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION 
OF ON-GOING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BY THE VARIOUS U.N. 
AND NGO IMPLEMENTING AGENTS TO ENSURE THAT THIS DEPLORABLE 
PRACTICE DOES NOT SPREAD. 
 
 
 
 
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COMMENT 
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6. THE MISSION HAS DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH CONCERNED WFP AND NGO 
STAFF TO GATHER INFORMATION, RAISE AWARENESS, EXPRESS OUR CONCERNS, 
AND DEVELOP APPROPRIATE PROGRAMMATIC RESPONSES.  PROGRAMMATIC 
OPTIONS DISCUSSED TO DATE INCLUDE THE NEED FOR POSSIBLE INDEPENDENT 
MONITORING OF SUCH PROGRAMS, AND DIRECT DIALOGUE WITH THE 
GOVERNMENT ON THIS AND OTHER FOOD/HA-RELATED ISSUES.  THE 
MISSION POSITION IS "ZERO TOLERANCE" ON ANY HA ABUSES OF THIS 
NATURE IN USG-ASSISTED PROGRAMS.  THE MISSION WILL CONTINUE TO 
MONITOR THIS ISSUE CLOSELY WITH WFP AND OTHER CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS, 
AND FOLLOW-UP AS REQUIRED. 
 
WHITEHEAD