US embassy cable - 02HARARE1507

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001507 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR CNEARY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2012 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ASEC, EAID, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: OPPOSITION MAYOR OF MASVINGO GAINING 
GRUDGING ACCEPTANCE FROM RULING PARTY 
 
REF: HARARE 1463 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Todd Faulk for reasons 1.5 (b) 
and (d) 
 
1.  (C) On June 27, poloff met in Harare with Alois Chaimiti, 
the MDC Mayor of Masvingo and the first opposition mayor in 
Zimbabwe's post-independence history.  Chaimiti came into 
office in May 2001 after a typically violent election 
campaign.  In the 13 months since his installation, Chaimiti 
has gained the grudging acceptance of the ZANU-PF-dominated 
City Council, and he contends that he is making progress in 
improving city services and demonstrating that the opposition 
party is capable of governing.  The ZANU-PF Minister of Local 
Government, Ignatius Chombo, and Governor of Masvingo, Josiah 
Hungwe, have even begun to acknowledge his presence in 
public, Chaimiti laughed. 
 
2.  (C) When Chaimiti first came into office, the City 
Council, which comprises two independents and eight ZANU-PF 
members, had difficulty accepting and working with him, much 
as the council of Chitungwiza hinders its new mayor (reftel). 
 Difficulties still arise, but now the council generally 
takes a live-and-let-live approach and is cooperating with 
the Mayor in improving city services and repaving some city 
streets.  Chaimiti admitted some surprise when the Ministry 
of Local Government approved in February 2002 his application 
for city status for Masvingo, which has about 100,000 people. 
 Shortly after his election, Chaimiti sent letters to Chombo 
and Governor Hungwe signaling his desire to work congenially 
with them for the benefit of Masvingo.  Chombo simply ignored 
his letter, but Hungwe reportedly became "very angry" and for 
a long time refused to appear in public with Chaimiti. 
Recently, however, Hungwe's "hard feelings" appear to have 
abated somewhat, as he has shown up at some of the same 
public functions that the mayor attends, and even indirectly 
acknowledges his presence. 
 
3.  (C) Chaimiti attributed the partial turnaround in ZANU-PF 
attitudes to: 1) the "overwhelming" support the MDC enjoys in 
urban Masvingo, and 2) the city's ability to raise funds 
locally and operate independently from the central 
government.  Soon after his election in May 2001, ZANU-PF 
organized a large, angry protest at the mayor's office.  A 
few months later, a similar effort fizzled because ZANU-PF 
was simply unable to find enough local people willing to 
protest against the MDC, Chaimiti claimed.  After the March 
presidential election, a few ZANU-PF youth paraded around 
town with a mock coffin labeled "MDC" and called for 
retribution against MDC supporters.  However, the retribution 
failed to materialize, and Chaimiti reported that he has been 
untouched by the threats of violence or actual violence that 
befall so many other MDC officials.  Furthermore, the city of 
Masvingo now obtains 90 to 95 percent of its revenues from 
local residents in the form of property taxes and service 
revenues (water, sewerage, etc.).  The rest of the funds come 
from bond issues that must be approved by the Minister of 
Local Government, but the city no longer receives any funds 
directly from the central government, which is basically 
broke, Chaimiti said.  This gives local authorities much more 
independence than they used to have.  The GOZ is so desperate 
for funds now that it is even trying to squeeze relatively 
successful local governments for money.  Masvingo has so far 
resisted the pressure, and instead, has compelled the central 
government to pay back service fees for the offices and 
colleges that it operates in town.  Chaimiti added that his 
job is likely to get easier after council elections are held 
in August of next year. 
 
4.  (C) Chaimiti took time to thank the USG for the 
USAID-funded projects that have built 3,100 housing units in 
two Masvingo suburbs, and for the USAID-funded good 
governance project that has improved relations between the 
City Council and the new Resident Taxpayers' Association. 
Chaimiti made a pitch for the U.S. to establish a sister-city 
relationship with Masvingo and inform American cities that 
they should not be overly wary of Zimbabwe, where they can 
still be of help.  The mayor noted that Masvingo's 
sister-city relationships with towns in Germany, Sweden and 
the UK have yielded positive results.  Kernan, Germany, for 
example, has been very helpful by building two clinics in 
Masvingo and providing hospital equipment. 
 
5.  (C) Comment: The City of Masvingo, with the oldest MDC 
administration in Zimbabwe, provides a testing ground and 
possible glimpse of what MDC/ZANU-PF cooperation could be 
like for the new mayors of Harare and Chitungwiza (reftel). 
However, ZANU-PF's kid-glove treatment of Chaimiti is less 
likely due to a genuine desire for cooperation than a 
realization that its support in rural Masvingo is 
half-hearted, and ZANU-PF rebel Eddison Zvobgo could mobilize 
public opinion against the regime province-wide if it 
inflamed the situation with attacks on the mayor. 
Nonetheless, the GOZ has to be concerned with the growing 
independence of local governments and the proving ground they 
provide the MDC for its ability to govern responsibly in 
direct contrast to the central government.  It may be only a 
matter of time before the GOZ turns its attention to this 
growing "problem" and rewrites the legislation that governs 
local authorities.  End comment. 
 
SULLIVAN