US embassy cable - 90PRETORIA7087

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 07087 
 
CAPE TOWN ALSO FOR EMBASSY 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR 
TAGS: PGOV, SF 
SUBJECT: MANDELA REPORTED "FURIOUS" AT TOP ADVISER FOR 
         THWARTING THATCHER MEETING 
 
1.  (C) - ENTIRE TEXT 
 
2.  NELSON MANDELA IS "FURIOUS" WITH TOP ADVISER 
ZWELAKHE SISULU FOR PERSUADING THE ANC LEADERSHIP TO 
VETO HIS PLANS TO MEET MARGARET THATCHER IN LONDON IN 
MID-APRIL, ACCORDING TO A CLOSE SISULU ASSOCIATE. 
GABU TUGWANA (PROTECT), SISULU'S DEPUTY AT THE "NEW 
NATION" NEWSPAPER, TOLD USIS OFFICER APRIL 27 THAT 
SISULU HAD BEEN THE MOST PERSUASIVE SPEAKER AT THE 
ANC EXECUTIVE MEETING WHICH DECIDED THE ISSUE OF 
WHETHER TO MEET THATCHER.  WE UNDERSTAND MANDELA WAS 
KEEN FOR A THATCHER MEETING, BUT THAT SISULU ARGUED 
SUCCESSFULLY AGAINST IT. 
 
3.  SISULU, WHO HAS BEEN SECONDED FROM THE "NATION" 
TO WORK AS MANDELA'S APPOINTMENTS SECRETARY, HAS ALSO 
DRAWN FIRE FROM ANC RANK AND FILE FOR HIS HANDLING OF 
MANDELA'S SCHEDULE.  WE ARE REGULARLY SURPRISED AT 
HOW OPENLY ACTIVISTS DISPARAGE SISULU'S MANAGEMENT OF 
MANDELA'S SCHEDULE TO US.  TRANSKEI LEADER BANTU 
HOLOMISA BECAME SO FRUSTRATED BY DEALING WITH SISULU 
FOR MANDELA'S VISIT THERE APRIL 21-27, HE TOLD US HE 
INSISTED ON COMPLETE CONTROL OF MANDELA'S SCHEDULE AS 
THE PRICE FOR THE TRANSKEI GOVERNMENT'S COOPERATION 
WITH THE VISIT.  SISULU RELENTED.  FOR OUR PART, 
SISULU HAS BEEN NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE IN ARRANGING 
MEETINGS BETWEEN MANDELA AND US OFFICIALS -- IT TOOK 
SEVEN WEEKS OF STEADY HOUNDING TO OBTAIN AN 
APPOINTMENT FOR AMBASSADOR SWING WITH MANDELA.  IN AN 
IRONIC TWIST, THE FORMERLY UNDEPENDABLE WINNIE HAS 
NOW BECOME ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE CHANNELS TO 
MANDELA. 
 
3.  COMMENT: TUGWANA'S STORY ABOUT THE ARGUMENTS OVER 
THE THATCHER VISIT RINGS TRUE.  MANDELA HAS ON 
SEVERAL OCCASIONS EXPRESSED HIS EAGERNESS FOR AN 
EARLY MEETING WITH THATCHER TO EXPRESS THE ANC'S 
OBJECTIONS TO HER POLICY.  WE WERE CONSEQUENTLY 
SURPRISED WHEN THE MEETING DIDN'T MATERIALIZE ON HIS 
MID-APRIL VISIT TO LONDON, AND SUSPECTED THAT ANC 
HARDLINERS HAD NIXED MANDELA'S PLANS. 
 
4.  SISULU IS A MAN OF MANY TALENTS, AND WE DON'T 
DOUBT HE HAS THE INTELLECTUAL FORTITUDE TO CONVINCE 
HIS SENIORS IN THE ANC OF ALMOST ANYTHING.  BUT THE 
OVERWHELMING JOB OF KEEPING MANDELA'S APPOINTMENT 
BOOK IS TAKING ITS TOLL.  "MANDELA NEEDS A GOVERNMENT 
AROUND HIM, NOT JUST ME, TO HANDLE HIS SCHEDULE," HE 
RECENTLY LAMENTED TO US.  WITH THE STILL TIGHT 
COMPETITION FOR INFLUENCE IN THE MANDELA ENTOURAGE, 
SISULU'S LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACUMEN COULD PROVE A 
DISTINCT LIABILITY. 
 
SWING.