US embassy cable - 02HARARE2871

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 HARARE 002871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2012 
TAGS: PGOV, EAGR, SOCI, ZI 
SUBJECT: MATABELELAND: FOOD ACCESS REMAINS TENUOUS 
 
REF: HARARE 2793 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER KIMBERLY JEMISON FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND 
 D. 
 
 1. SUMMARY: (U) Ambassador, USAID Officer, State Zimbabwe 
Desk Officer and Political Officer visited Matabeleland North 
province December 3 to December 6 to meet with people 
affected by the food and HIV/AIDS crises.  Food issues 
dominated discussions as scarcities intensified across the 
country.  The food situation remains tenuous, although there 
are signs the situation may improve in the next few weeks, in 
Binga. Recent steps by the GOZ to allow WFP to mill 
biotechnology derived corn at two mills in Zimbabwe and to 
accredit additional NGOs to distribute food will help 
throughout the country, but the half-full WFP pipeline and 
delays caused by slow GOZ decisions will offset the positive 
effect. 
 
------------------- 
FOOD ACCESS TENUOUS 
------------------- 
2. (U) Ambassador, USAID Officer, State Zimbabwe Desk Officer 
and Political Officer visited Matabeleland North province 
December 3 to December 6 to meet with beneficiaries, NGO, UN, 
private sector and GOZ representatives.  The primary concern 
of the people we met was the food crisis. 
 
3. (U) On 3 December, the group visited National Foods' 
Bulawayo mill, a major milling company hired by the World 
Food Program (WFP) to mill biotechnology derived (BT) corn, 
in Bulawayo to learn about the challenges facing the milling 
industry.  (NOTE: National Foods was at that point the sole 
company permitted to mill BT corn.  National Foods milled all 
the imported corn for the country during the 1992 drought. 
END NOTE.)  At the time of our meeting, National Foods had 
just received a fax from the GOZ stating that the Government 
would not allow additional imports of BT corn into the 
country.  (NOTE: Poloff and Deskoff learned in a 9 December 
meeting with WFP country director that the GOZ had since 
agreed to allow the National Foods mill in Bulawayo to 
continue milling and its mill in Gweru to also grind BT corn. 
See Reftel.  The daily milling capacity of National Foods, 
other mills are: Harare 800 MT, Gweru 220 MT, Masvingo 120 
MT, Mutare 170 MT.   END NOTE.) 
 
4. (U) National Foods was completing its second contract to 
mill 13000 MT of corn, which takes approximately one month. 
The mill in Bulawayo has a maximum capacity of 450 MT per day 
of which a minimum of 95 percent is final product corn meal. 
Under normal circumstances, the by-product would be used as 
animal feed, but the GOZ has forbidden this because of 
concerns about beef exports to the EU and had ordered the 
by-products burned.  National Foods has appealed to WFP to 
lobby the GOZ to allow National Foods to sell the by-products 
to feed producers.  In a separate meeting with us, the WFP 
country director seemed amenable to the idea even proposed 
shipping the by-products to South Africa. 
 
THIN FOOD COVERAGE IN MATOBO DISTRICT 
--------------------------------------- 
5. (U) We saw a general food distribution in Manyane ward, 
Matobo district, Matabeleland South. WFP through its 
implementing partner, World Vision (WV), has been feeding 
people in Matobo since April 2002.  World Vision is providing 
food to 50 percent of the people in Manyane ward, which has a 
total population of 5025 people.  During our visit, 
beneficiaries learned that their rations would be reduced 
from 12 kg to 5 kg of corn per person per month due to a gap 
in the food pipeline.  The beneficiaries also received 800 ml 
of oil per household (a household comprising five people). 
The recommended food basket provides 2100 calories per day 
and includes 12 kg corn, 1 kg beans, and 600 ml vegetable oil 
per person per month.  (COMMENT: The beneficiaries were 
surprisingly calm when informed of the reduced rations.  When 
the chief said &A half a loaf of bread(8 the villagers 
replied, &(is better than no bread.8  END COMMENT.) 
 
6. (U) In addition to Manyane, WV is feeding people in the 
other 18 communal wards in Matobo.  The Matobo district 
population is approximately 111,000 people and WV is feeding 
40-50 percent feeding coverage.  In April, WV was feeding 
70-75 percent of the population in just 5 wards, so more 
residents in this district are now being fed. 
 
CHURCH CANNOT IMPORT FOOD 
------------------------- 
7.  (U) On December 3, Ambassador, DeskOff and PolOff met in 
Bulawayo with Anglican Bishop Wilson Sitshebo who told us the 
Anglican Church has been trying, unsuccessfully, to import 
corn.  Bishop Sitshebo told us the Church had applied for and 
received the necessary import permits, met with Agriculture 
Minister Joseph Made, and sourced the corn in South Africa, 
only to have Made change his mind and revoke the import 
permit. 
 
NGOS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC 
-------------------------- 
8.  (U) In addition to the Matabeleland North meetings 
reported below, Poloff and Deskoff met with the Harare-based 
directors of WFP, World Vision, and GOAL to discuss the food 
situation.  World Vision and GOAL are WFP implementing 
partners with GOAL recently approved.  WV also has bilateral 
programs separate from the WFP effort. 
--WORLD VISION-- 
9.  (U) In a December 2 meeting with World Vision, country 
Director Rudo Kwaramba said she had just returned from 
Mashonaland East, where she had found the province in very 
bad shape.  She said this is unusual and hypothesized that 
the policymakers do not know what is going on, or are 
refusing to admit there is a problem.  Kwaramba said people 
were just happy to get vegetables and tea. 
 
10.  (U) When asked about recent allegations of 
politicization, Kwaramba explained WV,s beneficiary 
selection process and their 10 percent random sampling of 
registered beneficiaries.  She also told us WV had contracted 
Deloitte and Touche to set up a monitoring system independent 
from the United Nations, International Verification Unit 
(IVU) whereby staff members and other stakeholders could 
report misconduct, or behavior contrary to the aims of the 
program, via a hotline. 
 
11.  (U) Kwaramba expressed concern about future food 
supplies through its bilateral program because of the BT 
issue.  She also said the fuel crisis will affect 
distributions.  Kwaramba cited one incident where a WV driver 
was denied fuel because he did not have a ZANU-PF card. 
 
--WORLD FOOD PROGRAM-- 
12.  (U) On December 9, Poloff and Deskoff met with WFP 
Director Kevin Farrell.  Farrell told us he had noticed an 
increased willingness within the GOZ over the last month to 
engage on the food side. The GOZ had just told him to forget 
about the 17500 MT corn swap and bring in the corn and mill 
it with other donor funds.  Farrell attributed the positive 
shift on milling more to Social Welfare Minister July Moyo,s 
trip to South Africa to assess that country's milling 
capacity than to donor pleas to allow BT food in.  In spite 
of this relaxation on in-country milling, the NGO 
registration process is still a mystery, and some NGOs are 
still awaiting clearance (Mercy Corps, World Relief). 
Farrell said WFP would concentrate on the existing twelve 
implementing partners and not direct resources to the NGOs 
awaiting clearance. 
 
13.  (U) Farrell said some of the donor community's advocates 
in the GOZ's civil service could not be counted on anymore 
because of increased apathy among the cadre.  Lack of a 
living wage and fear of lay-offs or demotions have dulled the 
initiative of some civil servants.  Farrell cited an example 
of a biosafety board employee who was berated for arguing for 
the approval of BT corn. 
 
14.  (U) When asked about politicization of food aid, Farrell 
said the level of interference by the GOZ was no worse than 
what has occurred in many other countries.  He stated that 
the GOZ has never tried to prioritize districts along 
political lines.  Farrell said the frequency of problems with 
the GOZ depends upon the implementing partners' food aid 
experience in general as well as their experience in 
Zimbabwe.  He admitted that political problems were hindering 
deliveries in Mberengwa, Gwanda, Zaka and some of Christian 
Care's Mashonaland locations. 
 
--GOAL-- 
15.  (U) Paul Brandrop, country prospects for GOAL, an Irish 
NGO, seemed more optimistic than the WFP and WV directors 
about prospects for successfully delivering enough food to 
their beneficiaries.  GOAL is responsible for Makoni and 
Hurungwe districts.  GOAL was still in the registration 
process when Poloff and Deskoff met with Brandrop on December 
9.  Brandrop told us local government leaders have been very 
helpful, and the provincial governors of Manicaland and 
Mashonaland West even gave GOAL their cell phone numbers with 
instructions to call if there are any problems.  (NOTE: A few 
weeks ago the governor of Manicaland, Oppah Muchinguri, 
accused senior ZANU-PF officials of corruption in food 
distribution.  END NOTE) Brandrop told us a ZANU-PF District 
Administrator made an announcement at one of the community 
meetings that precedes registration reiterating that no 
politics were to be involved in distributions.  He also said 
that neither the police nor the ZANU-PF youth has been a 
problem. 
 
16.  (U) GOAL plans to begin distributions by December 25 but 
admits there are pipeline problems.  The objective is to 
distribute 4500 MT of food per month.  GOAL has also applied 
to Irish Aid for more of the corn-soy blend (CSB) used in 
school feedings in an effort to maintain school attendance, 
particularly of girls.  GOAL has suggested to the GMB that 
they cover people who have assets and those living in wards 
uncovered by international food assistance.  Brandrop said 
his GMB contacts seem willing to work with donors but they 
probably have very little influence. 
 
------------------------------------ 
ISOLATED INCIDENTS OF POLITICIZATION 
------------------------------------ 
17.  (U) To avoid or minimize the temptation to politicize 
food distributions, WV suspended distributions in Matobo 
during the September rural district council elections.  WV 
has tried to implement a system that minimizes opportunities 
for abuse.  Village heads select people to be placed on a 
beneficiary list after going over the selection criteria with 
the community.  WV then verifies the list by taking a random 
sample of the people on the list and performing spot checks. 
 
18.  (U) Anglican Bishop Sitshebo said people were still 
selectively receiving food in Insiza and that the officials 
were toeing the ZANU-PF party line and only giving GMB food 
upon presentation of a ZANU-PF party card.  (NOTE: At that 
point distribution of WFP food had not resumed. END NOTE.) 
The Bishop also told us that in Gwelutshena in Nkayi 
district, people from neighboring Midlands province had to 
present a ZANU-PF card even before they were allowed to queue 
for corn, or else they could be beaten up.  The Bishop also 
said the green bombers, the euphemism given members of the 
youth militia, were known to be directing corn deliveries in 
Gweru in Midlands province. 
 
19.  (U) On 4 December, the group met with MDC Bulawayo 
Executive Mayor J.Ndabeni-Ncube.  Ncube said that the former 
ministers, such as the former education minister, were the 
worst ones in terms of politicizing GMB food deliveries in 
the Bulawayo area.  Ncube claimed that the Former Education 
Minister has tons of food at his house and a sign over his 
door that reads &No ZANU-PF card. No food.8  He also 
claimed that Vice President Msika has a store in Bulawayo 
where they bar MDC members from buying food. 
 
------------------------------ 
BINGA: ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY 
------------------------------ 
20.  (U) After local authorities blocked food aid deliveries 
to Binga for several months, this district is primed to 
become one of the better-served districts.  According to 
Member of Parliament for Binga, Joel Gabuzza, people were 
eating caterpillars and sour fruit mixed with ash to stay 
alive.  Gabuzza also said people had money but there was 
nothing to buy except beer, soft drinks, and Mazoe (a sweet, 
concentrated fruit-flavored beverage that is mixed with 
water). 
 
21.  (U) During a December 5 meeting with representatives 
from Save the Children-UK (SCF) and Catholic Development 
Commission (CADEC), we learned that, although the situation 
has been dire in Binga, the two NGOs are well positioned to 
feed the entire population.  SCF is poised to feed 124,000 
people in Binga district (the entire population) and 6000 
social welfare cases (elderly, disabled, sick, child-headed 
households) in Kariba in Mashonaland West between 
mid-December and the end of April.  SCF has been feeding 
30,000 social welfare cases in Binga since November.  SCF 
sourced food from South Africa in May and June and has had 
its suppliers holding the food since the GOZ suspended aid 
distributions in the district for the second time in October. 
 The monthly food basket for each person includes 10 kg of 
corn meal, 2 kg of sugar beans, and 375 ml of vegetable oil. 
 
22.  (U) CADEC has been administering a child supplementary 
feeding program in Binga for two years.  They feed 63,000 
children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years and 2000 
pregnant women at more than 680 feeding points.  CADEC would 
like to extend school feeding to secondary school students 
but needs to find sufficient resources to support the 
project.  CADEC food supplies are threatened because they 
come from Makonde Industries in Harare, which is importing 
inputs for the fortified porridge.  CADEC plans to continue 
feeding through May.  When asked how they ensure that the 
children are eating the porridge at school and not taking it 
all home (as we saw in a Sinakoma village in Binga), and the 
CADEC representatives replied that they have not monitored 
consumption since their monitors were dismissed by the GOZ 
from school feeding areas because the government thought them 
to be political pawns.  The CADEC representatives indicated 
that they would try to have teachers act as monitors. 
 
23.  (U) A major concern for both NGOs is the fuel shortage 
and the lack of spare parts.  Both SCF and CADEC obtain fuel 
through CALTEX but may look into getting it from South 
Africa.  According to the NGOs, CARE is already importing 
fuel directly from South Africa, although CARE has not 
confirmed this.  The issue of spare parts may become an issue 
too.  SCF already has had to cancel a distribution because 
three of the organization's trucks broke down. 
 
24.  (U) During our visit to Binga, we met with local Chief 
Sinansengwe and several of his headmen, where we learned 
local government leaders, Minister for Special Affairs John 
Nkomo, and Governor Obert Mpofu of Matabeleland North had met 
on December 5 to discuss the issue of relief aid in the 
district.  (NOTE: We suspected a high-level meeting was 
happening in Binga after we saw Minister Nkomo leaving our 
hotel in Hwange early in the morning on December 5.  END 
NOTE.)  The Chief told us corruption and inadequate aid 
distribution operations by local ZANU-PF officials and 
structures (food being diverted for personal gain, food 
smuggled to Zambia, erratic GMB deliveries) were largely to 
blame for the food problems in Binga.  As a result of the 
meeting with Nkomo and Mpofu, all government assistance would 
henceforth be distributed directly to the Chiefs for final 
distribution within their respective areas--taking this 
function out of the hands of the established local 
ZANU-PF-dominated task force structure. 
 
---------------------- 
AIDS CASES ON THE RISE 
---------------------- 
25.  (U) On December 4, Ambassador, USAID Officer, State Desk 
Officer, and Political Officer visited St. Luke's Mission 
Hospital in Kenaur in Lupane district to discuss health 
issues in general and HIV/AIDS in particular.  The hospital 
staff comprised one German doctor, one young Zimbabwean 
doctor and several nuns who serve Lupane district in 
Matabeleland North and Gokwe district in Midlands.  The 
health care providers we met seemed overwhelmed and exhausted 
by the health problems besieging the community.  The German 
physician working at the hospital lamented the absence of 
HIV/AIDS test kits even though many of his patients wanted to 
be tested.  He also said the clinic would begin a 
mother-to-child-transmission prevention program in January. 
When asked if the clinic had voluntary counseling and testing 
(VCT), the German doctor said VCT was good in theory but too 
complicated for rural areas because of a lack of counselors 
and lab technicians.  Ethics aside, he said he would prefer 
to administer antiretroviral drugs to pregnant women without 
testing or counseling if it would save children from being 
born HIV-positive. 
 
26.  (U) The physician told us that 80 to 90 percent of his 
patients were HIV-positive and that there has been an 
increase in AIDS cases because of malnutrition.  He also said 
that 80 percent of the pediatric ward was malnourished but 
that the clinic does not have enough high energy/protein 
foods to save all of the children. 
 
27.  (U) Although the St. Luke,s visit focused specifically 
on HIV/AIDS, the disease came up in our other meetings as 
well.  Bishop Sitshebo told us the Anglican Church is working 
with Deseret International to promote behavior change.  He 
commented that stigma was still a big problem.  Joel Gabuzza, 
the MP for Binga, said that the HIV/AIDS situation is grave 
and pointed out that tuberculosis (TB) cases have increased 
so much that entire hospital wings are devoted to the 
disease, whereas a few years ago only one or two beds would 
house TB cases.  Save the Children has several HIV/AIDS 
programs concentrating on community support groups, 
youth/peer groups, and the elderly in Binga. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
28.  (C) The information we gleaned from Matabeleland North 
reinforced what we had read and heard about in the press. 
Unlike the rest of the country, land redistribution did not 
seem to be the concern for most of our interlocutors, most 
likely because the lands are poor.  The high HIV/AIDS levels 
and severe food shortages were the most pressing concerns. 
 
29.  (C) The food security situation has deteriorated among 
the entire population because of decreasing purchasing power 
and unavailability of food.  The recent resumption of food 
aid distributions in Binga by SCF, which has its own food 
pipeline apart from WFP, should result in gradual improvement 
in the district.  Elsewhere in Matabeleland South and North, 
if the food pipeline is not bolstered soon, many residents 
could starve to death.  During our visit, implementing 
partners had to reduce rations because of a lack of food 
availability.  To compound matters, HIV/AIDS lurks in the 
background and as food for sex becomes more commonplace, safe 
sexual practices will be a distant second if the choice is 
food now or death later.  The GOZ decision to permit 
continued and increased milling of maize within Zimbabwe will 
help, but the existing food pipeline is not full and running 
late due to earlier GOZ constraints. 
 
30.  (C) Whether the food situation in Bulawayo will improve 
is unclear.  The city of Bulawayo is better off than the 
rural areas, but the ZANU-PF led government has effectively 
shut out Mayor Ncube from food and drought relief discussions 
held by the Drought Task Force in spite of Ncube,s pleas to 
the governor to include himself and the city council in the 
process. Furthermore, NGOs traditionally have been reluctant 
to include urban areas among their beneficiary areas or in 
their assessments. 
WHITEHEAD