US embassy cable - 03HARARE238

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000238 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, ZI, ZANU-PF 
SUBJECT: ZANU-PF HAS NO SOLUTIONS FOR ZIMBABWE'S CRISES 
 
REF: A. 02 HARARE 913 
     B. 02 HARARE 898 
     C. 02 HARARE 873 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Kimberly Jemison for reasons 1.5 b/d. 
 
 1. Summary: (SBU) The Central Committee Report from the 2002 
ZANU-PF annual conference held on December 14 in Chinhoyi 
provides additional insight into the concerns of the party 
and, by extension, the Government of Zimbabwe.  Its 
demonization of the MDC and the West and justification of the 
land program throughout the document hint at the desperation 
the party Politburo feels at maintaining control of party 
members and the country. End Summary. 
 
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ZANU-PF Central Committee Report Parrots Mugabe's Speech 
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2. (SBU) The Central Committee Report from the 2002 ZANU-PF 
annual conference held on December 14 in Chinhoyi provides 
additional insight into the concerns of the party and, by 
extension, the Government of Zimbabwe.  The report is filled 
with the same rhetoric the party espoused last year but 
highlights some additional party concerns.  The 64-page 
official document of ZANU-PF,s 6th National People's 
Conference is poorly written and long. It is divided into 16 
sections, each representing a department.  Most department 
reports offer little in terms of annual accomplishments, 
challenges, and proposed solutions but focus on the fight 
against the imperialist West and MDC.  The departments that 
had few accomplishments to report admitted that a lack of 
resources was the reason, as most party resources were 
redirected to campaign activities. 
 
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Opposition Threat Dominates Report 
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3. (SBU) The party is keenly focused on crushing the 
opposition and dissenting political views.  Highlighted 
activities in 2002 focused not only on winning the 
presidential, mayoral, rural district council, and 
parliamentary by- elections but also on destroying the 
opposition threat.  The Departments of Administration, 
Education, Youth Affairs, Commissariat, Information and 
Publicity, and National Security engaged in activities in 
support of these objectives. 
 
Party Emphasizes Youth 
---------------------- 
4. (SBU) Reports from the Departments of Education, Youth 
Affairs, and Commissariat indicate that deterring college and 
university students from &turning into active opposition 
politics8 was a major objective in 2002. The party claimed 
to have mobilized 258,000 youth, in part through the creation 
of the National Youth Service Scheme, to participate in the 
presidential campaign and &most of them executed their tasks 
effectively.8  The Department of Commissariat praised the 
youths (and war veterans) stating, &In most provinces, the 
youths and war veterans coined polished strategies which were 
utilized in mobilizing the people for the March 9 to 11 
polls.8  The Commissariat also credits the tight 
&security8 by the ZANU-PF youths as well as Kadoma Town 
Council road repair and demolition of old, dilapidated 
buildings prior to the election for the party's success in 
the Kadoma mayoral race.  The National Youth Service Scheme 
focused on paramilitary drills but the party would like to 
include patriotism, good citizenry, community consciousness, 
and selfless service to the disadvantaged and elderly in the 
community.  The party also created the Zimbabwe Progressive 
Students Union (ZIPSU) to counter the Zimbabwe National 
Students, Union (ZINASU) and lamented the presence of 
teachers who introduce opposition politics in the classroom. 
 
5. (SBU) In addition to the youth mobilization, the 
Department of Information and Publicity implemented the 
Liberation Struggle Films Project.  The project's objective 
was to show films about the liberation struggle at business 
centers and growth points around the country.  The 
Department's other objective was to combat the &onslaught 
against the nation spearheaded by so-called independent 
media.8  According to the report, these efforts were 
constrained by a lack of financial and human resources that 
included a lack of equipment and transportation for 
journalists. 
 
ZANU-PF/MDC Dialogue 
-------------------- 
6. (SBU) ZANU-PF places all blame on the MDC for failed unity 
talks brokered by Nigeria and South Africa, claiming the MDC 
failed to satisfactorily address the following four key 
issues: 
     1.  The MDC being a stooge for the British and a tool 
for white interests making it impossible for ZANU-PF to 
engage in meaningful dialogue; 
     2.  The MDC being committed to violence as a means of 
getting to power; 
     3.  The MDC refusing to accept the results of the 
Presidential elections; and 
     4.  The MDC,s lack of patriotism because they 
campaigned for sanctions from abroad. 
The report also asserts that the thrust of the Abuja 
Agreement was Nigeria mediating between Zimbabwe and Britain 
NOT ZANU-PF and MDC.  (See Reftels A, B, and C for background 
on talks.) The report states that the party is concerned that 
such mediation would internationalize a local issue and 
invite external intervention. 
 
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The International Threat Dominates Report 
----------------------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) One of the overarching themes of the report is the 
perceived threat to Zimbabwe's sovereignty and independence. 
The Department of Administration lists overcoming this threat 
by Britain, which &sought to reassert her imperial 
control...thereby reversing the gains of (our) 
independence...8 as one of the major challenges the GOZ 
faced during 2002.  Reports from the Departments of 
Administration, Commissariat, External Relations, National 
Security, Information and Publicity, and Legal Affairs refer 
to this international threat several times. 
 
8. (SBU) The Legal Affairs Department asserts that most of 
its resources were dedicated to defending the party and 
members from frivolous litigation instigated by the MDC and 
foreign interests.  The report goes so far as to claim that 
the MDC lawsuits have led to arrests of party members: &To 
effect the diabolical and nefarious objectives of its foreign 
sponsors, MDC has resorted to making spurious claims and 
false allegations against members of the Party leading to 
arrests of party members countrywide.8 
 
9. (SBU) The Department of National Security reports that the 
MDC, CFU, British Government, and right-wing groups threaten 
the nation.  The Department insists that there exists a 
&looming military threat from Britain and her allies 
including the United States of America8 to intimidate the 
party and government into submission and frustrate the land 
reform program. 
 
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Threat From Within 
------------------ 
 
10. (C) The Department of National Security, in its section 
of the report, acknowledges that factionalism within the 
ZANU-PF party ranks is a major threat to its continued 
dominance.  The report notes that factionalism first surfaced 
in Manicaland and Masvingo but has recently spread across the 
"political" divide.  (Note: The problem in Masvingo from 
ZANU-PF's perspective is most likely Eddison Zvobgo although 
there is at least one other MP from Masvingo, Charles 
Manjange, who has expressed more moderate views than the 
party leaders. End Note.) 
 
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Proposals to Shut Out Opposition 
------------------------------------ 
 
11. (SBU) The Departments of National Security and 
Commissariat propose several policies designed to limit the 
influence of the MDC.  National Security advocates policies 
that would shut out non-ZANU-PF supporters from many aspects 
of the political economy, such as:  1) A biased policy of 
development of rural and resettlement areas where the ruling 
party enjoys its support; 2) Recruitment into the civil 
service from the National Service Training Center only; 3) 
Immediate removal/retirement from government of individuals 
critical of government policies; and 4) Programs to upgrade 
Chiefs' living standards.  (Comment: The latter program 
presumably is intended to endear chiefs to the party (if they 
are not already party members) who would then pressure the 
villagers to support ZANU-PF. End Comment.) 
 
12. (SBU) The Department of the Commissariat recommends that 
the Registrar-General,s Office be reorganized because some 
MDC members were appointed presiding officers prior to the 
election and the voters, register was not properly updated. 
According to the report, several white MDC members who 
renounced their Zimbabwe citizenship discovered they were 
still on the voters, roll and decided to vote.  The 
Commissariat also recommends that ZANU-PF revisit its 
ideology, administration and finance, mobilization 
strategies, research, information technology, and economic 
policies if it is to &survive the onslaught of imperialist 
powers.8 
 
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Land Program Not As Planned 
--------------------------- 
 
13. (SBU) The third theme of the ZANU-PF report is 
justification of the land program.  The Administration 
chapter reiterates the GOZ rhetoric on the necessity of 
quickly transferring land from whites to blacks and cautions 
party members to remain vigilant for the enemy who is 
&working hard to penetrate (the) party's stronghold 
communities in rural areas.8  The report states that the 
party and government pursued the land redistribution exercise 
with great vigor and speed since December 2001 but is 
concerned about the rate of plot take-up under the A2 
commercial model, which is slow because of conflicts between 
people newly allocated land and those already occupying the 
land.  The report does not claim the redistribution is 
economically or agriculturally successful. 
 
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Comment 
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14. (C) It is apparent from the Central Committee report that 
ZANU-PF is obsessed with crushing the opposition, vilifying 
Britain and the West, and forging ahead with land 
redistribution to the exclusion of economic and social 
issues.  The party has no solutions for the interrelated 
crises consuming Zimbabwe.  In fact, as these crises deepen, 
we are certain to see an increasingly paranoid Government 
intensify repression of its population and amplify its 
anti-imperialist, pro-sovereignty rhetoric.  End Comment. 
SULLIVAN