US embassy cable - 03HARARE239

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000239 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2008 
TAGS: ECON, EAGR, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: GOZ OVERTURES TO COMMERCIAL FARMERS:  "WHITEWASH" 
 
 
Classified By: Laboff KRBel for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C)  Summary:  Recent conversations with Commercial 
Farmers' Union (CFU) President Colin Cloete indicate that GOZ 
overtures to remaining white farmers constitute "whitewash" 
and meaningless window-dressing.  Commercial farms continue 
to receive final notices of compulsory acquisition, despite 
public assertions that "the land resettlement program is now 
complete," and that farmers with standing crops would not be 
ousted.  No concessions have been made to commercial farmers, 
and no credible offers have been made to return commercial 
farmers to the land.  Minister of Lands, Agriculture and 
Resettlement Joseph Made's key goal appears to be securing 
public support from Zimbabwe's white farmers in increasing 
pressure on Great Britain toward two goals: funding 
compensation schemes and reducing international censure of 
Zimbabwe.  End summary. 
 
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Minister of Lands Initiates Contact 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. (C)  After a total communications freeze-out between the 
commercial farmers and the GOZ, Made has initiated all recent 
meetings, which have been widely publicized in the 
GOZ-controlled press.   During the first ice-breaking January 
meeting, Made urged Cloete to "release" farming equipment -- 
some of which has been warehoused by farmers hoping to return 
to their livelihood -- to the resettled farmers.  Cloete 
demurred, pointing out that the equipment in question was 
private property belonging to individuals rather than the 
CFU, and noting that most farmers were hoping to return to 
their property under the one-man, one-farm policy.  Made was 
dismissive of the pointed reference to the GOZ's failure to 
implement that policy, stating "That's an interesting point," 
as he quickly changed the subject. 
 
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Key GOZ Concern is for CFU "Statement" of Solidarity 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
3. (C)  Made soon revealed his hidden agenda.  Made insisted 
to Cloete that Great Britain must be made to accept its 
responsibility to pay for the land reform program at any 
cost.  Made stated that he wanted the CFU to "put a team 
together" in order to state its support of the GOZ's land 
reform program, its condemnation for the British refusal to 
pay compensation, and its willingness to engage other 
governments to build international pressure against Britain's 
"demonisation" of Zimbabwe. Cloete was noncommital regarding 
this demand, stating that he was not free to make such a 
commitment without consulting the CFU Council.  Made urged 
Cloete to obtain the support of the Council and to generate a 
publicly supportive statement as quickly as possible. 
 
4. (C)  Cloete was subsequently summoned to a Ministerial 
meeting set for the following week.  On Monday, January 27, 
Cloete met with a group of eight ministers which included 
many of President Mugabe's inner circle, including Made, 
Patrick Chinamasa, Joyce Mujuru, Ignatius Chombo, Elliot 
Manyika, and Jonathan Moyo.  Minister of Justice Chinamasa 
insisted that the CFU make a public statement supporting the 
GOZ's efforts to force the British to fund compensation for 
the land program.  Cloete responded that the CFU had 
discussed approaching several international donors in support 
of funding a neutral compensation program; Chinamasa replied 
that he didn't personally care where the money came from, but 
insisted that the CFU must assist in "de-vilifying" Zimbabwe. 
 Chinamasa's message was that the farmers have helped 
"demonise" the GOZ, they must now help remove the 
international pressure from the GOZ.  Again, Cloete stated 
that he  would have to consult with the CFU Council. 
Jonathan Moyo continued to push the point, asking, "Will you 
make a statement after that meeting?"  Cloete responded that 
he would advise the ministers of the results of CFU Council 
discussions. 
 
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Meeting with South African Minister of Lands 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C)  Made's office once again contacted Cloete on 
Wednesday in order to secure his attendance at a meeting 
between Made and the South African Minister of Lands.  Cloete 
was unable to confirm attendance due to a court date 
scheduled for the same day, in which the GOZ was pressing 
charges that he had failed to comply with the Section 8 
acquisition notice whereby he was ordered to vacate his farm. 
 However, after backroom negotiation and several phone calls 
from Made and Jonathan Moyo, Cloete was advised to confer on 
Thursday morning with an assistant prosecutor at the court in 
Norton, where his case was pending.  On Thursday, five 
commercial farmers facing identical charges -- including 
Cloete -- were advised that the GOZ had withdrawn the charges 
of failing to comply with Section 8  acquisition orders. 
Interestingly, the GOZ withdrew only the charges of "failing 
to comply" with the acquisition orders, and not the 
acquisition orders themselves.  In any event, this fortuitous 
holding left Cloete free to meet with Minister Made and the 
SA Minister of Lands as scheduled.  Cloete's most poignant 
recollection of that meeting concerned the discussion of the 
humanitarian and agricultural crisis.  According to Cloete, 
Made stated to his counterpart, "In Africa, our people are 
used to hunger and starvation.... we will sit under a tree 
and wait until this passes." 
6. (C)  Cloete's perception, based on that meeting and other 
information, is that South Africa is "heavily involved" in 
trying to reduce the international pressure against Zimbabwe. 
 According to Cloete, the SA High Commissioner (on Mbeki's 
personal orders) has met with all of the Presidents of the 
agricultural unions -- Cloete of the CFU, Silas Hungwe of the 
Zimbabwe Farmers' Union (ZFU) and David Mugabe of the 
Indigenous Commercial Farmers' Union (ICFU) -- during the 
past few weeks.  Cloete believes that Mbeki is trying to 
build support for the GOZ in advance of the upcoming 
Commonwealth Troika meeting on expulsion of Zimbabwe, as well 
as the ongoing EU meetings to consider renewal of sanctions 
against Zimbabwean ministers. 
 
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Still No Concessions to Commercial Farmers 
------------------------------------------ 
 
7. (C)  Despite the urgency of the GOZ's requests, it has 
offered no concessions to commercial farmers.  According to 
Cloete, no CFU member has had his property officially 
de-listed, no settlers have been removed from occupied 
property, and no farmer has been returned to his farm as a 
result of the GOZ's publicity campaign.  In fact, the GOZ 
continues to gazette new properties for compulsory 
acquisition, and has done nothing to protect farmers facing 
extra-legal attempts to evict them.  Up to eighteen farms and 
conservancies in the Midland region, including one owned by 
an Amcit couple (reftel), received new Section 8 notices over 
the weekend of January 25.  The situation of the commercial 
sugar cane farms in the lowveldt -- in which over 70% of 
privately-held properties have been turned over to A2 
indigenous Zanu-PF beneficiaries -- serves to highlight the 
fallacy of GOZ claims that "farmers with standing crops will 
not be disturbed."  Additionally, the dairy farms, which have 
largely been left untouched during the land resettlement 
process, are coming under increased pressure.  Ian Webster, a 
dairy farmer with a herd of 1,000 dairy cattle and who 
produces 40% of Harare's milk, has reportedly been forced by 
Made to take an ARDA trainee into his operation.  According 
to Cloete, once the ARDA trainee is capable of running the 
dairy farm, Made plans to seize the farm and turn it over to 
President Robert Mugabe -- who has not yet claimed a farm in 
his own name -- as a "present" from the grateful people of 
Zimbabwe. 
 
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Comment 
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8. (C)  One of Cloete's impressions from this series of 
meetings is that sanctions are having a biting effect on 
Zimbabwe's elite.  The message being broadcast to the CFU, 
over and over again, is that they must assist the GOZ in 
removing the sanctions and decreasing the international 
censure of Zimbabwe's government.  Cloete also believes that 
the GOZ is extremely "touchy" about increased US attention to 
the situation in Zimbabwe.  According to Cloete, the 
ministers with whom he spoke believe that "the British are 
great talkers, but the Americans mean action."  Cloete 
reported that every time the US is mentioned -- for instance, 
when the CFU broached the idea about approaching a broader 
group of donors on the question of compensation -- GOZ 
representatives respond with clear uneasiness and discomfort. 
 Perhaps this is an indication of the impact of USG 
sanctions; in any event, Cloete believes this to be an 
indication that the threat of USG action still resonates with 
those in power.  End comment. 
 
SULLIVAN