US embassy cable - 03HARARE780

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000780 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, ZI, SF, MI 
SUBJECT: MULUZI/MBEKI VISIT POSTPONEMENT 
 
REF: LILONGWE 406 
 
Classified By: JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5 B/D 
 
 1.(c) Stephen Nkomo, Governor of Matabeleland South and 
brother of the late Joshua Nkomo,  passed away last weekend, 
was declared a national hero by the ZANU/PF Politburo, and 
will be buried at heroes' acre on Friday April 25. 
Typically, President Mugabe would speak at the occasion and 
might visit the Nkomo family prior to the event.  Such a 
death does not typically mean the cancellation of all other 
activities.  Indeed, Angolan Foreign Minister Joao Miranda 
arrived April 22 at the invitation of Foreign Minister 
Mudenge and has a very full program April 23, reportedly to 
discuss the SADC task force meeting scheduled for early May. 
The ZCTU work stayaway also began fairly successfully today 
April 23 and is scheduled to run through, at least, April 25. 
 
2.(c) Comment:  While the GOZ has a plausible excuse for 
postponing the Muluzi/Mbeki visit, we would not be surprised 
if the GOZ was anxious to avoid the pressure they feared 
might be coming their way. Certainly, the GOZ has been using 
delay and obfuscation with respect to the SADC Organ of 
Consultation and the SADC Task Force visits. Even, Mudenge's 
invitation to Miranda "to prepare the SADC Task Force visit" 
appears an attempt to gain control of the agenda of the task 
force visit in contradiction to prior efforts of SADC 
Ambassadors here to plan a balanced program.  We would also 
not be surprised to see the Zimbabweans seek to sow seeds of 
discord between the Angolan SADC Presidency and Presidents 
Muluzi and Mbeki. 
 
3.(c) Comment continued:  President Mugabe's professed 
readiness, in a friendly televised interview, to meet MDC 
leader Tsvangirai was conditioned very carefully on 
Tsvangirai's willingness to accept Mugabe as President. 
 
SIPDIS 
Mugabe also hinted vaguely in that interview at his possible 
willingness to consider retirement, but we read these 
comments as designed to diminish pressure on his regime. 
Nonetheless, we believe that the Muluzi/Mbeki initiative is 
the best current hope for changing the equation and hope that 
these leaders will stick to their intentions and press hard 
when they come. 
SULLIVAN