US embassy cable - 03HARARE791

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000791 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2013 
TAGS: PREL, AO, ZI 
SUBJECT: ANGOLAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S VISIT TO ZIMBABWE 
 
Classified By: Joseph G. Sullivan for reasons 1.5(b/d) 
 
 1. (C) Summary: Angolan Foreign Minister Joao Miranda 
visited Zimbabwe March 22-24 and met with Government and MDC 
leaders.  Miranda, who will chair the SADC Task Force on 
Zimbabwe visit next month told us that the clear focus of his 
visit was on Zimbabwe's crisis, although he met GOZ denial 
and ambivalence about facing up to the problems. Miranda was 
whisked on a magical mystery tour by the GOZ, but saw the 
effective work stayaway for himself. We believe that Miranda 
gathered a very good appreciation for the depth of Zimbabwe's 
problems and for the critical need to address Zimbabwe's 
political crisis.  Miranda for the most part abstained from 
public remarks during his visit. His visit will provide 
useful input for President Dos Santos who will open the 
Zimbabwe Trade Fair next week. End Summary. 
 
2.(c) Angolan Foreign Minister Joao Miranda visited Zimbabwe 
for less than 48 hours and the GOZ sought to monopolize his 
time, even taking him on a 6-hour trip to Manicaland to view 
"successful" examples of the land redistribution exercise. 
Accompanying Agriculture Minister Made claimed to Miranda 
that corn production this year would be 1.4 million metric 
tons (unlikely). Having had his previously scheduled meeting 
time with MDC President Tsvangirai pre-empted, Miranda met 
with Tsvangirai on the morning of April 24, as well as with 
President Mugabe. 
 
3.(c)  The Ambassador met with Miranda on the evening of 
April 23 at the Angolan Ambassador's residence.  Miranda 
described his GOZ hosts as ambivalent over whether to 
confront their own crisis or to pretend that the crisis would 
go away and that their excuses for inability to compromise 
were real.  Miranda met with President Mugabe, parliamentary 
speaker Mnangagwa, Foreign Minister Mudenge, and Agriculture 
Minister Made.  Miranda had noted how effective the ZCTU work 
stayaway was and believed that Zimbabwe's crisis required a 
political solution.  He had encouraged his hosts to drop the 
treason case against Tsvangirai, and when they claimed 
juridical impediments, suggested amnesty. Miranda told us 
that he did not think that an election rerun was an answer, 
but agreed that Mugabe was an impediment to a solution and 
that it was inconceivable to imagine Mugabe serving out his 
full term. Miranda was also disinclined to favor an interim 
government because of African history of such governments 
remaining indefinitely.  We encouraged Miranda to think of a 
package, including Mugabe's resignation at an early date, 
coupled with agreement with the opposition on a new election 
date and a transitional government while election procedures 
are corrected and the rule of law is restored.  Miranda was 
inclined to press the MDC to drop its election suit, but 
seemed to accept that it would be more practical to expect 
such action in the context of a global agreement. 
 
4. (c) Miranda told us that he was letting his GOZ hosts know 
that regional backing only extended so far and that the 
region was becoming impatient with Zimbabwe's crisis and the 
GOZ's unwillingness to face it.  He said that South African 
and Angolan(Miala) intelligence services were now working 
well together and that Zimbabwe's problems were the principal 
topic among them.  Because we were not sure how much the 
Angolans have been briefed, we did not raise the now 
postponed visit of Presidents Muluzi and Mbeki. 
 
5. (c) Miranda was very conscious of his hosts' tendency to 
manipulate any comments by visitors into signs of support. 
He consequently refrained from public comment for the most 
part and called on all political parties and social forces to 
work together to overcome Zimbabwe's problems. Asked about 
the agrarian project he had seen, Miranda gave away the least 
possible, calling it "a good start." As a sure sign of state 
media frustration, ZBC reporters took to reporting what they 
would have liked Miranda to say. 
 
6. (c)  Angolan President Dos Santos is scheduled to visit 
Zimbabwe next week to open the Zimbabwe trade fair in 
Bulawayo, although Dos Santos has a history of canceling 
planned travel at the last minute. (The trade fair itself 
will be even less impressive than a year ago.) 
 
7. (c) Comment: We are confident that Miranda gained a solid 
appreciation for the depth of Angola's crisis and expect that 
he will have an opportunity to brief President Dos Santos 
prior to his visit next week.  Whether the 
non-confrontational Dos Santos is willing to deliver any hard 
messages remains to be seen and whether Mugabe would be 
inclined to listen to such messages is also in doubt. 
SULLIVAN