US embassy cable - 03HARARE1453

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001453 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF A/S KANSTEINER AND AF/S; NSC FOR AFRICA SR DIR 
FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2008 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, SF, ZI 
SUBJECT: CAPITALIZING ON POTUS VISIT TO MOVE SOUTH AFRICA 
ON ZIMBABWE 
 
REF: A. (A) PRETORIA 3756 
 
     B. (B) HARARE 1446 
 
Classified By: JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5(d) 
 
 1.(C) Embassy Harare agrees wholeheartedly with Ambassador 
Hume's recommendation reftel to build on the cooperative 
spirit expressed during President Bush's visit to try to 
transform President Mbeki's words into useful action.  We 
hope, in particular, that every way can be tried to engage 
the South African Government in fixing clear objectives and a 
short-term timetable for resolution of Zimbabwe's crisis  As 
outlined in ref B, the GOZ has been managing its crisis on a 
week-to-week basis and doing everything possible to buy time 
and avoid deadlines or specific commitments.  Of late, the 
GOZ has latched onto President Mbeki's initiative as welcome 
(presumably in lieu of anything else), which gives the South 
Africans increased leverage to bring the parties to the 
table.   If dialogue between the parties is the immediate 
objective, the agenda mediated by South Africa and Nigeria 
and agreed to by ZANU/PF and the MDC in May, 2002 provides a 
good starting point. With respect to a multilateral 
initiative, we agree that prospects for initiating this in 
the near term are not good.  For this reason, it is all the 
more important to make the South African effort effective. 
 
SULLIVAN