United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell promised Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai that he would facilitate visas for a united delegation that Tsvangirai said planned to visit the United States including a travel document for Lucia Matibenga who did not have a passport.
The delegation was to be composed of opposition leaders Arthur Mutambara also of the MDC and Paul Sewell of the ZAPU-Federal Party, and civil society leaders including Lovemore Madhuku of the National Constitutional Assembly, Levee Kadenge of the Christian Alliance, student activist Lynett Mudehwe and labour leader Lucia Matibenga who did not have a valid passport.
The delegation was expected to visit the United States, Canada, the African Union and the European Union.
Dell promised to help because the opposition had found a clever way around the internal MDC impasse. He said the broad delegation was the most hopeful sign from them in some time.
“We recommend the Department facilitate the highest level of access possible for the Save Zimbabwe delegation to reinforce this new found spirit of cooperation,” he wrote in a cable meant for the State Department.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 07HARARE508, TSVANGIRAI UPDATES AMBASSADOR ON SOUTH AFRICA
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO1247
RR RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0508 1620946
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 110946Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1571
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1624
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1491
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1628
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0287
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0893
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1256
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1684
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4092
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1453
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2111
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0751
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1845
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000508
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2017
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI UPDATES AMBASSADOR ON SOUTH AFRICA
TALKS, TRIP TO THE US
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher W. Dell under Section 1.4 b/d
¶1. (C) MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai told the Ambassador
on June 11 that the ZANU-PF position paper submitted to the
South African-moderated talks was nothing more than the usual
rhetoric, confirming prior suspicion that the GOZ was merely
stalling. Unlike the MDC submission that addressed
Zimbabwe’s future, the ZANU-PF paper rehashed old arguments
of colonial oppression and diatribes against the British and
supposed “illegal” sanctions, and called on South African
President Mbeki to bring the MDC’s “British masters” to the
negotiating table. Tsvangirai said that the South Africans
had yet to respond to the ZANU-PF paper, but added that he
was skeptical that Pretoria would be critical or push Robert
Mugabe very hard. Tsvangirai referred to the introduction of
Constitution Amendment 18 into Parliament (septel) as yet
another indication that the GOZ was not serious about the
talks as it moved unilaterally to change facts on the ground
in advance of elections.
¶2. (C) In a welcome display of creativity, Tsvangirai said
he planned to lead a delegation of opposition and civil
society leaders to the United States June 25-27. Joining the
delegation would be Pro-Senate MDC leader Arthur Mutambara,
National Constitutional Assembly Chairman Lovemore Madhuku,
Christian Alliance head Levee Kadenge, student activist
Lynnett Mudehwe, and Matabeleland-based ZAPU-Federal Party
president Paul Siwela. Labor leader Lucia Matibenga hoped
also to join the delegation, but did not have a passport.
The delegation would also visit the AU, EU, and Canada before
and after stopping in Washington and New York. Welcoming the
combined visit, the Ambassador promised to facilitate visas
for the group ) including a travel document for Matibenga )
and meetings with Administration officials.
——-
Comment
——-
¶3. (C) The Zimbabwean opposition has found a clever way
around the internal MDC impasse and this broad delegation is
the most hopeful sign from them in some time. We recommend
the Department facilitate the highest level of access
possible for the Save Zimbabwe delegation to reinforce this
new found spirit of cooperation.
DELL
(24 VIEWS)
