Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald that disruptions to the economy caused by the land reform programme were the cost of redistributing ownership of the land.
He said the government had been forced to embark on the fast track land reform programme because the gradual programme that had been agreed at the donors’ conference in 1998 was too slow and would have kept the land issue at the forefront of the political debate for at least five years.
He admitted that the programme had damaged the economy and could lead to possible food shortages but added that this was the cost to redrawing the lines of land ownership.
Though large-scale production would be hurt and would take years to recover, Mnangagwa said staple food production would not be affected because it was dominated small-scale and communal farmers.
When the ambassador said the government should come up with a transparent and fair process of land reform, Mnangagwa said the government would determine its own plans for land reform. Donors could then decide whether or not to help.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE5137, AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
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131413Z Sep 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3367
PAGE 01 HARARE 05137 01 OF 03 131415Z
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——————84C55A 131415Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7082
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 005137
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/10
TAGS: PREL ECON EFIN EAGR PINR PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 05137 01 OF 03 131415Z
MNANGAGWA
REF: HARARE 5003
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND
(D).
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) IN A MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR MCDONALD ON
SEPTEMBER 11, NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER EMMERSON MNANGAGWA
INITIALLY DENIED THAT HE WAS STILL A KEY PLAYER ON DRC
POLICY, BUT LATER ADMITTED THAT HE WOULD TRAVEL SOON TO
KINSHASA, AT PRESIDENT MUGABE’S REQUEST, TO LEARN
KABILA’S LATEST THINKING ON LUSAKA. MNANGAGWA DESCRIBED
THE NEW PARLIAMENT AS LIVELY. ZANU-PF AND THE MDC SHARE
A COMMON ASSESSMENT OF ZIMBABWE’S CURRENT PROBLEMS BUT
DISAGREE ON PROPOSED SOLUTIONS, AND NEITHER PARTY WOULD
ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO RUSH THINGS THROUGH THE
LEGISLATIVE BODY. MNANGAGWA SPOKE HIGHLY OF THE
USAID/SUNY-ALBANY PARLIAMENTARY REFORM PROJECT.
¶2. (C) ON LAND, MNANGAGWA SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN
FORCED TO PROCEED WITH ITS FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT EFFORT
BECAUSE THE PLAN LAID OUT BY THE SEPTEMBER 1998 DONORS
CONFERENCE HAD BEEN TOO GRADUAL. WHEN THE AMBASSADOR
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE DAMAGING IMPACT ON THE
ECONOMY, WITH FOOD SHORTAGES LIKELY, MNANGAGWA SAID THAT
WAS THE COST OF REDISTRIBUTING LAND OWNERSHIP. MNANGAGWA
ACKNOWLEDGED THE OCCURRENCE OF PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE AND
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PAGE 03 HARARE 05137 01 OF 03 131415Z
INSISTED THE GOZ HAD INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENTS ACTIVELY,
BUT BLAMED THE COURTS FOR NOT PROCESSING THE CASES
EXPEDITIOUSLY. END SUMMARY.
¶3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY POLOFFS, CALLED ON
NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER EMMERSON MNANGAGWA ON SEPTEMBER
¶11. MNANGAGWA WAS JOINED BY SENIOR INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS OFFICER EDISON PARADZA.
DROC
—-
¶4. (C) AFTER CONGRATULATING MNANGAGWA ON HIS NEW
APPOINTMENT, THE AMBASSADOR RAISED DRC, EMPHASIZING
CONTINUING U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT PRESIDENT KABILA’S REFUSAL
TO IMPLEMENT FULLY THE LUSAKA ACCORDS. THE UNITED STATES
HOPED ZIMBABWE COULD PREVAIL ON KABILA TO HONOR HIS
COMMITMENTS. MNANGAGWA SAID HE WAS NO LONGER DIRECTLY
INVOLVED IN DRC POLICY, BUT PROVIDED HIS ASSESSMENT OF
WHERE THE PEACE PROCESS STOOD. THE DRC, HE SAID, HAS
BEEN VERY HARD ON THE ISSUE OF WHERE MONUC TROOPS ARE
DEPLOYED. THE GOZ HAS REMINDED THE CONGOLESE THEY HAVE
TO ACCEPT THE DEPLOYMENT, AND TOLD THEM THAT LOCATION OF
MONUC TROOPS SHOULD BE A MILITARY DECISION DICTATED BY
EVENTS ON THE GROUND. MNANGAGWA THEN, LATER IN THE
MEETING, ADMITTED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO KABILA IN LATE
AUGUST AND, AT PRESIDENT MUGABE’S INSTRUCTION, WOULD SOON
TRAVEL TO KINSHASA TO LEARN KABILA’S LATEST THINKING ON
THE PEACE PROCESS.
PARLIAMENT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 05137 01 OF 03 131415Z
———-
¶5. (C) MNANGAGWA DESCRIBED THE NEW PARLIAMENT AS “VERY
LIVELY.” HE NOTED THAT HE HAD SPENT 20 YEARS IN
PARLIAMENT AND FELT VERY COMFORTABLE THERE. BOTH ZANU-PF
AND THE MDC, HE THOUGHT, RESPECTED HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE.
HE CLAIMED THAT, WHEN HE IS NOT IN THE SPEAKER’S CHAIR,
THE TWO PARTIES ARE AT EACH OTHER’S THROATS AND THERE IS
CHAOS IN THE HOUSE. PARLIAMENT, WHICH CONVENES TUESDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY, WILL BE IN SESSION THROUGH MID-
DECEMBER, WITH A THREE-WEEK BREAK FROM SEPTEMBER 21 TO
OCTOBER 17.
¶6. (C) THE AMBASSADOR ASKED WHETHER ZANU-PF AND THE MDC
WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. THE TWO PARTIES,
MNANGAGWA REPLIED, HAVE A COMMON PERCEPTION OF MANY
ISSUES, BUT DISAGREE ON HOW THEY SHOULD BE RESOLVED. FOR
INSTANCE, THEY SHARE THE VIEW THAT LAND REFORM IS
NECESSARY AND THAT THE ECONOMY IS “IN THE DOLDRUMS,” BUT
HAVE PROPOSED DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS. THE DEVIL IS IN THE
DETAILS, HE SAID. BOTH PARTIES, THOUGH, WANT
TRANSPARENCY AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO RUSH
THINGS THROUGH WITHOUT ADEQUATE SCRUTINY.
¶7. (C) ASKED WHETHER HE WAS AWARE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY
REFORM PROJECT FUNDED BY THE USG THROUGH USAID AND
ADMINISTERED THROUGH SUNY-ALBANY, MNANGAGWA SAID HE HAD
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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3370
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SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
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——————84C574 131415Z /38
P 131413Z SEP 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7083
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 005137
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/10
TAGS: PREL ECON EFIN EAGR PINR PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 05137 02 OF 03 131415Z
MNANGAGWA
THAT MORNING ATTENDED A SUNY-ALBANY WORKSHOP ON BUDGETARY
OVERSIGHT. HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE PROJECT AND
SAID HE INTENDED TO TALK TO SUNY-ALBANY AND USAID ABOUT
DOING EVEN MORE.
LAND
—-
¶8. (C) THE AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED SERIOUS U.S. CONCERN
ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT’S FAST TRACK RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE.
WE HAD BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE RECENT POLICE EVICTIONS OF
WAR VETERANS FROM SOME FARMS, BUT THE EVICTIONS HAVE NOW
STOPPED. HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER JOHN NKOMO, MNANGAGWA
REPLIED, ORDERED POLICE TO EVICT VETERANS FROM FARMS NOT
IDENTIFIED FOR COMPULSORY ACQUISITION, BUT POLICE THEN
WENT BEYOND THEIR MANDATE WHEN THEY DESTROYED THE
SQUATTERS’ PROPERTY. ONCE ALL FARMS HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED, WAR VETERANS WOULD BE MOVED FROM NON-
IDENTIFIED FARMS TO FARMS ON THE LIST. ASKED WHETHER
THEY WOULD BE ASKED TO MOVE VOLUNTARILY OR WHETHER POLICE
WOULD BE INVOLVED, MNANGAGWA SAID HE DID NOT THINK FORCE
WOULD BE USED. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE QUESTION OF LAW
AND ORDER MUST BE ADDRESSED, AS SOME WAR VETERANS ARE
OCCUPYING FARMS THAT WILL NEVER BE RESETTLED AND CANNOT
BE ALLOWED TO DISTURB PRODUCTION THERE.
¶9. (C) MNANGAGWA ADMITTED THAT THIS PLANTING SEASON WILL
BE AFFECTED BY THE RESETTLEMENT EXERCISE, SO IT IS
IMPORTANT FOR THE GOZ TO SETTLE THE LAND ISSUE AS SOON AS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 05137 02 OF 03 131415Z
POSSIBLE. HE PREDICTED THAT COMMERCIAL FARMERS WOULD
KNOW WHERE THEY STAND BY NOVEMBER. THE AMBASSADOR
EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO THE
ECONOMY, WITH POSSIBLE FOOD SHORTAGES NEXT YEAR. THERE
IS A COST TO REDRAWING THE LINES OF LAND OWNERSHIP,
MNANGAGWA SAID. LARGE-SCALE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION WOULD
BE HURT AND WOULD TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO RECOVER, BUT
STAPLE FOODS ARE PRODUCED PRIMARILY BY SMALL-SCALE AND
COMMUNAL FARMERS AND WOULD NOT BE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE
RESETTLEMENT EFFORT.
¶10. (C) THE UNITED STATES, THE AMBASSADOR NOTED, AGREES
THAT LAND REFORM IS NECESSARY AND WE WANT TO HELP, BUT
NOT UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS. THE GOZ FIRST HAD TO
DEVISE A FAIR, TRANSPARENT PROCESS. THE GOZ, MNANGAGWA
SAID SHARPLY, WOULD DETERMINE ITS OWN PLAN FOR LAND
REFORM, AND THE DONORS COULD THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT
TO HELP. THE SEPTEMBER 1998 DONORS CONFERENCE HAD LAID
OUT A PROCESS THAT WAS TOO GRADUAL. ABIDING BY THAT PLAN
WOULD HAVE KEPT LAND IN THE FOREFRONT OF POLITICAL DEBATE
IN ZIMBABWE FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. THE GOVERNMENT,
THEREFORE, HAD BY NECESSITY DECIDED ON A MORE EXPEDITED
APPROACH. THE GOZ IS GETTING LAND MORE QUICKLY INTO THE
HANDS OF THOSE WHO NEED IT, THEN WILL FOCUS ON HOW TO
EMPOWER THOSE WHO ARE RESETTLED.
PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE
———————
¶11. (C) MNANGAGWA ACKNOWLEDGED THE OCCURRENCE OF
POLITICAL VIOLENCE PRIOR TO THE JUNE ELECTION, BUT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 05137 02 OF 03 131415Z
INSISTED THAT SUCH INCIDENTS HAVE DIED DOWN. THE
AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THE SITUATION WAS SOMEWHAT CALMER,
BUT NOTED THAT WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE REPORTS OF VIOLENCE
AND INTIMIDATION ON COMMERCIAL FARMS. MNANGAGWA SAID
THAT ANYONE WHO COMMITS A CRIME MUST BE BROUGHT TO
JUSTICE. MNANGAGWA BLAMED THE COURTS FOR FAILING TO ACT
EXPEDITIOUSLY ON THE NUMEROUS CASES REFERRED TO THEM. HE
CLAIMED THAT 189 CASES OF PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN
MIDLANDS PROVINCE HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THE COURTS, AND 14
SUSPECTS HAD BEEN CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO TERMS
RANGING FROM 6-14 MONTHS. ASKED WHETHER ANYONE HAD BEEN
TRIED AND SENTENCED FOR THE 31 REPORTED MURDERS COMMITTED
DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN, MNANGAGWA WAS EVASIVE, ONLY
INSISTING THAT THE GOZ HAD DONE ITS JOB BY INVESTIGATING
AND TURNING OVER CASES TO THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE
AMBASSADOR POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENT PROSECUTORS PLAY A
CRITICAL ROLE IN PUSHING CASES THROUGH THE JUDICIAL
SYSTEM.
COMMENT
——-
¶12. (C) MNANGAGWA, A MUGABE CONFIDANT AND FORMER
MINISTER OF JUSTICE WITH A CHECKERED PAST, WAS CLEARLY
PLEASED TO BE IN HIS NEW POSITION. HE ENJOYS THE RESPECT
OF SOME LEGISLATORS, ALTHOUGH MOST FEAR HIM. AS REPORTED
REFTEL, HE HAS SO FAR BEEN EVEN-HANDED IN HIS RUNNING OF
THE PROCEEDINGS, AND HAS NOT ATTEMPTED TO STIFLE VIGOROUS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3371
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ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
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SWCI-00 /013W
——————84C578 131415Z /38
P 131413Z SEP 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7084
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 005137
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/10
TAGS: PREL ECON EFIN EAGR PINR PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 05137 03 OF 03 131415Z
MNANGAGWA
CRITICISMS OF THE GOVERNMENT BY MDC MPS. WE HAVE NO
DOUBT, HOWEVER, THAT THE MAN KNOWN AS MUGABE’S ENFORCER
WILL DO ALL HE CAN TO PREVENT THE MDC FROM ALTERING
GOVERNMENT POLICY ON KEY ISSUES SUCH AS LAND
RESETTLEMENT, ECONOMIC REFORM, AND MILITARY INVOLVEMENT
IN THE DRC.
¶13. (C) DESPITE HIS INITIAL COY DENIALS, MNANGAGWA
REMAINS A VERY KEY PLAYER ON DRC POLICY. WE WILL
CONTINUE TO STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH HIM ON DRC AND WILL
SEEK A READOUT AFTER HIS RETURN FROM KINSHASA.
MNANGAGWA’S COMMENTS ON LAND REFLECT A WORRYING
DETERMINATION TO GO IT ALONE WITH THE FAST-TRACK
RESETTLEMENT EFFORT IF NECESSARY, REGARDLESS OF THE
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES. HIS ATTEMPTS TO BLAME THE COURTS
FOR THE LACK OF ACTION IN THE MANY INCIDENTS OF PRE-
ELECTION VIOLENCE ARE SIMPLY NOT CREDIBLE. THE GOZ BEARS
THE PREDOMINANT BLAME FOR PREVENTING THE POLICE FROM
INVESTIGATING THESE CASES RIGOROUSLY ENOUGH, IF AT ALL.
ACCORDING TO A LEADING HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP HERE, ALTHOUGH
THERE WERE 31 MURDERS REPORTED DURING THE ELECTION
CAMPAIGN, ONLY ONE SUSPECT IN ONE CASE HAS BEEN ARRESTED.
THIS GROUP TOLD US THAT THE KILLERS IN SOME OF THE OTHER
CASES ARE KNOWN, BUT CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE WITH IMPUNITY
IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
MCDONALD
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PAGE 03 HARARE 05137 03 OF 03 131415Z
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