President Robert Mugabe remained chair of the Southern African Development Community organ on politics, defence and security though the regional organisation had agreed that the chair should rotate from August.
South African President Thabo Mbeki was disappointed that the summit had not selected a successor to Mugabe.
The summit, however, did not discuss Zimbabwe because the subject simply did not come up.
A South African official told diplomats that it was unfair to be asked why South Africa had not raised the subject at the summit.
“Why not ask Malawi?” she asked.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01PRETORIA1599, SADC SUMMIT: SOUTH AFRICA HOPED FOR MORE ON ORGAN
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P 160503Z MAR 01
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8060
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001599
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2006
SUBJECT: SADC SUMMIT: SOUTH AFRICA HOPED FOR MORE ON ORGAN
REFORM
REF: WINDHOEK 526
CLASSIFIED BY ACTING POLCOUNSELOR JMCNAMARA, REASONS 1.5(B)
AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI WAS
DISAPPOINTED THAT THE MARCH 9 SADC SUMMIT DID NOT SELECT THE
SUCCESSOR TO ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE AS CHAIR OF THE
ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE, AND SECURITY. SAG OFFICIALS
INDICATED MARCH 13 THAT MBEKI PREFERRED THIS DECISION BE MADE
IN WINDHOEK SO AS TO ENSURE THAT THE ORGAN’S CHAIRMANSHIP DID
INDEED ROTATE IN AUGUST 2001. SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIALS APPEAR
PLEASED WITH THE SUMMIT’S APPROVAL OF SADC’S RESTRUCTURING
EXERCISE BUT STRESSED THAT MUCH WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE TO
ACHIEVE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS BY
THE TWO-YEAR TARGET DATE. ON ZIMBABWE, SAG OFFICIALS
MAINTAINED THAT THE ISSUE “SIMPLY WAS NOT DISCUSSED” AT
SUMMIT. ON THE DROC, SAG OFFICIALS INDICATED THAT MAURITIUS
OFFERED TO HOST THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE. END SUMMARY.
ORGAN REFORM – SAG RELIEF BUT DOUBTS REMAIN
——————————————-
¶2. (C) AT A MARCH 13 BRIEFING TO EUROPEAN UNION DIPLOMATS
WHICH POLOFF ATTENDED, DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS’ (DFA)
CHIEF DIRECTOR FOR SADC AFFAIRS G KUDJOE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR
SADC POLITICAL AFFAIRS AJ BRAMDEO, AND SADC GENERAL AFFAIRS
ASSISTANT SECRETARY WENDY RAUCH TOLD THE ASSEMBLED AUDIENCE
THAT ZIMBABWE’S REPORT TO THE SUMMIT ON REFORM OF THE ORGAN
FOR POLITICS, DEFENSE, AND SECURITY (THE ORGAN) CONTAINED NO
SURPRISES. THE SADC SUMMIT UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO SUPPORT
THE YEARLY ROTATION OF THE ORGAN CHAIR BEGINNING IN AUGUST
2001, WHEN THE SUMMIT WOULD SELECT A NEW CHAIR. ZIMBABWEAN
PRESIDENT MUGABE, THE CURRENT ORGAN CHAIR, WOULD RETAIN THIS
POSITION IN THE INTERIM PERIOD AND WOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF
THE ORGAN TROIKA (COMPOSED OF CURRENT, PAST, AND FUTURE ORGAN
CHAIR) IN AUGUST. KUDJOE INDICATED THAT THE SUMMIT WOULD
ALSO SELECT THE FUTURE ORGAN CHAIR AT THE BLANTYRE SUMMIT.
ASIDE FROM STATING THAT THE ORGAN CHAIR COULD NOT
SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLD THE SADC CHAIRMANSHIP, KUDJOE GAVE NO
INDICATION AS TO THE IDENTITY OF THE NEXT TWO CHAIRS.
¶3. (C) BOTH KUDJOE AND BRAMDEO EXPLAINED HOW SOUTH AFRICAN
PRESIDENT MBEKI ATTEMPTED TO SECURE THE NAMING OF THE NEXT
SADC CHAIR AT THE WINDHOEK SUMMIT, ONLY TO MEET WITH NO
RESPONSE FROM HIS FELLOW SADC HEADS OF STATE. THE SAG, SAID
KUDJOE, WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN THE NAMING OF THE NEXT
CHAIR IN ORDER TO “CLOSE THE CHAPTER” ON ORGAN REFORM.
BRAMDEO INDICATED THAT THE SAG WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THIS AS
ADDED ASSURANCE THAT THE CHAIRMANSHIP WOULD INDEED ROTATE IN
AUGUST. NEVERTHELESS, SOUTH AFRICA FIRMLY SUPPORTS SADC
SUMMIT’S OVERALL DECISION ON ORGAN REFORM, CONCLUDED KUDJOE.
¶4. (C) ACCORDING TO KUDJOE, THE ORGAN’S CHAIR WOULD PROVIDE
ITS OWN SECRETARIAT WHICH WOULD BE HOUSED WITH THE SADC
SECRETARIAT IN GABORONE.
SUPPORT FOR RAMSAMY AS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
——————————————
¶5. (C) SOUTH AFRICA FULLY SUPPORTS FORMER ACTING EXECUTIVE
SECRETARY RAMSAMY AS THE NEW SADC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SAID
BRAMDEO. GOING TO SOME PAINS TO DESCRIBE RAMSAMY’S
APPOINTMENT PROCESS, NAMIBIAN FIRST SECRETARY SACKY SHIVUTE
TOLD POLOFF MARCH 14 THAT AFTER A “LONG AND INTENSIVE”
INTERVIEW PROCESS, THE SADC TROIKA PLUS SOUTH AFRICA AND
ZIMBABWE CHOSE RAMSAMY AS THE “BEST” CANDIDATE FOR EXECUTIVE
SECRETARY. SHIVUTE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ANGOLA MOUNTED A
SERIOUS LOBBYING CAMPAIGN ON BEHALF OF ITS CANDIDATE, BUT
THAT RAMSAMY WAS JUDGED THE BETTER CANDIDATE. RATHER
UNCHARITABLY, SHIVUTE ADDED ON AN ASIDE THAT MUCH OF
RAMSAMY’S SUCCESS AS ACTING EXECUTIVE SECRETARY WAS PROBABLY
DUE TO HIS “PROFESSIONAL” SUPPORT STAFF.
¶6. (C) ACCORDING TO BRAMDEO, THE SADC SUMMIT REALIZES THAT
BOTH SADC’S EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND SECRETARIAT NEEDED TO BE
STRENGTHENED TO OVERSEE THE REFORM IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
SADC, SAID BRAMDEO, NEEDED TO BETTER DEFINE THE MANDATE OF
BOTH THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND THE SECRETARIAT. THE SADC
TREATY NEEDED TO BE AMENDED, ADDED KUDJOE, TO RESTRUCTURE THE
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY APPOINTMENT PROCESS FROM AN ELECTION
FORMAT TO ONE BASED ON “JOB INTERVIEWS.”
¶7. (C) IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM AN EU DIPLOMAT,
BRAMDEO EXPLAINED THAT SADC DECIDED NOT TO UPGRADE THE
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY POSITION TO A SECRETARY GENERAL POSITION
BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD ENTAIL REDEFINING HIS RELATIONSHIP
VIS-A-VIS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE OAU’S
SECRETARY GENERAL. FURTHER, SAID BRAMDEO, WITH REGARD TO
FUTURE APPOINTMENTS, SADC IS ANTICIPATING INTEREST FROM
APPLICANTS SUCH AS REGIONAL MINISTERS OR CEO’S OF LARGE
COMPANIES. IF THE POSITION WERE UPGRADED TO THE SECRETARY
GENERAL LEVEL, APPROPRIATE APPLICANTS WOULD HAVE TO BE AT THE
HEADS OF STATE LEVEL.
SECTOR COORDINATING UNIT REFORM
——————————-
¶8. (C) THE SAG OFFICIALS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL THE APPROVED
PROPOSAL FOR CONSOLIDATING THE SECTOR COORDINATING UNITS
(SCUS) INTO FOUR DIRECTORATES: TRADE, INDUSTRY, FINANCE, AND
INVESTMENT; FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES;
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES; AND SOCIAL AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS (REFTEL). ACCORDING TO KUDJOE,
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REFORM PROCESS WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY
AND THE TRADE DIRECTORATE SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL BY AUGUST
¶2001. ALL FOUR DIRECTORATES WILL BE BASED IN GABORONE.
¶9. (C) COST IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REFORMED SADC REMAIN
SKETCHY, SAID KUDJOE. SHE REVIEWED THE POSSIBLE FORMULAS:
ASSESSMENT RATES BASED ON GDP, POPULATION SIZE, A COMBINATION
OF THE TWO, OR RETAINING THE CURRENT STRUCTURE. KUDJOE
OPINED THAT PLACING TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON MEMBER STATES’
POPULATION COULD PREJUDICE THE DROC AND TANZANIA, TWO OF THE
REGION’S MOST POPULATED STATES ASIDE FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
¶10. (C) ALSO UNCLEAR, CONTINUED BRAMDEO, IS THE REFORMED
SADC STAFFING PATTERNS. SOME SCUS WITH LARGE STAFFS WOULD
PROBABLY END UP RETRENCHING NUMEROUS OFFICIALS WHILE OTHERS
MIGHT RETAIN MORE. FOR EXAMPLE, SOUTH AFRICA CURRENTLY PLANS
TO SEND ABOUT TWO OF ITS EIGHT-PERSON FINANCE SCU TO
GABORONE. KUDJOE NOTED THAT THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE
SECRETARIAT’S GABORONE STAFF WOULD INCREASE, WITH AN
ENVISIONED MINIMUM OF 129.
¶11. (C) SOUTH AFRICA WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE INITIAL
IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD OF TWO YEARS ACCELERATED, WITH THE
PHASING OUT OF THE SCUS TAKING PLACE IN LESS TIME THAN THIS.
THE MORE RAPIDLY THE UNITS CAN BE DISMANTLED, THE SOONER THE
FOUR NEW DIRECTORATES CAN BE ESTABLISHED, STRESSED KUDJOE.
¶12. (C) AN INTEGRATED COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS (SEPARATE FROM
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS) WILL OVERSEE THE DIRECTORATES’
PROGRAMS AND WILL ASSIST THE SCUS IN DISMANTLING AND
TRANSFERRING TO GABORONE. BY THE END OF DECEMBER, SAID
BRAMDEO, THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE ORGANIZED A REGIONAL
INDICATIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
TREATY AMENDMENT
—————-
¶13. (C) KUDJOE MAINTAINED THAT SADC WOULD EMBARK ON THE
SADC TREATY AMENDMENT PROCESS IMMEDIATELY WITH THE TARGET OF
PRESENTING THE AMENDMENT PROPOSALS TO THE BLANTYRE SUMMIT IN
AUGUST 2001 FOR APPROVAL.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
——————–
¶14. (C) THE SADC SUMMIT AGREED THAT THE COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS SHOULD MEET FOUR TIMES A YEAR INSTEAD OF THE
CURRENT TWICE A YEAR PROGRAM.
DROC
—-
¶15. (C) KUDJOE COMMENTED THAT DROC PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA
SPOKE “WELL” AT WINDHOEK. MAURITIUS, AS A CURRENT UN
SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBER, OFFERED TO HOST THE DROC’S NATIONAL
DIALOGUE.
COMESA
——
¶16. (C) SADC SUMMIT DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE INCREASED TIES
WITH COMESA AT THIS TIME, REPORTED KUDJOE, BUT SUPPORTED
“COLLABORATING” WITH COMESA ON SELECT ISSUES.
ZIMBABWE
——–
¶17. (C) ACCORDING TO KUDJOE, ZIMBABWE “SIMPLY DID NOT COME
UP” AT WINDHOEK. SHE ADDED THAT IT WAS UNFAIR TO BE ASKED
(AS ONE EU DIPLOMAT DID) WHY SOUTH AFRICA DID NOT RAISE THIS
SUBJECT AT THE SUMMIT. “WHY NOT ASK MALAWI,” DIRECTED
KUDJOE. SHE CONCLUDED BY STATING THAT THE SUMMIT WAS NOT THE
PROPER FORA FOR DISCUSSING EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE.
COMMENT
——-
¶18. (C) AFTER EXPENDING COUNTLESS MAN-HOURS TO THE ORGAN
REVIEW PROCESS, SOUTH AFRICA CAN BARELY WAIT FOR THE REFORM
TO BE COMPLETED ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE SAG WILL NOT REST EASY
UNTIL A NEW ORGAN CHAIR IS FINALLY NAMED. END COMMENT.
LEWIS
(78 VIEWS)
