The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald warned President Robert Mugabe that the United States could cut aid to Zimbabwe if the country did not repay a debt of US$210 000 to the United States Agency for International Development by the “drop-dead” date of 30 December, 2000.
He said this during his farewell meeting with Mugabe where he once again stressed that the government should move forward on a transparent, orderly and sustainable land reform programme.
McDonald who seemed to have taken a few tips from Finance Minister Simba Makoni a few weeks earlier emphasised that the move could accrue domestic political advantage for Mugabe, to which Mugabe replied: “We will try”.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE6993, AMBASSADOR’S FAREWELL CALL: MUGABE STILL BITTER
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
130905Z Dec 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTO4742
PAGE 01 HARARE 06993 270838Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00
NSAE-00 OIC-02 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W
——————AFFAA8 270838Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7826
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006993
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR AMBASSADOR CARSON
PASS USAID FOR A/AID R. MCALL, AA/AFR V. DERRYCK AND
AFR/SA C. PALMA
PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 06993 270838Z
E.O. 12958: DECL: (12-13-2010)
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID EAGR ZI US
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S FAREWELL CALL: MUGABE STILL BITTER
ABOUT BRITISH BUT SAYS HE WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON
MALLOCH-BROWN INITIATIVE
REF: HARARE 6981 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL)
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE RECEIVED ME DECEMBER 13 FOR A
ONE HALF-HOUR FAREWELL CALL. WHILE THE ATMOSPHERICS OF
THE MEETING WERE GOOD AND LIGHT, I DID MANAGE TO
INTERRUPT THE START OF A TIRADE AGAINST THE BRITISH BY
ADVANCING THE ARGUMENT THAT MUGABE SHOULD TO GIVE UNDP
ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH-BROWN’S INITIATIVE A CHANCE
AND TO REMAIN OPEN TO IT (REF). I SUGGESTED THAT THE
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE UNDP AGREE ON THREE OR
FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES AND MOVE FORWARD ON A TRANSPARENT,
ORDERLY AND SUSTAINABLE LAND REFORM PROGRAM. THE
PRESIDENT COUNTERED, “WHAT CAN MALLOCH-BROWN DO, THE
POOR MAN?” I STRESSED THAT THE UNDP ADMINISTRATOR HAD
SPEARHEADED AN EFFORT THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY A NUMBER OF
DONORS, WHICH REPRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEIZED
FROM WHICH HE, MUGABE, COULD ACCRUE DOMESTIC POLITICAL
ADVANTAGE. MUGABE’S SOMEWHAT WAN RESPONSE WAS, “WE WILL
TRY.”
¶2. (C) I ALSO ALERTED THE PRESIDENT TO ZIMBABWE’S
POTENTIAL 620(Q) VIOLATION STATUS FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 06993 270838Z
MONEY OWED TO USAID: USD 210,000. I EXPLAINED TO HIM
THAT IF THE DEBT WAS NOT SETTLED BY THE DROP-DEAD DATE,
DECEMBER 30, WE WOULD BE UNABLE, ACCORDING TO U.S. LAW,
TO PROVIDE BILATERAL ASSISTANCE. MUGABE SAID HE WOULD
RAISE THE MATTER WITH FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MINISTER SIMBA MAKONI WHOM HE WOULD SEE SOON.
MCDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
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