Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti told United States embassy officials that South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was the facilitator of the Zimbabwe talks, was “full of b.s” after the South African leader had suggested that the leaders of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, should meet President Robert Mugabe directly to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis.
Biti said the MDC had now lost all confidence in Mbeki and had formally requested him to report to the Southern African Development Community to ask it to resolve the impasse.
Talks between the MDC and ZANU-PF were deadlocked because the MDC was insisting that the draft constitution should be implemented before the 2008 elections and that the elections should be postponed.
ZANU-PF refused to budge.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE46, MDC’S BITI ON SADC FAILURE, MDC RECONCILIATION
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO8940
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0046 0231305
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231305Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2415
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1734
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1860
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0455
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1137
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1494
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1916
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4344
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0987
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000046
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL,
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2018
SUBJECT: MDC’S BITI ON SADC FAILURE, MDC RECONCILIATION
REF: HARARE 38
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee. Reason: 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Tsvangirai
faction secretary general Tendai Biti told Polecon chief on
January 21 that South African president Mbeki, after four
hours of meetings with President Mugabe and two hours with
MDC president organ Tsvangirai on January 17, had failed to
brek the negotiation logjam. The principal issues blcking
agreement were the MDC’s insistence that the draft
constitution be implemented before the election and that the
eletion be postponed. Subsidiary issues were MDC demnds
that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) be reconstituted
(at least with a new chairman), that new registration and
delimitation of constituencies take place, that rural chiefs
and ZANU-PF patronage in these areas be ended and that
monitors be dispatched to ensure this; and that food aid
manipulation be ended. (NOTE: Biti said the MDC was not
seeking Diaspora voting since it believed ZANU-PF could
fraudulently manipulate this. END NOTE.)
¶2. (C) Biti told us MDC leaders met with Mbeki and his
negotiating team last weekend in South Africa, following
Mbeki’s unsuccessful trip to Harare. Mbeki suggested that
MDC faction leaders Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara meet
directly with Mugabe. Biti termed this idea “ludicrous.” He
said Mbeki was “full of b.s.” and that the MDC had lost all
confidence in him. The MDC has formally requested that Mbeki
report to SADC and ask SADC as a body to attempt to resolve
the impasse.
¶3. (C) Biti was not hopeful that SADC would act. He
suggested that the USG privately pressure Mbeki and SADC to
place more pressure on Mugabe. He told us he believed a
public USG response to the logjam would be premature at this
time, but if the talks formally deadlock the MDC believed a
USG condemnation of Mugabe would be appropriate.
¶4. (C) On MDC reconciliation, Biti said standing committees
of both factions had met last weekend in South Africa and had
agreed to a coalition to contest the March election. The
agreement would not be made public until details had been
worked out. The ultimate objective, according to Biti, was
reunification.
MCGEE
(32 VIEWS)
