Dell promised to assist opposition trip to US

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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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000508

SIPDIS

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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

TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC ZI

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)