Deputy Foreign Minister Nicholas Goche was called away on 4th of July 2000 to deal with a group of unruly war veterans in Bindura, an area he did not represent, prompting the United States embassy in Harare to conclude that this was the Zimbabwean equivalent of “diplomatic flu”.
Goche was supposed to attend the ambassador’s 4 of July reception as the most senior Zimbabwean government official that very morning.
This was a signal to the United States of Zimbabwe’s displeasure with Washington over its sponsoring a bill that intended to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe among other things.
Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge had already send messages that he hoped that the United States would not fall into the same trap as the United Kingdom which with Zimbabwe had very sour relations.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE3634, GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE SENDS SIGNALS OF
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
050956Z Jul 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6326
PAGE 01 HARARE 03634 01 OF 02 050953Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-01 DODE-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01
L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00
TRSE-00 USIE-00 R-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /008W
——————6A4405 050953Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6505
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003634
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/10
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE SENDS SIGNALS OF
DISPLEASURE WITH USG
REF: HARARE 3616
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03634 01 OF 02 050953Z
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD REASONS 1.5 B/D.
¶1. (C) THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT HAS FINALLY FOCUSED ON
THE USG’S CRITICAL WORDS AND ACTIONS IN THE LAST FEW
MONTHS AND HAS BEGUN SENDING SIGNALS OF ITS DISPLEASURE.
THESE INCLUDE NOT ACCREDITING THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
INSTITUTE (NDI) AND THE INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN
INSTITUTE (IRI) AS ELECTION OBSERVERS, SENDING A
DIPLOMATIC NOTE AT THE LAST MINUTE STATING THAT IT WOULD
NOT RESPOND TO NATIONAL DAY MESSAGES, NOT SENDING A
SENIOR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE AMBASSADOR’S 4TH
OF JULY RECEPTION AND GIVING THE RECEPTION NEGATIVE
COVERAGE ON THE TELEVISION NEWS. FOREIGN MINISTER
MUDENGE EXPRESSED DISPLEASURE WITH THE PROPOSED
CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS TO PLACE “SANCTIONS” ON ZIMBABWE,
AND HOPED THE U.S. WILL NOT COME INTO THE SAME LEAGUE AS
THE UNITED KINGDOM. WE THINK PRESIDENT MUGABE IS LOOKING
FOR SOMEONE ON WHOM TO BLAME THE DEFEAT HIS PARTY WAS
HANDED IN THE JUST-CONCLUDED PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION, AND
WILL TARGET THE U.S. FOR CRITICISM AS PART OF HIS POST-
ELECTION GOVERNANCE STRATEGY AND PRESIDENTIAL RE-
ELECTION CAMPAIGN. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) AN ACCUMULATION OF RECENT SIGNALS SUGGESTS THAT
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE USG.
ON JULY 3, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SENT A
DIPLOMATIC NOTE, ALONG WITH THE STANDARD FOURTH OF JULY
GREETING FROM PRESIDENT MUGABE, STATING THAT IT “HAS THE
HONOR TO ADVISE THAT THE PRACTICE OF SPEECHES AT
NATIONAL DAY MESSAGES (SIC) HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.” IN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03634 01 OF 02 050953Z
RESPONSE, THE AMBASSADOR INFORMED DEPUTY FOREIGN
MINISTER NICHOLAS GOCHE THAT HE PLANNED TO GIVE A SPEECH
ON JULY 4. GOCHE REPLIED, “OF COURSE, AMBASSADORS ARE
EXPECTED TO SPEAK AT SUCH EVENTS.” (COMMENT: WE
INTERPRET THIS TOTALLY UNPRECEDENTED AND ABRUPT CHANGE
IN PRACTICE AS A WAY TO ATTEMPT TO CENSOR FOREIGN
DIPLOMATS FROM SAYING ANYTHING REMOTELY CRITICAL OF THE
GOZ AND ITS POLICIES. END COMMENT).
¶3. (C) LATER THAT DAY, FOREIGN MINISTER MUDENGE
PROTESTED LEGISLATION WINDING ITS WAY THROUGH CONGRESS
THAT WOULD RESULT IN “SANCTIONS” AGAINST ZIMBABWE AND
THE RECENT HEARING BEFORE THE HOUSE AFRICA SUBCOMMITTEE.
IN PASSING MUDENGE IMPLIED ANTI-USG STATEMENTS MAY BE
FORTHCOMING AND REMARKED THAT HE HOPED THE UNITED STATES
WOULD NOT BE IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS BRITAIN. (COMMENT:
ZIMBABWE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED
IN A VERY ACRIMONIOUS AND PUBLIC DISPUTE THAT HAS
RESULTED IN PARALYSIS OF THEIR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP.
END COMMENT). THE SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE
GOVERNMENT SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT THE AMBASSADOR’S
FOURTH OF JULY RECEPTION, DEPUTY MINISTER GOCHE, WAS
CALLED AWAY THE MORNING OF JULY 4 TO DEAL WITH A GROUP
OF UNRULY WAR VETS IN BINDURA IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL, AN
AREA HE DOES NOT REPRESENT IN PARLIAMENT. WE INTERPRET
THIS ABSENCE TO BE THE ZIMBABWEAN EQUIVALENT OF
“DIPLOMATIC FLU.”
¶4. (U) THE NIGHTLY NEWSCAST ON THE ZIMBABWE
BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ZBC) NORMALLY REPORTS NATIONAL
DAY RECEPTIONS IN AN ANODYNE MANNER. IN OUR CASE, THE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03634 01 OF 02 050953Z
ZBC DESCRIBED THE EVENT NEGATIVELY AND NOTED AN ALLEGED
HEAVY PRESENCE OF THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE
(MDC) MEMBERS AT THE RECEPTION, WHICH IT LIKENED TO A
VICTORY CELEBRATION FOR THE OPPOSITION. THE EVENT WAS,
IN FACT, ATTENDED BY OVER 700 PERSONS REPRESENTING ALL
SECTORS OF ZIMBABWEAN SOCIETY IN AND OUT OF GOVERNMENT.
MANY OF THE MDC MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED OUR NATIONAL DAY
ARE PROMINENT CONSTITUTIONAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS,
DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES, AND OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS
WITH WHOM EMBOFFS HAVE REGULAR CONTACTS.
¶5. (C) IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNMENT’S REFUSAL TO
ACCREDIT ELECTION OBSERVERS FROM IRI AND NDI ONLY DAYS
BEFORE THE ELECTION (AND THEREBY RENEGING ON PRESIDENT
MUGABE’S PUBLIC PLEDGE TO WELCOME ANY AND ALL
INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS BE THEY NON-BRITISH),
CONSTITUTES, IN OUR VIEW, ANOTHER STRIKE AT AMERICA.
WHILE THE AMERICAN GROUPS WERE TWO OF SEVERAL EXCLUDED,
AMONG THEM THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, WE HAVE LITTLE
DOUBT THAT THE U.S. WAS THE OBJECT OF THE ZIMBABWEAN
GOVERNMENT’S EFFORT TO BAR NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS.
¶6. (C) COMMENT: WE SENSE A DISTINCT CHILLING IN THE
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6327
PAGE 01 HARARE 03634 02 OF 02 050953Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00
EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00
VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————6A440A 050953Z /38
O 050956Z JUL 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6506
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003634
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/10
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE SENDS SIGNALS OF
DISPLEASURE WITH USG
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, NOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT HERE HAS
HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03634 02 OF 02 050953Z
ELECTIONS AND TAKEN STOCK OF OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS. SO
FAR, THE ZIMBABWEANS’ ACTIONS HAVE HEWED TO THE PETTY.
NEVERTHELESS, WE CANNOT RULE OUT PRESIDENT MUGABE MAKING
US A PRINCIPAL TARGET OF HIS POST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
GOVERNANCE STRATEGY AND HIS PRESIDENTIAL RE-ELECTION
CAMPAIGN, WHICH WE PERCEIVE HAS JUST STARTED IN EARNEST.
MUGABE IS CLEARLY LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME FOR HIS
PARTY’S RESOUNDING REJECTION IN THE PARLIAMENTARY
ELECTIONS. END COMMENT.
MCDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
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