Made wanted UK to pay for the land government wanted to acquire

Lands Minister Joseph Made told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald that Zimbabwe was going to ask Britain to pay for the five million hectares of land that the government wanted to acquire as had been agreed at Lancaster House.

He said if farmers and the Commercial Farmers Union could privately negotiate compensation for the land from donors that was all the better from his perspective.

Made said in the history of land reform throughout the world, no government had ever purchased on a willing seller-willing buyer basis as much land as Zimbabwe had done since independence.

The embassy felt it could work with Made because he had spent 17 years in the United States and had been educated at the University of Wisconsin. He also understood land reform because his PhD dissertation was on land reform.

 

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE4884, AMBASSADOR CALLS ON NEW AGRICULTURE MINISTER

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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
00HARARE4884	2000-09-01 10:42	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

 

 

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9126

 

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ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AGRE-00 ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00

EB-00   VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   VCE-00   DCP-01   NSAE-00

DSCC-00 DRL-02   NFAT-00 SAS-00     /003W

——————809DD8 011044Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6991

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 004884

 

SIPDIS

 

STATE FOR AF/S

TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE & HOFFMAN BARAK

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/05

TAGS: EAGR PREL PGOV ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON NEW AGRICULTURE MINISTER

 

CLASSIFIED BY ECON/COMM OFFICER MARK PROKOP, REASONS

1.5 (B), (D)

 

¶1. (C) AS PART OF A SERIES OF CALLS BEING MADE ON

THE NEWLY APPOINTED CABINET, ON AUGUST 30 AMBASSADOR,

ECONOFF AND USAID OFFICER MET WITH DR. JOSEPH MADE,

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 04884 01 OF 02 011043Z

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, TO MAKE INTRODUCTIONS AND

DISCUSS LAND REFORM AND THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.

ALSO ATTENDING THE MEETING WAS VINCET HUNGWE, ACTING

PERMANENT SECRETARY. MADE, A U.S. EDUCATED

TECHNOCRAT WHO LIVED IN THE STATES FOR 17 YEARS (MADE

EARNED HIS B.S., M.S AND PHD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF

WISCONSIN AT MADISON AND KNOWS THE LAND TENUTE CENTER

THERE VERY WELL), DISCUSSED WITH US IN GENERAL TERMS

THE LAND ACQUISITION PROCESS GOING FORWARD AND

PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S

PLANS. HE TOLD US THAT A NEW OUTREACH PROGRAM TO THE

INVADERS/SQUATTERS BEGAN ON AUGUST 29, WITH TEAMS

MADE UP OF “THE POLICE, ARMY, THE GOVERNMENT, ETC”

(WE READ THE LATTER AS PARTY OFFICIALS AND/OR THE

CIO) FANNING OUT TO SPREAD THE WORD ON THE RELOCATION

EXERCISE AND THE HALT OF NEW INVASIONS. NO HARD

DATES OR A TIMETABLE WERE PROVIDED ON THE

RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM, AND ONLY VAGUE ASSURANCES WERE

GIVEN THAT COMMERCIAL FARMERS WILL NOT SUFFER OR BE

SHUT DOWN IN THE PROCESS.

 

¶2. (C) THE FACTS MINISTER MADE PROVIDED US ARE:

 

== THE POLICE WILL HALT NOW NEW INVASIONS AND

PROTECT PRIVATE PROPERTY AND/OR PERSONAL

ASSAULT/INJURY.

 

== THE PROGRAM OF TEAMS GOING OUT TO MEET WITH WAR

VETS AND SQUATTERS TO URGE RESTRAINT AND EXPLAIN THE

PROGRAM SHOULD HAVE STARTED WEEKS AGO. MADE DID NOT

KNOW HOW MANY TEAMS THERE WERE OR HOW LONG THE EFFORT

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 04884 01 OF 02 011043Z

WOULD LAST.

 

== THE MINISTER WOULD ALSO NOT TELL US WHEN THE

RELOCATIONS OF INVADERS OFF NON-LISTED PROPERTIES

WOULD OCCUR. HE TOLD US THAT A MAXIMUM OF 20 PERCENT

OF THE ACQUIRED LAND WOULD GO TO WAR VETS, WITH THE

REMAINING 80 PERCENT DESTINED FOR PEASANTS.

 

== OF THE 5 MILLION HECTARES TO BE ACQUIRED, 2.1

MILLION HECTARES ARE TO BE PRIMARILY CROPPING LANDS

(35 PERCENT CROP ARABLE); WITH THE OTHER 2.9 MILLION

HA., PRIMARILY SUPPORTING LIVESTOCK (ONLY 10 PERCENT

CROP ARABLE). MADE EXPLAINED THAT THE LATTER WAS TO

ACCOMMODATE THE MANY COMMUNAL FARMERS WHO RUN SMALL

CATTLE HERDS AND WHO HAVE NO DESIRE TO RELOCATE.

THEY ONLY NEED LAND TO WHICH THEY CAN SEND STOCK FOR

GRAZING/FATTENING BEFORE SALE (WHAT THE GOVERNMENT

TERMS THE “THREE-TIERED MODEL” WITHIN EXISTING LAND

REFORM DOCUMENTATION.

 

== THE GOVERNMENT WILL CALL ON THE LANCASTER HOUSE

AGREEMENT TO MAKE THE U.K. PAY FOR THE ACQUIRED 5

MILLION HECTARES. IF FARMERS AND THE CFU CAN

PRIVATELY NEGOTIATE COMPENSATION FOR THE LAND FROM

DONORS, THAT IS ALL THE BETTER FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE.

 

== IN THE HISTORY OF LAND REFORM THROUGHOUT THE

WORLD, NO GOVERNMENT HAS EVER PUCHASED ON A WILLING

SELLER/BUYER BASIS AS MUCH LAND AS ZIMBABWE HAS SINCE

INDEPENDENCE. HE TOUTED THE FIGURE OF 3.8 MILLION

HECTARES PAID FOR BY THE GOZ IN THE FIRST 18 YEARS OF

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 04884 01 OF 02 011043Z

NATIONHOOD.

 

== MADE’S MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENT CAME AS A COMPLETE

SURPRISE TO HIM, ONLY LEARNING OF IT FROM THE PUBLIC

ANNOUNCEMENT.

 

¶3. (C) COMMENT: MINISTER MADE IS CERTAINLY SOMEONE

WE CAN TALK WITH. GIVEN HIS BACKGROUND, HE HAS A

COMFORTABLE FAMILIARITY WITH THE U.S.; AS A

TECHNICIAN, HE APPRECIATES THE SERIOUS DAMAGE BEING

PERPETUATED AGAINST ZIMBABWE’S AGRICULTURE SECTOR AT

PRESENT, AS WELL AS THE RELATIVE MERITS OF VARIOUS

ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO PROGRAM EXECUTION (E.G.,

LAND SUBDIVISION, TAXATION, OPEN MARKET SALES, ETC.).

 

HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT HIS APPOINTMENT CAME AS A

SURPRISE IS NOT SURPRISING TO US, GIVEN HIS

RELATIVELY LOWER STATUS PRIOR TO HIS APPOINTMENT

(FORMERLY DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY’S AGRICULTURAL AND

RURAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PARASTATAL (ARDA),

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF STATE-OWNED

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9127

 

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ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AGRE-00 ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00

EB-00   VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00 DSCC-00

DRL-02   NFAT-00 SAS-00     /002W

——————809DDD 011044Z /38

P 011042Z SEP 00

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6992

INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

 

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 004884

 

SIPDIS

 

STATE FOR AF/S

TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE & HOFFMAN BARAK

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/05

TAGS: EAGR PREL PGOV ZI

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON NEW AGRICULTURE MINISTER

 

AGRICULTURAL LANDS, WITH LITTLE/NO POLITICAL CLOUT).

WITH OTHER, MORE `QUALIFIED’ CANDIDATES FOR THIS POST

EITHER DEFEATED IN THE ELECTIONS, UNDER CRIMINAL

INDICTMENT (THE GRAIN MARKETING BOARD SCANDAL) OR

DISINTERESTED/OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, WE SUSPECT

MADE’S APPOINTMENT WAS THE BEST MUGABE COULD DO AT

CONFIDENTIAL

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 04884 02 OF 02 011043Z

THIS TIME.

 

AS A RESULT OF THIS BACKGROUND AND STATUS, WE SUSPECT

HIS PRIMARY MOTIVATION WILL BE IN TRYING TO PLEASE

WHOEVER HE HAPPENS TO BE DEALING WITH AT THE TIME.

FOR THIS REASON, HIS ASSURANCES TO TRY AND CORRECT

THE CURRENT PROBLEMS MUST BE VIEWED WITH A CRITICAL

EYE. NOTE: THIS POINT IS UNDERSCORED BY MADE’S

STATEMENTS IN `THE HERALD’ THE DAY OF OUR MEETING

WHICH DIRECTLY CONTRADICTED HIS STATEMENT TO US THAT

FARMERS WOULD BE GUARANTEED THE RIGHT TO HARVEST AND

SELL ANY CROPS THEY PLANTED THIS SEASON, REGARDLESS

OF THEIR LAND DESIGNATION STATUS, STATING

“.GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT GIVE FARMERS ANY ASSURANCE TO

PRODUCE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR; IT WAS GOING AHEAD WITH

THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM (HERALD; 8/30/00).”

 

NONETHELESS, AS A TECHNOCRAT, MADE UNDERSTANDS

AGRICULTURE (AND LAND REFORM – HIS DISSERTATION

THESIS AT U OF WISCONSIN WAS ON THIS SUBJECT AND,

THROUGH ARDA, HE HAS BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED IN

GOVERNMENT LAND REFORM EFFORTS TO DATE). SHOULD THE

POLITICAL CLIMATE IMPROVE TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN

RE-ENGAGE MEANINGFULLY ON THIS SUBJECT, MADE IS

SOMEONE WE CAN WORK WITH IN ATTEMPTING TO RE-DIRECT

CURRENT GOVERNMENT LAND REFORM PLANS TOWARDS A MORE

TECHNICALLY, ECONOMICALLY SOUND AND RATIONAL

APPROACH. END COMMENT.

 

MCDONALD

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

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CONFIDENTIAL

 

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