Mnangagwa says computer cannot tell if one is dead or not

Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa told a visiting United States senate delegation that complaints that Zimbabwe’s voters’ roll was defective should not be an issue because this could easily be rectified.

He said voters were given a chance to inspect the voters’ roll weeks before the elections. If their name was not on the roll it could be added to a separate register on the spot.

If they found the name of someone who had died, it could be removed if it was reported to the local district administrator.

“Zimbabwe’s voting records are fully computerised, but the computer cannot tell if someone has died or moved unless it is reported,” he said.

On the land issue, he said the compulsory acquisition of all commercial farming land was aimed at avoiding five or more years of strife.

He said farmers that were cooperative could get back their land and those with more than one farm would choose which one they wanted to keep.

The embassy said Mnangagwa had been cordial and pleasant, continuing his diplomatic charm offensive and trying to portray himself as a moderate on contentious issues like land, elections and observers.

“His reputation, however, would put him in the hard-line government camp, and his actions will have to speak louder than his words in the future,” the embassy said.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE2379, ZIMBABWE: GRIGSBY STAFFDEL MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE

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

101012Z Aug 01

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ6194

PAGE 01       HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z

ACTION H-01

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AF-00   DS-00   TEDE-00 SS-00   DSCC-00

SAS-00     /001W

——————107D77 101015Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9444

INFO NSC WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002379

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: GRIGSBY STAFFDEL MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE

SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT

CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL OFFICER TODD FAULK FOR REASONS:

1.5 (B) AND (D).

¶1. (U) ON AUGUST 6, SENATE STAFFDEL, LED BY GARRETT

GRIGSBY, MET WITH SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT AND ZANU-PF

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PAGE 02       HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z

SECRETARY OF ADMINISTRATION EMMERSON MNANGAGWA IN HIS

SIPDIS

PARLIAMENT OFFICES. MNANGAGWA WAS JOINED BY DEPUTY

CLERK OF PARLIAMENT HELEN DINGANI, AND THE STAFFDEL WAS

ACCOMPANIED BY CHARGE AUBREY HOOKS AND POLOFFS.

ELECTIONS

———

¶2. (C) MNANGAGWA BEGAN BY EMPHASIZING THAT HE IS NOT A

GOVERNMENT MINISTER; NONETHELESS, AS SPEAKER OF

PARLIAMENT, HE FOLLOWS GOVERNMENT ISSUES. HE ITERATED

THAT NEXT YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD IN

MARCH OR APRIL. THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) HAS

HAD FIVE GENERAL ELECTIONS SINCE INDEPENDENCE, AND IT

WILL NOT MISS THIS ELECTORAL DATE, EITHER. HE DESCRIBED

THE BASIC ELECTORAL PROCESS, AND MENTIONED THE THREE BY-

ELECTIONS HELD SINCE LATE LAST YEAR. MNANGAGWA

CHARACTERIZED THE BINDURA BY-ELECTION AS “LESS VIOLENT”

THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO BECAUSE THE POLICE HAD SET UP

ROADBLOCKS AT POINTS LEADING INTO THE DISTRICT AND

SEARCHED FOR WEAPONS. THE ATTACK ON MDC PRESIDENT

TSVANGIRAI’S CONVOY WAS A “SMALL INCIDENT” IN AN

SIPDIS

OTHERWISE PEACEFUL DISTRICT. IN RESPONSE TO A STAFFDEL

QUESTION ABOUT THE VIOLENCE SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE IN

BINDURA, MNANGAGWA SAID THE MDC AND ZANU-PF HAVE AGREED

TO ESTABLISH A CODE OF CONDUCT BASED ON COMMONWEALTH AND

EU CODES OF CONDUCT. A TEAM OF FIVE ZANU-PF MEMBERS AND

FIVE MDC MEMBERS ARE EXAMINING WAYS TO REDUCE VIOLENCE,

INCLUDING LIMITING THE TRANSPORT OF YOUTH AND OTHER

CAMPAIGNERS TO THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES. A NATIONAL

ELECTION, SUCH AS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WOULD BE AN

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PAGE 03       HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z

EXCEPTION BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS ONE BIG CONSTITUENCY IN

THAT CASE.

COURT CHALLENGES

—————-

¶3. (C) THE SPEAKER RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE MDC’S COURT

CHALLENGES TO LAST YEAR’S ELECTORAL RESULTS. WHILE THE

MDC CHALLENGED THE RESULTS IN 37 SEATS, ZANU-PF

CHALLENGED ONLY ONE. THE RULING PARTY RECOGNIZES THAT

THE ELECTION IS OVER AND REPRESENTED THE VIEW OF THE

PEOPLE. OF THE EIGHT MDC CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN

RULED UPON BY THE HIGH COURT, FOUR RESULTS HAVE BEEN

UPHELD AND FOUR NULLIFED. ZANU-PF HAS APPEALED THE FOUR

NULLIFICATIONS, AND THOSE CASES ARE DUE TO BE HEARD BY

THE SUPREME COURT. THE MDC IS CHALLENGING THE RESULTS

BASED ON TWO BASIC PREMISES: THERE WAS PRE-ELECTION

VIOLENCE AND THE VOTERS’ ROLL WAS DEFECTIVE. THE LATTER

SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE, MNANGAGWA AVERRED, BECAUSE THE

VOTERS WERE GIVEN WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION TO INSPECT

THE ROLLS. IF THEY FOUND THEIR NAME WAS NOT ON THE ROLL

IN THEIR CONSTITUENCY, IT COULD BE ADDED TO A SEPARATE

REGISTER ON THE SPOT. IF THEY FOUND THE NAME OF SOMEONE

WHO HAD DIED, IT COULD BE REMOVED IF IT WAS REPORTED TO

THE LOCAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR. ZIMBABWE’S VOTING

RECORDS ARE FULLY COMPUTERIZED, BUT THE COMPUTER CANNOT

TELL IF SOMEONE HAS DIED OR MOVED UNLESS IT IS REPORTED,

HE EMPHASIZED. IN ADDITION, THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR

COULD TAKE UP TO TWO MONTHS TO RECORD A CHANGE ONCE IT

IS REPORTED.

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PAGE 04       HARARE 02379 01 OF 02 101014Z

LAND ISSUE: NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS

———————————-

¶4. (C) MNANGAGWA THEN DELVED INTO THE HISTRIONICS OF

THE LAND ISSUE IN ZIMBABWE. HE POINTED OUT THAT HE

HELPED DRAFT THE 1992 LAND ACQUISITION ACT, WHICH

OBLIGATED THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY FARMERS FOR ACQUIRED

LAND WITHIN THREE MONTHS IN THE CURRENCY OF THE SELLER’S

CHOICE. THAT HAS ALL CHANGED, HOWEVER. BY COMPULSORILY

ACQUIRING ALL THE COMMERCIAL FARMING LAND AT ONCE,

GOVERNMENT IS AVOIDING FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF STRIFE, THE

SPEAKER OPINED. HE ADMITTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS

ACQUIRED TOO MUCH LAND. (NOTE: 95 PERCENT OF COMMERCIAL

FARMING LAND HAS BEEN LISTED FOR SEIZURE. END NOTE.)

FARMERS THAT ARE COOPERATIVE WITH GOVERNMENT CAN GET

THEIR LAND BACK. THOSE FARMERS WITH MORE THAN ONE FARM

WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE THEY WANT TO KEEP; THE

REST WILL HAVE TO BE GIVEN UP UNLESS IT IS PART OF A

PRODUCING AGRIBUSINESS.

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ACTION H-01

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AF-00   DS-00   TEDE-00 SS-00   DSCC-00

SAS-00     /001W

——————107D83 101015Z /38

R 101012Z AUG 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9445

INFO NSC WASHDC

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002379

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/11

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: GRIGSBY STAFFDEL MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE

SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT

MONITORS OR OBSERVERS?

———————-

¶5. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT ZIMBABWE ADMITTING ELECTION

MONITORS, MNANGAGWA DREW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN MONITORS

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PAGE 02       HARARE 02379 02 OF 02 101015Z

AND OBSERVERS. MONITORS, WHETHER THEY BE FROM THE EU,

SADC, OAU OR ELSEWHERE, ARE GIVEN TERMS OF REFERENCE AND

HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL OR ENTERING POLLING

PLACES. THEY ARE ACCREDITED TO POINT OUT TO ELECTION

OFFICIALS PROBLEMS THEY SEE IN THE VOTING AND COUNTING

PROCESS. MONITORS CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, ASK VOTE COUNTERS

TO RECOUNT A STACK OF BALLOTS IF THEY DO NOT APPEAR

CORRECTLY COUNTED, BUT THEY CANNOT DO THE COUNTING

THEMSELVES. MONITORS ARE OBLIGATED TO REPORT OBSERVED

PROBLEMS TO GOVERNMENT. OBSERVERS, ON THE OTHER HAND,

ARE MORE RESTRICTED IN WHERE THEY CAN GO. THEY CANNOT

POINT OUT PROBLEMS TO ELECTION OFFICIALS, BUT CAN ONLY

RECORD WHAT THEY SEE FOR THEIR OWN REPORTS.

¶6. (C) ONLY AS THE MEETING WAS CONCLUDING DID MNANGAGWA

ASK ABOUT THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY

ACT (ZDERA) THAT HAD JUST PASSED THE SENATE. THE

SPEAKER LAMENTED THAT THE BILL WOULD ONLY CAUSE GREATER

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP FOR ZIMBABWEANS. STAFFDEL EXPLAINED

THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL AND THE STEPS IT WOULD GO

THROUGH IN CONGRESS NEXT.

COMMENT

——-

¶7. (C) IN HIS MEETING WITH THE STAFFDEL, SPEAKER

MNANGAGWA WAS CORDIAL AND PLEASANT, CONTINUING THE CHARM

OFFENSIVE HE BEGAN WITH OTHER WESTERN INTERLOCUTORS A

FEW MONTHS AGO. MNANGAGWA, AS PRESIDENT MUGABE’S HEIR

APPARENT, CLEARLY HAS AN EYE ON THE FUTURE BY TRYING TO

PORTRAY HIMSELF AS A MODERATE ON CONTENTIOUS ISSUES LIKE

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PAGE 03       HARARE 02379 02 OF 02 101015Z

LAND, ELECTIONS, AND OBSERVERS. HIS REPUTATION,

HOWEVER, WOULD PUT HIM IN THE HARD-LINE GOVERNMENT CAMP,

AND HIS ACTIONS WILL HAVE TO SPEAK LOUDER THAN HIS WORDS

IN THE FUTURE. END COMMENT.

¶9. (U) THIS CABLE WAS NOT CLEARED BY STAFFDEL BEFORE

ITS DEPARTURE FROM HARARE.

HOOKS

CONFIDENTIAL

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