Beatrice Mtetwa said the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front was implementing the Global Political Agreement slowly in order to rebuild its structures for a future campaign of violence and intimidation.
She told a visiting United States congressional delegation that there was need for significant reform to ensure that the police, courts and the attorney-general acted fairly and impartially.
She also said that perpetrators must face justice.
Chris Dhlamini, the Movement for Democratic Change Chief of Security, who was abducted in November 2008 and tortured by state security officers, described his abduction and torture to the group.
Fidelis Mudimu, the programme officer of the Counselling Services Unit, reported that ZANU-PF bases and war veterans were already starting to meet again, particularly in Mashonaland East, and were using the calm to reorganise to use violence once again against citizens.
The president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Lovemore Matombo echoed the sentiment that ZANU-PF had not been “rehabilitated” and could not be trusted.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09HARARE477, CODEL PAYNE: GOZ AND CIVICS PLEAD FOR HEALTH,
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|
Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO3997
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0477/01 1600856
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 090856Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4581
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2875
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2994
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1433
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2257
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2624
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3042
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5483
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2166
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 000477
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B. WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2019
TAGS: ASEC KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: CODEL PAYNE: GOZ AND CIVICS PLEAD FOR HEALTH,
EDUCATION ASSISTANCE
REF: HARARE 456
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGEE for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
——-
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (SBU) During his May 29-31 visit to Zimbabwe, Congressman
Donald Payne (D-NJ) and three congressional staffers met with
senior government officials including President Robert Mugabe
(ref), Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara, Health Minister Dr. Henry
Madzorera (MDC-T), Agriculture Minister Joseph Made (ZANU-PF)
(septel), a wide variety of civil society leaders, the Mayor
of Harare, business leaders (septel) and diplomats. The
delegation met with numerous senior-level officials who
stressed the need to re-engage. Civil society leaders
implored for social-sector assistance and debated how to best
engage with the inclusive government. Violence victims, in
contrast, bemoaned the lack of progress towards improving
human rights and described ZANU-PF’s foot-dragging as a delay
tactic to rebuild violence and torture structures in rural
areas. In addition, the range of contacts presented the
visitors with a window into the frustrations of Zimbabweans
with the lack of progress and the perceived need for donor
assistance to help the inclusive government succeed even
while security chiefs and hard-liners seek to frustrate
progress. END SUMMARY.
——————————————— ——-
Tsvangirai: “We Can’t Keep Focusing On The Negative”
——————————————— ——-
¶2. (SBU) Congressman Payne, his delegation, and the
Ambassador called on Prime Minister Tsvangirai at his
residence on the morning of May 30. Tsvangirai briefed the
group on the current state of affairs and laid out the needs
of the inclusive government to succeed. Tsvangirai said that
if he had chosen to stay out of the government following the
flawed June 2008 presidential run-off election, Zimbabwe
would be “heading to Somalia.” Despite his initial
skepticism about how long the inclusive government would
last, Tsvangirai boasted that the arrangement has worked
“beyond our expectations.” Nonetheless, he conceded, all is
not rosy.
¶3. (SBU) Tsvangirai acknowledged continued resistance from
the military, Reserve Bank, and former ZANU-PF members who
now seek to undermine the inclusive government’s success.
Regarding the spate of politically-motivated arrests,
Tsvangirai remarked that we “have to keep moving forward
while putting out fires” as he sidestepped the issue. The PM
described free and fair elections as the ultimate prize, and
the inclusive government as a process to produce the enabling
environment and constitution that will make that possible.
“We can’t keep focusing on the negative.”
¶4. (SBU) He implored Payne and the Ambassador to give the
inclusive government a chance. Tsvangirai asked for help
with agricultural inputs and credit, even while acknowledging
that financing will be difficult as long as the land tenure
Qthat financing will be difficult as long as the land tenure
issue remains unresolved. He described the civil service as
“demotivated” as the government has made little investment in
social sectors–education and health in particular–in the
last ten years. Tsvangirai declared that the success of the
inclusive government in correcting these problems will be the
demise of those who have created “problems” and are seeking
to undermine the current arrangement.
———————————–
HARARE 00000477 002 OF 004
Ministers: “Help Us Help Ourselves”
———————————–
¶5. (SBU) In a separate meeting with Deputy Prime Minister
Arthur Mutambara, Deputy Minister of Agriculture-designate
Roy Bennett (MDC-T), and Health Minister Dr. Henry Madzorera
(MDC-T), the three stressed the need to help the inclusive
government succeed — preferably through immediate assistance
to health and education.
¶6. (SBU) While asking for help, Mutambara acknowledged the
recent farm invasions, numerous court cases against
journalists and abductees, and the continued delay in
appointing Bennett to the Ministry of Agriculture as examples
of ZANU-PF hard-liners’ resistance to fully engaging in and
committing to the inclusive government. Mutambara explained
that by referring some of the remaining “sticking issues” to
SADC, the MDC hopes that “even Mugabe” can’t win. Mutambara
said he feels betrayed because he encouraged Tsvangirai to
join the inclusive government because he thought Mugabe would
stick to the commitments he made in the Global Political
Agreement (GPA). However, now he sees that Mugabe only gave
Tsvangirai crumbs in the GPA, and now he’s even holding on to
those crumbs. He implored the delegation to “help us help
ourselves” by helping the inclusive government succeed and
prepare for free and fair elections. Mutambara told us that
the success of the inclusive government would shame ZANU-PF.
¶7. (SBU) Bennett began by thanking the U.S. for its continued
support of the Zimbabwean people before explaining the
continued problems the military poses. Senior security
officials, Bennett told us, are bolstering the “dead wood” in
ZANU-PF and continue to avoid saluting the Prime Minister in
public. Nevertheless, Bennett noted the changes across
Zimbabwe as MDC rallies draw large numbers — evidence of the
continued support for Tsvangirai and the MDC. Bennett went
on to explain that villagers across Zimbabwe consistently
speak of two main issues that should be resolved: the
continued tenure of Reserve Bank Gvernor Gideon Gono and the
need for some form of justice. All agreed that without
justice for the perpetrators of violence, the country will
not be able to heal and move forward. Bennett also told us
that Attorney General Johannes Tomana and other senior level
ZANU-PF officials continue to use their positions to take
land and houses, and threaten those magistrates who would
rule against land seizures.
¶8. (SBU) Dr. Madzorera described health as the most important
social service and claimed the Zimbabwean public will judge
the inclusive government’s success on how well it delivers
health services. He repeated Mutambara’s and Bennett’s
assertions that the failure of the inclusive government will
be the failure of the MDC. Dr. Madzorera thanked the U.S.
for its health-related assistance, citing the cholera
response, HIV/AIDS funding, and the significant U.S.
contributions to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
Qcontributions to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
He went on to describe four areas that need attention: (1)
human resources, particularly retention and recruitment of
workers who are in the diaspora, (2) better supplies of drugs
and medicine, (3) equipment (NOTE: much of the hospital
equipment currently in use is old and/or in disrepair. END
NOTE.), and (4) communication and transport, including
ambulances to move patients from rural clinics to district
hospitals and long-range radios for rural areas. Dr.
Madzorera implored Payne and the Ambassador for more
assistance, asserting that it can be provided in the form of
material support such as supplies that never have to go
through the central government.
———————————–
Civics Ask for Education Assistance
HARARE 00000477 003 OF 004
———————————–
¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador later hosted a lunch for Congressman
Payne and his delegation and representatives of leading civil
society organizations (CSOs) including Otto Saki and Irene
Petras from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Jenni
Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu from Women of Zimbabwe Arise
(WOZA), Raymond Majongwe from the Progressive Teachers’ Union
of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Takura Zhangazha from the Media Institute
of Southern Africa (MISA), and MacDonald Lewanika from the
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition. Lewanika and Saki explained
civil society’s efforts to monitor the global political
agreement (GPA) and engagement in the constitutional process.
Lewanika described the predominant attitude as one of
reluctant acknowledgment of the necessity of civic engagement
with what most recognize as a flawed process. Those groups
advocating non-participation, with Lovemore Madhuku and the
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) as the most outspoken
player in that group, are in a minority. (NOTE: In a
subsequent conversation with poloff on June 4, Williams told
poloff that WOZA conducted a survey of members and determined
that their position is not far from the NCA’s. Williams
lamented that most CSO leaders have developed their opinions
without consulting their members. END NOTE.)
¶10. (SBU) Williams pleaded for assistance for public
education, such as chalk, school books, and supplies,
asserting that if efforts are not made to revive the
educational system there will be a lost generation of
uneducated children and that history “would judge us harshly
if we did so.” Majongwe reinforced Williams’ appeal and
suggested that assistance could be provided directly to
Zimbabwe’s teachers and channeled directly to schools,
bypassing corrupt elements in the ministry. He provided a
concept paper which he sent to the Congressman describing
potential strategies for education sector assistance.
—————————-
Visit to Decrepit Waterworks
—————————-
¶11. (SBU) On Sunday May 31, Congressman Payne and his
delegation visited the Morton Jaffray waterworks where they
were escorted by Harare Mayor Much Masunda and Town Clerk Dr.
Tendai Malachi along with the USAID Mission Director and
USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Program Specialist. Morton Jaffray
supplies the majority of water to the greater Harare area and
needs rehabilitation costing roughly US$135 million to
operate at full capacity. The Senior Operations Officer for
the World Bank in Harare, who joined the tour, explained the
US$15 million project that the World Bank plans to implement
nationwide, with US$10-12 million designated for Harare.
Emphasizing the extended time frame and high cost of repairs,
the USAID Mission Director highlighted that the limited
levels of current USAID/OFDA funding to address water and
sanitation challenges was best focused on ongoing
Qsanitation challenges was best focused on ongoing
cholera-prevention at a community level. USAID/OFDA
currently focuses on public health and hygiene promotion and
the distribution of basic hygiene items (soap, buckets,
tablets for household water treatment) to prevent and
mitigate outbreaks of diarrheal disease. (COMMENT: In our
view, future USG investments should complement the World
Bank’s large scale investments in central water systems by
working with communities on small, community-managed
projects. END COMMENT.)
———————————
Victims Seek Justice, Not Amnesty
———————————
¶12. (C) Congressman Payne and the delegation also met with
HARARE 00000477 004 OF 004
victims of the ZANU-PF regime who lamented the continued
politicization of the courts and police. Chris Dhlamini, the
MDC Chief of Security who was abducted in November, tortured
by state security officers, and now faces charges of bombing
police stations, described his abduction and torture to the
group. Human Rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa emphasized the
need for significant reform to ensure police, courts, and the
attorney general act fairly and impartially. In addition,
she said that perpetrators must face justice. Fidelis
Mudimu, the Program Officer with the Counselling Services
Unit, reported that ZANU-PF bases and war veterans are
already starting to meet again, particularly in Mashonaland
East, and are using the current period of calm to reorganize
to use violence once again against citizens. President of
the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Lovemore Matombo echoed
the sentiment that ZANU-PF has not been “rehabilitated” and
cannot be trusted. Mtetwa believes that ZANU-PF is
deliberately moving slowly towards implementing the GPA in
order to rebuild its structures for a future campaign of
violence and intimidation.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶13. (C) Congressman Payne’s visit to Zimbabwe was the first
CODEL we have had in recent memory and provided an excellent
forum for increased engagement on the way forward with
government and civil society leadership. While government
leaders continue to push for assistance, particularly with
the social sector, Zimbabweans in and out of the government
have grave concerns about the security forces and the
continued lack of justice and democratic space. Although the
Prime Minister and senior MDC leadership tend to paint these
concerns as mere distractions, they have the potential to
undermine the inclusive government’s success with or without
increased foreign assistance. These pleas for help and
financing are being made even while human rights abusers
continue to walk free and the leaders of the 2008 election
violence rebuild their bases and threaten citizens. END
COMMENT.
¶14. (U) NOTE: This cable has not been cleared by
Congressman Payne. END NOTE.
MCGEE
(15 VIEWS)
