Namibia told Tsvangirai GNU was only solution

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba is reported to have told Prime Minister designate Morgan Tsvangirai that his government wanted a lasting solution to the Zimbabwe crisis so a government of national unity must be established.

Namibia’s Permanent Secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete said the meeting had been at Tsvangirai’s request but was “nothing special”.

In response to a request by a United States diplomat for the Southern African Development Community to put pressure on Zimbabwe as the crisis was having a negative impact on the entire region, Nghiwete said unilateral actions were unhelpful and was dismissive of the feasibility of ZANU-PF’s proposed co-leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He opined that it was a testament to the patience of the Zimbabwean people that they had not resorted to widespread violence.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08WINDHOEK368, TSVANGIRAI MEETS QUIETLY WITH POHAMBA IN WINDHOEK

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R 181621Z NOV 08

FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0165

INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L WINDHOEK 000368

AF/S

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2018

TAGS: PREL PHUM WA ZI

SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI MEETS QUIETLY WITH POHAMBA IN WINDHOEK

Classified By: Ambassador Dennise Mathieu per 1.5 (b) and (d).

¶1. (C) In a November 14 meeting with Namibian MFA Permanent

Secretary Ambassador Veiccoh Nghiwete, DCM asked about a

press report that President Pohamaba had met in Windhoek with

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai before the

November 8-9 SADC summit. Nghiwete confirmed the story,

saying it was Tsvangirai’s first “official” visit to Namibia.

According to Nghiwete, Tsvangirai had requested the November

7 meeting and had met only with the President, whom he

briefed on the status of talks with ZANU-PF.

¶2. (C) Nghiwete described the meeting as “nothing special,”

adding that the GRN was happy Tsvangirai had come. He

reported the President reiterated the GRN position that there

must be a lasting solution to the crisis and that a

government of national unity must be established. DCM

expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian

situation and noted that the Zimbabwean crisis was having a

negative impact on the entire region. He urged SADC to stay

actively engaged in the search for a solution and to

underscore that unilateral actions are not helpful. Nghiwete

agreed unilateral actions were unhelpful and was dismissive

of the feasibility of ZANU-PF’s proposed co-leadership of the

Ministry of Home Affairs. He opined that it was a testament

to the patience of the Zimbabwean people that they had not

resorted to widespread violence.

¶3. (C) Comment: This meeting was clearly at Morgan

Tsvangirai’s initiative, and it sounds as if Pohamba was

primarily in listening mode. We assume the Windhoek stop was

part of a regional round of consultations prior to the latest

SADC summit. Namibian officials continue to say little in

public about the situation in Zimbabwe. In private

conversations with us, they express concern about the

situation there and support for a government of national

unity.   However, they continue to defer completely to Mbeki

in his role as mediator.

MATHIEU

(34 VIEWS)