South Africa interested in stability in Zimbabwe not democracy

South Africa is interested in stability in Zimbabwe and not in democracy United States embassy officials in Zimbabwe said in the run-up to the 2008 elections.

They were commenting on observer missions that flocked to Zimbabwe to monitor the first harmonised elections.

According to a cable released by Wikileaks embassy officials expected South Africa to push for a generally positive, carefully worded election statement that stressed the “peaceful environment”.  South Africa was expected to avoid words like “free and fair” but would instead use language like “credible” and “transparent”.

“South Africa’s core interest in Zimbabwe is stability, not democracy, and they view these elections in the context of a (long) process of reform. One hopeful note is that several close Embassy contacts, including Strive Masiyiwa and Wellington Chadahumbe, know (Kingsley) Mamabolo well from his days as South African High Commissioner in Harare, and are privately lobbying him.

“Mamabolo has also asked IDASA analyst Sydney Masamvu to feed him information throughout the election period. We doubt this will significantly alter the final SADC statement, but Mamabolo will listen to their perspectives,” the cable says.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08PRETORIA606, SOUTH AFRICA OBSERVER HEAD SAYS SADC IN ZIMBABWE

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DEPT FOR AF/S S. HILL, E. BROWN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018

TAGS: PREL KDEM SF ZI

SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA OBSERVER HEAD SAYS SADC IN ZIMBABWE

TO “ASSIST” WITH ELECTIONS

REF: A. PRETORIA 0482

¶B. HARARE 206

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4

(b) and (d).

¶1. (SBU) The goal of the SADC election observation delegation

is to “assist the Zimbabweans” to ensure the holding of

“credible elections,” according to the head of the South

African component of the SADC delegation, Ambassador Kingsley

Mamabolo. In press briefings on March 13 and 19, Mamabolo

stated that the SADC delegation is not in Zimbabwe to “score

some cheap political points” or “condemn, and be critical,”

but will rather aim to help Zimbabwe “advance and prosper in

conducting democratic and transparent elections.”

¶2. (SBU) Mamabolo detailed the South African participation in

the SADC delegation, which will include 55 persons: 15

Members of Parliament (MPs), 15 civil society members, 21

government officials, and four technical experts from the

South African Independent Electoral Commission. According to

press reports, the 15 MPs will include nine ANC MPs,

including Deputy Speaker Andries Nel, two Democratic Alliance

MPs, and one each from the Inkatha Freedom Party, the United

Democratic Front, the Azanian People’s Organization, and the

African Democratic party. The two DA participants are

reported to be the DA’s Safety and Security Spokesperson,

Dianne Kohler-Barnard, and its Public Enterprises Spokesman,

Manie van Dyk.

¶3. (SBU) Mamabolo stressed that the South Africans are part

of the “collective” SADC Observer Mission, and thus

individual observers should not/not make public statements

outside of SADC structures. (NOTE: This was generally seen

as a warning to opposition members of parliament and civil

society observers. In 2005, the DA’s Kohler-Barnard walked

out of the final SADC observer mission meeting in “disgust,”

publicly challenging the claim of the delegation head that

the election was “peaceful, credible and dignified.” END

NOTE.)

¶4. (SBU) When asked at the press conferences about the

problems with press freedom, observer accreditation, voter

registration, delimitation, and other electoral problems,

Mamabolo simply replied that all the SADC delegation can do

is “bring it to the attention” of GOZ authorities.

¶5. (C) In private meetings with Tiseke Kasambala, Human

Rights Watch (HRW) Researcher and author of the new HRW

report “All Over Again: Human Rights Abuses and Electoral

Irregularities in the Run-up to Zimbabwe’s 2008 General

Elections,” Mamabolo and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

Deputy Director and SADC observer Xolisa Makaya both argued

that the environment in Zimbabwe is much more “peaceful” than

in previous election years. Kasambala told PolOff March 20

that DFA’s Makaya noted that “no election is perfect” and

that Zimbabwe is “making progress.”

¶6. (C) COMMENT: Assuming no major surprises in the elections

themselves, we expect that South Africa will push for a

generally positive, carefully worded SADC election statement

that stresses the “peaceful environment.” South Africa

generally avoids the words “free and fair,” but will instead

likely suggest language such as “credible” and “transparent.”

Qlikely suggest language such as “credible” and “transparent.”

As noted in ref B, South Africa’s core interest in Zimbabwe

is stability, not democracy, and they view these elections in

the context of a (long) process of reform. One hopeful note

is that several close Embassy contacts, including Strive

Masiyiwa and Wellington Chadahumbe, know Mamabolo well from

his days as South African High Commissioner in Harare, and

are privately lobbying him. Mamabolo has also asked IDASA

analyst Sydney Masamvu to feed him information throughout the

election period. We doubt this will significantly alter the

final SADC statement, but Mamabolo will listen to their

perspectives. END COMMENT.

BOST

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