Examination of witnesses (Questions 100
- 111)
TUESDAY 18 APRIL 2000
MR PETER
HAIN and MS
FRANCES MACLEOD
Chairman
100. Escom is supplying electricity at a great
loss to Zimbabwe.
(Mr Hain) Indeed. I met the Chairman of Eskom only
yesterday and he was very exercised about this. I think Mozambique
is in a similar predicament. Can I stress too, particularly in
response to Dr Godman's constructive points, that the Southern
Africa Development Community—whose Chairman is President
Chissano, with whom the Foreign Secretary has discussed this matter,
as I have with the Mozambique Foreign Minister, Leonardo Simao
-are equally concerned. I think that SADC clearly has a role to
play their.
Dr Godman
101. With regard to World Bank's structural
adjustment programme, it did not work too well in Zambia and it
is important we do not have that kind of clumsy international
intervention in Zimbabwe, would you agree?
(Mr Hain) I very much agree. I think lessons have
been learned from the Zambian experience.
102. The World Bank in future will not be as
clumsy as it was in Zambia.
(Mr Hain) I hope that the World Bank is never clumsy.
Dr Godman: Very clumsy.
Sir Peter Emery
103. I do not think we can hold you responsible
for the World Bank. May I clear up two points, there has been
a number of questions about land resettlement. I think it would
be useful to get on record that the British Government has, since
independence, actually paid a considerable amount of money to
Zimbabwe for land resettlement schemes. Can you tell the Committee
how much?
(Mr Hain) £44 million. Most of it in the 1980s.
104. We have made a major contribution.
(Mr Hain) Sir Peter, I agree. It not as if we have
done nothing and it is not as if we do not want to do anything.
It is the misguided policies which have blocked not just us but
now the Americans and others from contributing to the solution
to this matter.
105. I wanted to get it on record because some
people tried to suggest we have done nothing but that is not the
case.
(Mr Hain) I am grateful.
106. I return, again, to the questions that
I put to you. You did say that we should explore every opportunity
to influence Mugabe. I think we have all agreed that the opportunity
is greatest coming from Africans. One of the leading Africans
is Kofi Annan from Ghana, respected throughout the world—we
have been to many other areas Kosovo, Russia and all of these
things—I would have thought he was eminently suitable to
try and bring influence on Mugabe, who has particular relationships
with Ghana. His first wife was Ghanaian and he worked in Ghana.
Therefore there is a relationship. Surely we ought to be pressing
Kofi Annan and the United Nations to look at every opportunity
to influence this man. I am surprised that you have been reticent,
or it appears the Government has been reticent, to bring that
about immediately.
(Mr Hain) We are not reticent, Sir Peter, we are just
concerned that our international diplomacy on this matter is a
consistent and a progressive one. I am sure Kofi Annan is deeply
concerned about this situation. I am not trying to be defensive
or reticent, I am simply trying to signal that these matter are
best pursued through private diplomacy.
107. Yes.
(Mr Hain) It may be frustrating but then—
108. I do not wish to complicate the situation
but if you are trying to tell me that, perhaps, my wishes are
being complied with privately, is that what you are suggesting?
(Mr Hain) I am not trying to tell you anything. I
know are you trying to ask me.
Sir David Madel
109. Is your private diplomacy energetic?
(Mr Hain) It is extremely energetic, particularly
that of the Foreign Secretary. Even in the last few days while
he has been in India he has been constantly on the telephone to
pursue international diplomacy.
Chairman
110. One final point about the elections, hopefully
free and fair. We understand from you this morning that the speaker
of the Zimbabwean Parliament has said they would welcome election
monitors. Are we, as a Government, ready to respond positively
if there were such opportunities?
(Mr Hain) Yes, indeed, we clearly are. This is the
absolute priority at the present time. When you have had one hundred
members of the Opposition attacked and some ten killed in the
last few weeks this is a very, very serious situation. I think
this is probably the most critical time in Zimbabwe's short history,
arguably even in the whole of the country's history, even when
it was under the label of Rhodesia, and it is vital that these
elections are pretty fair.
111. Can I thank you and your colleague very
much. Alas, we have heard further evidence of the tragedy of Zimbabwe
today. It is a friendly country, a country in decay and it has
been a helpful dialogue between the Committee and yourselves today.
(Mr Hain) I am very grateful for your interest, Mr
Chairman.
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