US embassy cable - 03HARARE1871

UNCLAS HARARE 001871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S FOR RAYNOR; AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND 
SIMS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION GOZ-CONTROLLED THE HERALD HAILS 
CLOSURE OF THE "DAILY NEWS"; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under the headline "Action against Daily News proper" 
      the government-controlled daily newspaper "The Herald" 
      dedicated its September 16 editorial to saluting the 
      government of Zimbabwe for shutting down the "Daily News" 
      and its sister weekly "The Daily News on Sunday," saying 
      "No individual or organization should ever be allowed to 
      hold the sovereignty and laws of Zimbabwe to ransom." 
      Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "The closure of `The Daily News' on Friday last week 
      may not augur well for the advancement of democratic 
      principles but such principles should never ever be 
      abused to advance illegality and to blackmail the 
      sovereignty of a country and its laws. . .The `Daily 
      News' did not only break the law but pocketed its 
      lawlessness in the face of the government, daring it 
      to take action.  Fortunately, the government refused 
      to take the bait and left the paper to continue 
      publishing irrespective of the requirements of the 
      country's media laws. . .However, buoyed by the lack 
      of punitive action by the government, the opposition 
      paper went on to challenge in court the 
      constitutionality of the very same legislation that 
      it was refusing to recognize.  After closing the 
      court case the newspaper publishers thought they 
      could just simply stroll back to their offices and 
      ask to be registered when the deadline for such 
      registration had expired long back as if nothing had 
      happened.  There is such a thing as honor even among 
      thieves.  If the opposition paper felt really 
      strongly that it cannot submit itself to the media 
      laws of this country, it should have simply closed 
      shop on its own and stood by its principles. . .No 
      individual or organization should ever be allowed to 
      hold the sovereignty and laws of Zimbabwe to ransom, 
      as the country is bigger than individuals and 
      organizations.  No amount of intimidation, 
      especially from those countries that have been 
      funding lawlessness in Zimbabwe, should deter the 
      arms of government from fulfilling their 
      functions. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN