US embassy cable - 01HARARE2042

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 06/26/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE TIGHTENS THE POLITICAL NOOSE 
 
REF: HARARE 1987 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES AUBREY HOOKS.  REASONS: 1.5 
(B) AND (D). 
 
MOYO'S REMARKS, CONTROVERSIAL AS ALWAYS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
1.  (U) ON JUNE 25, INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO ANNOUNCED 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE WILL SOON PROHIBIT NGOS, CHURCHES, 
AND AID AGENCIES FROM CONDUCTING VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS. 
ACCORDING TO MOYO, THE GOZ IS DEVISING A POLICY THAT WILL PERMIT 
ONLY THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION 
AND POLITICAL PARTIES TO CARRY OUT VOTER EDUCATION EFFORTS. 
 
REACTION 
-------- 
 
2.  (U) NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE NGO COMMUNITY HAS REACTED ANGRILY TO 
MOYO'S ANNOUNCEMENT.  A GROUP OF 15 CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS ISSUED A 
STATEMENT INSISTING IT WAS THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO INFORM 
VOTERS ABOUT ELECTORAL LAWS AND THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. 
IN THEIR STATEMENT, "THE GROUPS REJECT UNRESERVEDLY ANY 
ALLEGATIONS THAT THE VOTER EDUCATION PROVIDED BY CIVIC GROUPS IS 
PARTISAN AND CALL ON THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY TO 
RETRACT THIS UNSUBSTANTIATED AND MALEVOLENT ALLEGATION.  THE 
GROUPS WILL TAKE ALL MEASURES TO DEFEND THEIR LEGAL AND SOCIAL 
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC."  THE 
LEGAL RESOURCES FOUNDATION (LRF) IS AN INFLUENTIAL, WELL-RESPECTED 
NGO WHICH RUNS A NUMBER OF LEGAL AID CLINICS AROUND THE COUNTRY 
AND IS ONE OF THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN VOTER EDUCATION 
ACTIVITIES.  IN A STRONGLY-WORDED PRESS RELEASE ON JUNE 27, THE 
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LRF ASSERTED THAT ANY LAW WHICH PURPORTED TO PREVENT CIVIC GROUPS 
FROM CONDUCTING VOTER EDUCATION PROGRAMS WOULD BE OVERTURNED BY 
THE COURTS.  THE LRF EMPHASIZED THAT NGOS AND CHURCHES HAVE LONG 
SPONSORED NON-PARTISAN CIVIC AND VOTER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN 
ZIMBABWE AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO.  A JUNE 29 EDITORIAL IN THE 
INDEPENDENT "DAILY NEWS" SLAMMED MOYO'S ANNOUNCEMENT:  "OF ALL THE 
MANY PARANOID MEASURES THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN IN ITS FUTILE 
ATTEMPT TO STOP THE FIERCE WINDS OF POLITICAL CHANGE THAT HAVE 
BEEN BLOWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY SINCE THE REJECTION OF THE 
FRAUDULENT DRAFT CONSTITUTION IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR, NONE HAS BEEN 
QUITE SO GLARINGLY UNDEMOCRATIC AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS THIS ONE." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
3.  (C) DURING THE TWENTY-ONE YEARS SINCE INDEPENDENCE, CIVIL 
SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN THE PRINCIPAL IMPLEMENTERS OF 
VOTER EDUCATION.  THEY HAVE FOCUSED ON TECHNICAL/PROCEDURAL ISSUES 
SUCH AS THE IMPORTANCE OF REGISTERING TO VOTE AND VERIFYING THAT 
ONE'S NAME IS ON THE VOTERS ROLL; THE MECHANICS OF MARKING ONE'S 
BALLOT AND PLACING IT IN THE BOX; AND EMPHASIS ON THE SECRECY OF 
THE BALLOT.  THESE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL IN ELEVATING THE 
AWARENESS OF CITIZENS ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, A 
PREREQUISITE FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY.  IT IS NOT 
SURPRISING, THEREFORE, THAT ZANU-PF INTENDS TO ASSERT ITS CONTROL 
OVER THIS EXERCISE, AS IGNORANCE HAS PROVEN TO BE THE RULING 
PARTY'S BEST WEAPON IN ITS ATTEMPTS TO CLING TO POWER.  THE 
PROVISION OF VOTER EDUCATION BY NEUTRAL ORGANIZATIONS THREATENS 
ZANU-PF'S MOST EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES, PARTICULARLY IN 
RURAL AREAS: BEATING OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, THREATENING THEM WITH 
VIOLENCE IF THEY DO NOT VOTE FOR THE RULING PARTY, AND TELLING 
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CITIZENS THE PARTY IS ABLE TO DETERMINE FOR WHOM THEY CAST THEIR 
BALLOTS. 
 
4. (C) MOYO'S WILLINGNESS TO ALLOW POLITICAL PARTIES TO CONDUCT 
VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS UNDERMINES HIS EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT 
CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN TOO PARTISAN IN THEIR EFFORTS.  MOYO 
LIKELY ASSUMES, HOWEVER, THAT THE BAN ON FOREIGN FUNDING OF 
POLITICAL PARTIES WILL, IN PRACTICAL TERMS, MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR 
THE OPPOSITION MDC TO FILL THE VOID LEFT BY NGOS.  WE EXPECT THAT 
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS WILL FIERCELY RESIST THE GOZ ON THIS ISSUE 
AND IGNORE A BAN IF NECESSARY, BUT A GOVERNMENT PROHIBITION WILL 
MAKE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR SUCH GROUPS TO OPERATE, 
PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS.  AS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
EXPECTED IN EARLY 2002 APPROACHES, WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT ZANU-PF 
WILL COME UP WITH OTHER CREATIVE MEASURES DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN ITS 
HOLD ON POWER. 
 
HOOKS 
 
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