US embassy cable - 01HARARE2457

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002457 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, NSC FOR 
JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT:  ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT 
MEDIA COVERAGE 
 
 
1.   THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL 2001 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  02457  01 OF 02  201507Z 
    CONTINUES TO DOMINATE HEADLINES IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA. 
    LAST WEEK PRESIDENT MUGABE LASHED OUT AT THE U. S. AND 
    OTHER WESTERN NATIONS HE SAID WERE PLANNING RACIST AND 
    PUNITIVE SANCTIONS AGAINST HIS GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF ITS 
    SEIZURE OF WHITE-OWNED FARMS.  EXCERPTS OF NEWSPAPER 
    ARTICLES, INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE'S COMMENTS, ABOUT THE 
    BILL FOLLOW: 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER SANCTIONS 
    RULED OUT," THE AUGUST 19 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT- 
    CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" RAN THE FOLLOWING 
    ARTICLE BY MUNYARADZI HUNI ON PAGE ONE: 
 
    "THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO DECLARE A STATE OF 
    EMERGENCY EVEN IF THE CONTROVERSIAL ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY 
    AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL IS PASSED IN THE U. S., A 
    GOVERNMENT MINISTER SAID YESTERDAY (AUGUST 18).  THE 
    MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY, 
    PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, SAID THERE WAS NO REASON TO 
    RESORT TO SUCH ACTION SINCE THE COUNTRY WAS ALREADY 
    UNDER UNDECLARED SANCTIONS. . .'ALL THE TALK AND DEBATE 
    ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPOSING A STATE OF EMERGENCY 
    IS IDLE.  THE TALK HAS LARGELY BEEN FUELLED BY 
    OPPOSITION ELEMENTS WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A CRISIS 
    IN THE COUNTRY AND WHO FOOLISHLY IMAGINE THAT THEY CAN 
    PUSH ZIMBABWE TO A CORNER OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY.  THE 
    SUGGESTION THAT THE AMERICAN SANCTIONS BILL AGAINST 
    ZIMBABWE WOULD LEAD TO THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF 
    EMERGENCY IS TOTALLY BASELESS,' SAID PROF. MOYO. . . ." 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  02457  01 OF 02  201507Z 
3.   UNDER HEADLINE "U. S. INTERESTS PREVAIL OVER RIGHTS: 
    ZIMBABWE BEING PUNISHED FOR TRYING TO REDRESS IMBALANCES," 
    KNOCKS ZENGENI, A SENIOR PRESS SECRETARY IN THE DEPARTMENT 
    OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 
    AND CABINET, WROTE THE FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE IN THE SAME 
    NEWSPAPER: 
 
    "THE RECENT DECISION BY THE U. S. SENATE TO PASS THE SO- 
    CALLED ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL 
    UNDERLINES THE INHERENT CONTRADICTIONS OF U. S. FOREIGN 
    POLICY TOWARD AFRICA.  AS DEMONSTRATED BY PAST AND 
    CURRENT U. S. POLICIES TOWARD AFRICA, DEMOCRATIZATION 
    RHETORIC DOES NOT ALWAYS CONFORM WITH ACTUAL POLICIES. 
    . .AS SUCH, FOR ZIMBABWEANS AND OTHER AFRICANS TO THINK 
    THAT THE U. S. IS GOING TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THEIR 
    PROBLEMS IS BEING NAVE.  U. S. INTERESTS HAVE NEVER 
    BEEN MEANT TO SOLVE AFRICA'S PROBLEMS, BUT HAVE OFTEN 
    CONTRIBUTED TO AFRICA'S PROBLEMS. . .IT IS AGAINST THIS 
    BACKGROUND THAT MANY PATRIOTIC ZIMBABWEANS AND 
    AFRICANISTS ARE STRONGLY CONVINCED THAT THE SO-CALLED 
    ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL IS 
    NOTHING MORE THAN AN EXPRESSION OF PERSISTING FORMS OF 
    DOUBLE-STANDARDS AND RACISM IN U. S. FOREIGN POLICY. 
    MANY ZIMBABWEANS ARE ASKING WHY A COUNTRY THAT HAS 
    SHOWN WILLINGNESS TO EMBRACE UNDEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS 
    IS SO QUICK TO PUNISH A COUNTRY LIKE ZIMBABWE WITH A 
    THRIVING AND STABLE DEMOCRACY. . .ZIMBABWE DOES NOT 
    NEED A DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL.  IT NEEDS 
    ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT IN ITS QUEST TO ATTAIN SOCIAL 
    JUSTICE. . . ." 
4.   UNDER HEADLINE "'ACQUIRE WHITE-OWNED FARMS IF U. S. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  02457  01 OF 02  201507Z 
    PASSES BILL,'" THE AUGUST 17 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT- 
    CONTROLLED DAILY 'THE HERALD, PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING 
    ARTICLE BASED ON CONTRIBUTIONS IN PARLIAMENT BY A ZANU 
    PF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR GOKWE WEST, MS. ESTHER 
    NYAUCHI: 
 
    "ALL WHITE-OWNED FARMS SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE 
    GOVERNMENT ONCE THE UNITED STATES PASSES THE ZIMBABWE 
    DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL, A PARLIAMENTARY 
    BACKBENCHER HAS SAID.  'THEY ARE TRYING TO DICTATE TO 
    ZIMBABWE WHAT TO DO WITH OUR LAND.  IS THAT WHAT THEY 
    CALL DEMOCRACY. . .?  (MS.) ESTHER NYAUCHI SAID IN 
    PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY ((AUGUST 16).  EVERY ZIMBABWEAN 
    SHOULD KNOW THAT THE BILL IS MEANT TO DESTROY OUR HARD- 
    WON ZIMBABWE. . .,' SHE SAID. . . ." 
 
5.   UNDER HEADLINE "ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL: WILL MUGABE 
    DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY?" THE AUGUST 13 EDITION OF THE 
    INDEPENDENT DAILY 'THE DAILY NEWS' PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING 
    ARTICLE AUTHORED BY THE NEWSPAPER'S DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR, 
    NYASHA NYAKUNU: 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ8408 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  02457  02 OF 02  201507Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DODE-00  DS-00 
      EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00 
      DCP-01   NSAE-00  TEST-00  EPAE-00  DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00 
      SAS-00     /004W 
                  ------------------14373C  201507Z /38 
P 201502Z AUG 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9506 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002457 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, NSC FOR 
JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT:  ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT 
MEDIA COVERAGE 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  02457  02 OF 02  201507Z 
    "THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL - ZIMBABWE'S EFFORTS TO 
    WARD OFF PRESSURE AGAINST PRESIDENT MUGABE TO CONFORM 
    TO THE NORMS OF INTERNATIONAL DICTATES, HAVE HIT A CUL- 
    DE-SAC.  THIS TURN OF EVENTS CAN ONLY SPELL GLOOM AND 
    DOOM FOR ITS IMPOVERISHED MAJORITY POPULATION.  THE 
    DEATH-KNELL FOR THE IMPENDING SOCIOECONOMIC AND 
    POLITICAL IMPLOSION WAS SOUNDED LAST WEEK WHEN THE 
    UNITED STATES SENATE PASSED THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND 
    ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. . . ." 
 
6.   UNDER HEADLINE "WEST TWO-FACED SAYS PRESIDENT," THE 
    AUGUST 12 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY 'THE 
    SUNDAY MAIL' PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY FARAI 
    DZIRUTTWE ON PAGE ONE: 
 
    "PRESIDENT MUGABE YESTERDAY (AUGUST 14) LASHED OUT AT 
    SOME WESTERN GOVERNMENTS FOR DOUBLE STANDARDS AND 
    HYPOCRITICAL PREACHING ABOUT DEMOCRATIC VALUES AIMED AT 
    PRESERVING THE IMPERIALIST CONTROL OF ZIMBABWE'S 
    IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCES.  SPEAKING TO THOUSAND OF 
    PEOPLE WHO GATHERED AT THE NATIONAL HEROES ACRE IN 
    HARARE TO COMMEMORATE HEROES DAY, (MR.) MUGABE SAID 
    THESE WESTERN GOVERNMENT WERE BEING LED BY BRITAIN AND 
    THE UNITED STATES. . . ." 
 
7.   EXCERPTS FROM PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE'S SPEECH READ ON 
    HEROES DAY (AUGUST 11) FOLLOW: 
 
    ". . .WHEN THE BRITISH RACIAL AUTOCRACY BRUTALIZED AND 
    TRAUMATIZED US, THE SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIC WORLD WOULD 
    NOT LIFT A FINGER, OR EVEN RAISE AN EYE-BROW, FOR WE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  02457  02 OF 02  201507Z 
    DUBBED THE WORLD'S SUPERNUMERARIES, A RACE OF NO RIGHTS 
    BEYOND THAT OF A CHATTEL. . .WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED, 
    THE FREE WORLD WAS THERE: BRITAIN, AMERICA, GERMANY, 
    HOLLAND, THEY WERE THERE. . .YES THE AMERICAN SENATE 
    AND CONGRESS WERE THERE!  AT NO POINT DID THE AMERICAN 
    SENATE THINK OF SUPPORTING OUR STRUGGLE HERE BY 
    CRAFTING A SANCTIONS BILL AGAINST THE RHODESIANS WHO 
    HAD OVERTHROWN THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, THE 
    CONSTITUTION.  IF ANYTHING, THE SAME SENATORS WHO TODAY 
    WORK WITH OUR OWN PEOPLE IN THE OPPOSITION TO CRAFT THE 
    INIQUITOUS SO-CALLED ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC 
    RECOVERY BILL, WERE PART OF THE INFAMOUS INTERNATIONAL 
    RIGHT-WING FRIENDS OF RHODESIA (FOR) MOVEMENT MEANT TO 
    DEFEND OVERSEAS WHITE INTERESTS.  JUST WHAT IS OUR 
    CRIME?  OUR CRIME IS THAT WE ARE BLACK, AND AMERICA A 
    CONDEMNED RACE!  HOW DARE WE CHALLENGE THEIR KITH AND 
    KIN HERE, GOD-CHOSEN ANGLO-SAXONS, WE WHO ONLY 
    YESTERDAY WERE THEIR CONDEMNED SLAVES?  THEY FEEL 
    REVULSED (SIC) THAT WE SEEK TO CORRECT THE EFFECTS, 
    IMBALANCES AND INJUSTICES OF THAT SINFUL SLAVE PAST. 
    TO DO SO IS TO PRACTICE TERRORISM AND AUTOCRACY.  THESE 
    ANGLO-SAXON BIGOTS GLIBLY USE LANGUAGE AND VOCABULARY 
    OF DEMOCRACY TO DUCK THEIR COLONIAL RESPONSIBILITY SO 
    THEY CAN PROLONG THEIR EVIL CONTROL AND OWNERSHIP OF 
    OUR LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES. . . ." 
 
8.   UNDER HEADLINE "PRESIDENT DISMISSES BILL," THE AUGUST 
    12 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY 'THE STANDARD' 
    REPORTS: 
 
    "PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE YESTERDAY (AUGUST 11) BRUSHED 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  02457  02 OF 02  201507Z 
    ASIDE THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT 
    2001 WHICH SEEKS TO IMPOSE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON 
    HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, HIS MINISTERS AND SERVICE 
    CHIEFS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. . .MUGABE SAID THE INTENDED 
    SANCTIONS WOULD NOT STOP GOVERNMENT'S CONTROVERSIAL 
    FAST-TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.  HE ACCUSED THE U. S. 
    GOVERNMENT OF TRYING TO RULE ZIMBABWE BY "REMOTE 
    CONTROL" THROUGH ITS ECONOMIC MIGHT. . . ." 
 
ROTH 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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