US embassy cable - 01HARARE3785

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Identifier:	01HARARE3785
Wikileaks:	View 01HARARE3785 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2001-12-19 07:22:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	ZI PREL
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 003785 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, IBB FOR DIANE 
BUTTS, AF/RA FOR SWANN, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT AFRICA JOURNAL FEEDBACK; HARARE 
 
 
1.   THE DECEMBER 13 AFRICA JOURNAL ON "ZIMBABWE AT THE 
     CROSSROADS" ATTRACTED ALL THE MAINSTREAM GOVERNMENT- 
     CONTROLLED MEDIA IN HARARE - ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING 
     CORPORATION (ZBC) TELEVISION, "THE HERALD," AND THE 
     ZIMBABWE INTER-AFRICA NEWS AGENCY (ZIANA) - AND THE 
     COUNTRY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS."  THE 
     JOURNALISTS WERE IMPRESSED WITH MAIMONA MILLS' SKILLS. 
     "SHE WAS GREAT.  SHE WAS IN FULL CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW 
     AND WAS HIGHLY ASTUTE TO THE SOCIOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC 
     SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE," REMARKED MASIMBA KARIKOGA FROM "THE 
     HERALD."  THE JOURNALISTS AND AUDIENCE DRAWN FROM THE 
     PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT 
     AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE FOUND THE PROGRAM "REFRESHING 
     AND VERY INFORMATIVE." THE AUDIENCE APPRECIATED THE 
     CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE WASHINGTON PANELISTS AND DIVERSE 
     CALLERS FROM ALL OVER AFRICA, BUT WERE QUICK TO QUERY SOME 
     OF THE FOOTAGE THAT AIRED IN THE OPENING REPORT, SAYING IT 
     WAS "ALIEN" TO ZIMBABWE. 
 
2.   THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY CARRIED AN ARTICLE 
     ABOUT THE AFRICA JOURNAL PROGRAM ON PAGE ONE UNDER HEADLINE 
     "YOUTHS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST SANCTIONS BILL."  THE ARTICLE 
     WAS PART OF A STORY THAT REPORTED ON A PEACEFUL 
     DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC 
     RECOVERY ACT OF 2001 BY PEOPLE FROM THE RECENTLY FORMED 
     PATRIOTIC YOUTHS OF ZIMBABWE ORGANIZATION.  THE YOUTHS, 
     ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, WIELDED PLACARDS DENOUNCING THE 
     U.S. CONGRESS' DECISION TO MOBILIZE INTERNATIONAL OPINION 
     AGAINST ZIMBABWE.  THE ARTICLE THEN FOCUSED ON THE AFRICA 
     JOURNAL PROGRAM, QUOTING EXTENSIVELY FROM ZIMBABWE'S 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03785  190821Z 
     AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON DR. SIMBI MUBAKO DISMISSING THE 
     ACT AS "UNWARRANTED INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF 
     ZIMBABWE," ADDING THAT "THERE WAS NO JUSTIFICATION 
     WHATSOEVER FOR THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE U.S. CONGRESS."  THE 
     ARTICLE ALSO GAVE PLAY TO CONTRIBUTIONS BY MDC SECRETARY- 
     GENERAL PROFESSOR WELSHMAN NCUBE, VOA REPORTER JOSEPHINE 
     KAMARA AND THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF SOUTHERN AND EAST 
     AFRICA NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL 
     RELATIONS, MS. SHARI BRYAN. 
 
3.   THE DECEMBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE 
     DAILY NEWS," CARRIED AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE PROGRAM UNDER 
     HEADLINE "U.S. BILL SET TO BECOME LAW THIS WEEK." 
 
4.   POST WISHES TO CONGRATULATE THE AFRICA JOURNAL CREW 
     FOR THIS VERY TOPICAL PROGRAM.  WE HOPE THERE WILL BE MORE 
     ZIMBABWE-FOCUSED PROGRAMS IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE 
     PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION EXPECTED IN MARCH 2002.  WE ALSO HOPE 
     THAT A ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WILL, NEXT TIME 
     AROUND, BE AB