US embassy cable - 02HARARE90

UNCLAS HARARE 000090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACHTER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, 
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ARMY WARNS SCRIBES; HARARE 
 
 
1.   ZIMBABWE'S MILITARY AND SECURITY CHIEFS HAVE WARNED 
    JOURNALISTS WORKING FOR THE INDEPENDENT PRESS AGAINST 
    PUBLISHING "FALSE REPORTS THAT DISCREDIT THE LEADERSHIP AND 
    MEMBERSHIP OF SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS."  ADDRESSING 
    JOURNALISTS IN HARARE ON JANUARY 10, THE COMMANDER OF THE 
    ZIMBABWE DEFENSE FORCES, GENERAL VITALIS ZVINAVASHE, TOLD 
    JOURNALISTS IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT "ANY REPORTS AND 
    ACTIONS DESIGNED TO CREATE INSTABILITY IN ZIMBABWE WILL BE 
    MET BY THE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW."  THIS WARNING COMES BACK- 
    TO-BACK WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MARCH 9 AND 10, 2002 
    PRESIDENTIAL POLL DATES BY PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE 
    YESTERDAY (JANUARY 9).  AT THE PRESS BRIEFING, ALL THE 
    SERVICE CHIEFS FROM THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL ARMY, THE CENTRAL 
    INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION, AIR FORCE OF ZIMBABWE, THE 
    ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE AND ZIMBABWE PRISON SERVICES 
    FLANKED ZVINAVASHE.  ALL THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY FORCE 
    CHIEFS ARE VETERANS OF ZIMBABWE'S WAR OF LIBERATION. 
    WITHOUT MENTIONING NAMES, THE ARMY CHIEF ALSO TOOK THIS 
    BIZARRE OPPORTUNITY TO DECLARE THAT THE ZIMBABWE ARMED 
    FORCES WILL "NOT ACCEPT, LET ALONE SUPPORT OR SALUTE 
    ANYONE" WITHOUT LIBERATION WAR CREDENTIALS. EXCERPTS OF THE 
    STATEMENT FOLLOW: 
 
2.   ". . .ATTACKS ON INDIVIDUALS BASED ON CONTRIVED 
    INFORMATION BY THE MEDIA USING SECURITY ORGANIZATION 
    SYSTEMS BREED MISUNDERSTANDINGS, MISTRUST, DIVISIONS AND 
    UNDERMINE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS. . 
    .WHILST IT IS KNOWN THAT MEDIA HOUSES ARE IN BUSINESS, THEY 
    MUST NOT GENERATE PROFITS OUT OF FALSE REPORTS THAT 
    DISCREDIT THE LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP OF SECURITY 
    ORGANIZATIONS. . .ANY REPORTS AND ACTIONS DESIGNED TO 
    CREATE INSTABILITY IN ZIMBABWE WILL BE MET BY THE FULL 
    FORCE OF THE LAW. . .TO THIS END, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00090  101127Z 
    HIGHEST OFFICE ON THE LAND IS A 'STRAIGHT JACKET' WHOSE 
    OCCUPANT IS EXPECTED TO OBSERVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE 
    LIBERATION STRUGGLE.  WE WILL THEREFORE NOT ACCEPT, LET 
    ALONE SUPPORT OR SALUTE ANYONE WITH A DIFFERENT AGENDA THAT 
    THREATENS THE VERY EXISTENCE OF OUR SOVEREIGNTY. . . ." 
 
3.   THIS STATEMENT HAS ECLIPSED THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 
    PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DATES.  IT IS THE LEAD STORY IN 
    ALL THE NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN HARARE TODAY (JANUARY 
    10).  THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" 
    CARRIED THE ARTICLE UNDER HEADLINE "NO TO TRAITORS," 
    WITH THE FOLLOWING SUB-TITLE "SERVICE CHIEFS MAKE A 
    STAND," ACCOMPANIED BY TWO BULLETIN TITLES "GAINS OF 
    THE STRUGGLE MUST BE MAINTAINED," AND "POLLS SHOULD BE 
    PEACEFUL."  THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" 
    PRINTED THE ARTICLE UNDER HEADLINE "ARMY BACKS MUGABE: 
    SAYS IT WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYONE WITHOUT LIBERATION WAR 
    CREDENTIALS."  THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL 
    GAZETTE" CARRIED THE ARTICLE UNDER HEADLINE "ARMY 
    SHOOTS DOWN TSVANGIRAI."  PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE AND 
    OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) LEADER 
    MORGAN TSVANGIRAI ARE THE MAJOR CANDIDATES FOR THE 
    MARCH PRESIDENTIAL POLL. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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