US embassy cable - 02HARARE599

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MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE VOTES; HARARE UNCLASSIFIED

Identifier: 02HARARE599
Wikileaks: View 02HARARE599 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2002-03-07 09:46:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: ZI PREL PHUM
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO8494

PAGE 01        HARARE  00599  071034Z 
ACTION INR-00   

INFO  LOG-00   AF-00    AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    
      EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  IO-00    L-00     
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     
      SAS-00     /007W
                  ------------------70C750  071034Z /40    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1122
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
UNCLAS HARARE 000599 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI 
FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE VOTES; HARARE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00599  071034Z 
 
1. THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE" 
PUBLISHED A STRONGLY WORDED FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL IN ITS 
MARCH 7 EDITION.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "SHOCK MUGABE" THE 
NEWSPAPER URGES VOTERS TO TELL PRESIDENT MUGABE TO GO. 
EXCERPTS FOLLOW: 
 
"MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR, THE SLAIN AMERICAN CIVIL 
RIGHTS ICON, HAD THIS TO SAY IN 1963, THE HEIGHT OF THE 
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM BY UNITED STATES CIVIL RIGHTS 
GROUPS: 'WE KNOW THROUGH PAINFUL EXPERIENCE THAT 
FREEDOM IS NEVER VOLUNTARILY GIVEN BY THE OPPRESSOR; IT 
MUST BE DEMANDED BY THE OPPRESSED.'  ZIMBABWE'S LONG- 
PROMISED MOMENT OF RECKONING HAS FINALLY COME.  IT 
BECKONS ALL PATRIOTIC AND VALIANT CITIZENS TO STAND UP 
WITH ONE VOICE TO TELL ONE ROBERT MUGABE: MR. 
PRESIDENT, PLEASE GO AND GO NOW. 
 
".SHOCK THE OLD MAN OF ZIMBABWEAN POLITICS INTO HIS 
LONG-DELAYED RETIREMENT.  WHETHER HE RETIRES TO HIS 
HOME VILLAGE OF ZVIMBA OR MALAYSIA OR THAILAND IS NOT 
AN ISSUE.  SHOCK HIM BY VOTING OVERWHELMINGLY FOR A NEW 
ERA THAT IS FIRMLY ANCHORED IN PALPABLE PEACE, JUSTICE 
AND PROSPERITY - AND NOT IN THE MURDER, RAPE, TORTURE 
AND STARVATION OF SO MANY INNOCENTS IN THE LAND.  SHOCK 
HIM BY MASSIVELY REJECTING THE POVERTY AND SQUALOR THAT 
HAVE BECOME YOUR DAILY LIVES IN THIS BRAVE 21ST CENTURY 
AND IN A COUNTRY SO RICH WITH BOTH MAN-MADE AND GOD'S 
RESOURCES.  SHOCK HIM BY DEMONSTRATING THAT ZANU PF'S 
DEATH THREATS TO FORCE YOU TO ATTEND HIS MANY RALLIES 
IN THE PAST MONTH CANNOT AND WILL NOT ALTER YOUR VOTE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00599  071034Z 
 
".NO ONE ELSE - NO MATTER WHAT ZANU PF AND ITS WAR 
VETERANS AND MILITIA TELL YOU - WILL EVER KNOW HOW YOU 
VOTED.  YOUR VOTE IS TOTALLY SECRET AND IS YOUR BIGGEST 
WEAPON TO USHER IN A NEW AND PEACEFUL REVOLUTION IN THE 
MOTHERLAND, WHICH HAS YEARNED FOR YEARS TO JOIN THE 
REST OF THE WORLD IN HUMANITY'S HURRIED MARCH TOWARDS A 
BETTER LIFE FOR ALL. 
 
".DON'T BE AFRAID, DON'T BE INTIMIDATED AND DON'T LOSE 
HEART.  YOUR VOTE, ALL OF YOU ZIMBABWEANS, WILL SINK 
MUGABE FOREVER AND THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO ABOUT 
THIS." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 

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