US embassy cable - 02HARARE751

UNCLAS HARARE 000751 
 
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 ZIM'S SUSPENSION FROM 
COMMONWEALTH HARARE 
 
 
1.   MARCH 22 EDITORIALS IN TWO MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS 
   DISCUSS AT LENGTH ZIMBABWE'S 12-MONTH SUSPENSION FROM 
   THE COMMONWEALTH.  EXCERPTS FOLLOW: 
 
2.   "WHAT KIND OF DEMOCRACY IS THIS?" THE GOVERNMENT- 
   CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" (03/22) COMMENTS: 
 
   "THE BRITISH AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SO-CALLED 
   WHITE COMMONWEALTH HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT THEY HAVE 
   BEEN FIGHTING FOR - SUSPENSION OF ZIMBABWE FROM THE 
   54-MEMBER ORGANIZATION. . .  WE KNOW, TOO, THAT 
   THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE ANTI-ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT 
   CAMPAIGN BY THE BRITISH AND ITS WESTERN ALLIES. . . 
   WHILE THE COMMONWEALTH SUSPENSION IS LARGELY 
   SYMBOLIC, IT NEVERTHELESS OPENS THE WAY FOR RABID 
   WESTERN RACISTS TO ACT AGAINST ZIMBABWE ON THE 
   BASIS OF THIS CENSURE. . .  SOLIDARITY FROM THE 
   AFRICAN CONTINENT AND THE UNITY OF ALL ZIMBABWEANS 
   WILL CERTAINLY SEE US THROUGH THIS SUSPENSION AND 
   THE SANCTIONS BEING SOLICITED BY THE FORMER 
   COLONIAL WEST." 
 
3.   "DANKIE SUID-AFRIKA, SIYABONGA, RE A LEBOGA," 
   THE 
   INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" (03/22) 
   COMMENTS: 
 
   ". . .ON MONDAY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI, ACCOMPANIED 
   BY HIS NIGERIAN COUNTERPART OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, 
   TRIED TO INTEREST ZIMBABWE'S LEADERSHIP IN 
   SOMETHING DEAR TO THE HEARTS OF SOUTH AFRICAN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00751  220828Z 
   POLITICIANS, A GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY. . . 
   BOTH LEADERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT NEPAD, THEIR NEW 
   PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WHICH 
   STANDS NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS IF PRESIDENT MUGABE 
   CONTINUES TO BEHAVE AS DELINQUENT RULER WITH LITTLE 
   REGARD FOR THE LIVES OR WELFARE OF HIS CITIZENS. . 
   .  MBEKI AND OBASANJO SAID IN LONDON THEY INTEND TO 
   REMAIN 'ENGAGED' IN THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO 
   ZIMBABWE'S CRISIS.  THIS SAYS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT 
   MUGABE'S CLAIMS TO LEGITIMACY BASED ON HIS ELECTION 
   'WIN.'  . . .(IN THE) SPACE OF LITTLE UNDER A WEEK, 
   SOUTH AFRICA'S ATTEMPT TO RECOGNIZE THE ELECTION 
   OUTCOME AND PERSUADE THE VICTOR TO BE ACCOMMODATING 
   HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT 
   BALLGAME IN WHICH THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY HAS 
   BECOME THE CHIEF GOAL, BACKED BY THE INTERNATIONAL 
   COMMUNITY.  THIS WILL COME AS A SHOCK TO THE SOUTH 
   AFRICANS.  BUT WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR THE WAY 
   THINGS HAVE TURNED OUT!" 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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