US embassy cable - 02HARARE808

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MEDIA REPORT INFORMATION ACT; HARARE

Identifier: 02HARARE808
Wikileaks: View 02HARARE808 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2002-03-27 14:46:00
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.

271446Z Mar 02

 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ7585

PAGE 01        HARARE  00808  271503Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AS-01    A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  
      DS-00    EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   
      LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00  TEST-00  USIE-00  EPAE-00  IIP-00   
      DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00     /005W
                  ------------------7B5542  271503Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1344
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
UNCLAS HARARE 000808 
 
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 REPORT INFORMATION ACT; HARARE 
 
 
1.  THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" FACES LEGAL 
ACTION AFTER ALLEGEDLY CONTRAVENING CERTAIN SECTIONS 
OF THE RECENTLY ENACTED ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND 
PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT.  ACCORDING TO FRONT-PAGE 
ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 27 EDITIONS OF THE 
"DAILY NEWS" AND THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE 
HERALD," INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO HAS 
THREATENED TO BRING CHARGES AGAINST "DAILY NEWS" 
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GEOFFREY NYAROTA FOR "CONTINUED 
MISREPRESENTATION."   MOYO SAYS THAT THE DAILY NEWS 
KNOWINGLY PUBLISHED A FALSE STORY IN ITS MARCH 22 
REPORT THAT THE JOINT AFRICAN CARIBBEAN PACIFIC- 
EUROPEAN UNION PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY PASSED A 
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A RE-RUN OF THE PRESIDENTIAL 
POLL IN ZIMBABWE.  MOYO HAS ASKED THE PAPER TO MAKE A 
PUBLIC CORRECTION OF THE "DELIBERATE FALSEHOOD" OR 
FACE LEGAL ACTION IN TERMS OF THE ACCESS TO 
INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT.  THIS IS 
THE FIRST TIME THE CONTROVERSIAL ACT HAS BEEN INVOKED 
SINCE IT WAS ENACTED ON MARCH 15. 
 
2. IN RESPONSE TO MOYO'S LETTER, NYAROTA IS QUOTED IN 
A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 27 EDITION 
OF THE "DAILY NEWS" AS SAYING: "I WOULD RATHER GO TO 
JAIL, IF IT PLEASES THE HONORABLE MINISTER, THAN BE 
FORCED BY HIM TO PUBLICLY CORRECT A STORY THAT IS 100 
PERCENT CORRECT.  IF MOYO GENUINELY BELIEVES HE CAN 
INTIMIDATE 'THE DAILY NEWS' IN THIS MANNER THEN IT IS 
PATENTLY CLEAR HE FAILS COMPLETELY TO COMPREHEND HOW 
MUCH THE PAPER VALUES ITS INDEPENDENCE." 
 
SULLIVAN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00808  271503Z 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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