US embassy cable - 02HARARE1001

UNCLAS HARARE 001001 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR 
JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ELECTION AFTERMATH; HARARE 
 
 
1.   Under headline "What price freedom?" the 
   independent financial weekly "The Financial Gazette" 
   dedicated its April 25 editorial to calling on Robert 
   Mugabe to publicly condemn "the increasing acts of 
   outright banditry by his supporters" in the aftermath 
   of the disputed March presidential poll.  Excerpts: 
 
2.   ". . .Mugabe's absolute silence on the increasing 
   acts of outright banditry by his supporters is not only 
   a cause for deep concern but begs the question of how 
   far the terrorism will be allowed to go on before it is 
   ended.  The terrorism is not just confined to MDC 
   followers or those suspected to be so, scores of whom 
   have been brutally slain and tens of thousands of 
   others displaced in their own country in the past two 
   years. . .  Looting of property, assaults of 
   countless individuals and the rape of women and 
   young girls are all rising, courtesy of the same 
   militia which has decided to eradicate the 
   'scourge' that is known as the MDC.  As well as the 
   President's silence, we must ask: Where is the 
   police force whose first duty is to maintain law 
   and order. . .?  While the police force repeatedly 
   pours its members onto the streets to crush 
   peaceful protests by opposition groups, we see no 
   demonstrable same sense of zeal and urgency in 
   cracking down on the mindless political violence 
   blighting the land. . .  Are Zimbabweans asking too 
   much from Mugabe that he not only publicly condemns 
   these acts of madness by his supporters but that he 
   orders the entire police force to crush the armed 
   rebellion - violently if need be?  Are Zimbabweans 
   asking too much when they clearly and repeatedly 
   make the clarion call that they have had enough?" 
 
SULLIVAN