US embassy cable - 02HARARE1788

UNCLAS HARARE 001788 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S (SCHLACHTER), AF/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, EAGR, EAID, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT FOOD AID IN ZIMBABWE; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Food aid prolongs nation's suffering" 
      the independent weekly "The Financial Gazette" uses its 
      August 1 editorial to castigate the government of Zimbabwe 
      for causing the current food crisis and question the 
      utility of Western food donations.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "Zimbabweans, many of whom are threatened with 
      starvation are undoubtedly grateful for the food aid that 
      is being given to them by several foreign governments. 
      Unfortunately, the reality is that aid is perpetuating and 
      prolonging the wider suffering of Zimbabweans by giving 
      them a false sense of food security when they should be 
      seriously confronting the causes of their starvation in a 
      rich farming land.  As long as the food handouts continue 
      to come in, many in Zimbabwe and especially the government 
      will not bother to examine why the country has sunk to this 
      pathetic level, let alone to take corrective action. . .For 
      Zimbabweans, the food aid gives them false comfort that all 
      is well, shielding them from the harsh reality that they 
      must take their destiny into their hands in the face of an 
      administration that seems determined to do everything and 
      anything that can make their lives as unbearable as is 
      possible. 
 
      ". . .But the issue of food aid, aside from 
      promoting an unsustainable culture of dependency, 
      goes far deeper than this in crisis-weary Zimbabwe. 
      Plausible media reports continue to filter out from 
      the countryside that some elements of the ruling 
      ZANU PF party. . .are now using food aid as a 
      political weapon.  These elements are denying food 
      aid to those they suspect to be opposition members, 
      clearly one of the worst human rights abuses and a 
      serious challenge to the conscience of those foreign 
      governments whose taxpayers' money has been used to 
      buy the food. . .Surely the government, however much 
      it may hate the fact that the MDC (Movement for 
      Democratic Change) is a reality, must take care of 
      the interests of all Zimbabweans and not just those 
      of its supporters.  The food aid. . .must be given 
      to all who need it without any discrimination 
      whatsoever.  Otherwise Zimbabweans will feel 
      justified in refusing to pay taxes from which the 
      food aid money is siphoned if the food is only meant 
      for ZANU PF members.  There can be no two ways about 
      this." 
 
SULLIVAN