US embassy cable - 02HARARE1925

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001925 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MUGABE ATTACKS WEST; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   The August 23rd edition of the government- 
      controlled daily "Herald" gave prominent coverage to 
      the Government of Zimbabwe's reaction to recent US 
      criticism of the Mugabe regime. Under headline 
      "President raps West" the paper ran two, page-one, 
      above-the-fold stories detailing GoZ rejection of US 
      criticism.  Copies of the stories have been faxed to 
      AF/S and AF/PD.  Excerpts follow. 
 
  2.   "President Mugabe yesterday accused the United 
      States, Britain and white members of the Commonwealth 
      of conducting a racist campaign to undermine the 
      Zimbabwean government.  `Today, Britain, Australia, 
      New Zealand. . .what color are they?  They are white 
      and are the ones leading the fight against Zimbabwe.' 
      The President said these countries were resisting the 
      completion of the independence process began in 1980 
      in order to protect their kith and kin. . .  They 
      don't want us to be economically independent.  They 
      want us to be beggars. . .coming to them everyday with 
      a bowl asking for help.  No. . .we have our resources 
      here.  They belong to us and we are taking and giving 
      them to our people. . .  The people of Zimbabwe are 
      the only makers of the leadership, the only makers of 
      our government.  We are not made as a government in 
      Washington.  Let Mr. Bush know that. . . ." 
 
  3.   Under the sub-head "Demand Explanation from US, 
      State Urged" the "Herald" also published Information 
      Minister Jonathan Moyo's reaction to A/S Kansteiner's 
      August 20 press briefing.  Excerpts follow. 
 
      "ZANU PF yesterday urged the government to 
      demand an explanation from the U.S. over its 
      announcement that it was working with SADC 
      countries to topple President Mugabe.  In a 
      statement, the party's deputy secretary for 
      information and publicity Professor Jonathan 
      Moyo said the claims by the U.S. constituted a 
      clear threat to regional peace, stability, 
      solidarity and good neighborliness.  `The widely- 
      publicized and shockingly scandalous claims by 
      the American Assistant Secretary of State (for 
      African Affairs), Walter Kansteiner, that the U. 
      S. is working with `South Africans, Botswanas 
      (sic) and Mozambicans' to topple President 
      Mugabe have let the cat out of the bag.  Now we 
      know.  As ZANU PF, we call on the government to 
      demand a full explanation and get to the bottom 
      of the matter given the seriousness of the 
      claims and their grave implications,' said Prof 
      Moyo. 
 
      "He said the fact that Mr. Kansteiner had no 
      qualms about making such an outrageous statement 
      implicating `our very friendly neighbors 
      demonstrates that either he is hopelessly 
      incompetent and immature or the Bush Government 
      is very contemptuous of South Africa, Mozambique 
      and Botswana.  `We have the highest respect for 
      the national leadership in South Africa, 
      Mozambique, Botswana and we have no doubt 
      whatsoever that they are not among the type of 
      people who can be used for imperialist and 
      racist objectives in the pursuit of an American 
      foreign policy that has clearly gone mad.'  On 
      Mr. Kansteiner's nonsense that the Bush 
      government does not see President Mugabe as 
      democratically-elected," Prof. Moyo said it was 
      a fact that the whole world including Americans 
      knew that President George Bush was not 
      democratically-elected as he was chosen by a 
      partisan Republican appointed court which gave 
      him victory in a controversial 5-4 decision. 
      "It is therefore clear that, like his 
      Bushmaster, Kansteiner lives in the bush of 
      racist fantasies and delusions that have nothing 
      to do with democracy or democratic elections. 
      For these reasons we are outraged by the cowboy 
      tactics that Bush's men are trying to introduce 
      into our country and our region. 
 
      "Prof Moyo said the Bush government needed to be 
      told in the strongest possible terms that just 
      like Zimbabweans will never ever entertain 
      America's puppets disguised as human rights 
      activists or democrats, southern Africa would 
      not tolerate the same.  `Each time America 
      preaches about democracy and human rights, 
      Africans are reminded of the racist brutality 
      that the people of color have endured slavery 
      days but particularly under the Bush Government 
      following the tragic events of September 11 now 
      being used as a cover to assault and dehumanize 
      Africans and others." 
 
SULLIVAN