US embassy cable - 02HARARE1949

UNCLAS HARARE 001949 
 
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, PHUM, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT WSSD; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   The World Summit for Sustainable Development 
      (WSSD) in South Africa has become the subject matter 
      for editorials in two mainstream newspapers - the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" and the 
      independent weekly "The Sunday Mirror."  Editorial 
      excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   Under headline "Land vital for sustainable 
      development" the government-controlled daily "The 
      Herald" (08/26) comments: 
 
      "The WSSD which begins in South Africa today 
      presents yet another platform for Zimbabwe to 
      set the record straight on the land issue. . . 
      For Zimbabwe the land is at the core of its 
      development.  But the country's just struggle 
      for land has been viciously attacked by some 
      powerful Western nations, notably Britain and 
      the United States, who want the land- 
      redistributing program stopped.  As the program 
      is now being wound up the American Government 
      wants the government removed for correcting a 
      historical injustice.  In South Africa this week 
      the demonization of the government will be 
      intensified with the West seeking the isolation 
      of Zimbabwe.  But Zimbabwe's sovereignty will be 
      strenuously defended, as it will be represented 
      at the highest level. . .  To us sustainable 
      development is impossible to achieve for as long 
      as land ownership is skewed in favor of a 
      minority race. . .   Zimbabwe will, therefore, 
      today join the rest of the world in searching 
      for ways to push forward an agenda to foster 
      sustainable development. . ." 
 
  3.   Under headline "Earth Summit not Blair Summit" the 
      pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" (08/25) 
      comments: 
 
      "The debate in the British government on whether 
      Tony Blair should boycott President Robert 
      Mugabe's speech at the Johannesburg WSSD is an 
      attempt by the Blair government to hijack a 
      United Nations function and pursue the long 
      drawn and well known British vendetta against 
      Zimbabwe.  The Earth Summit. . .is supposed to 
      focus on food production, and it is unfortunate 
      that Britain is trying to politicize the summit. 
      It is therefore sad to note that, at a time when 
      all UN agencies that deal with food security are 
      agreed that the way forward is to encourage 
      rural communities to be self sufficient in food, 
      Tony Blair and his government are mourning that 
      Mugabe is `driving efficient farmers off highly 
      productive land.'  Whether Blair likes it or 
      not, Zimbabwe has taken the first step towards 
      rural development by giving the peasants land so 
      that they can produce enough food to feed 
      themselves.  In any case, the WSSD has no 
      politics on its agenda and as the British would 
      like to intimate. . ." 
 
SULLIVAN