US embassy cable - 02HARARE1966

UNCLAS HARARE 001966 
 
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, Land Reform 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PRESS SAYS WEST CANNOT STOP "LAND 
REFORM" 
 
  1.   Under the headline "Demonisation won't derail 
      land reform" the government-controlled daily "The 
      Herald" dedicated its August 27 editorial to declaring 
      that Zimbabwe's land reform program is irreversible. 
      Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "A new wave of hysteria has gripped Britain, 
      Australia and the United States in their bid to 
      demonize the Zimbabwean government as the battle over 
      the country's land intensifies.  Having failed to stop 
      the land reform exercise by dislodging the ZANU PF 
      government from power during the 2000 parliamentary 
      elections and the 2002 presidential poll, these 
      Western countries are now throwing tantrums in the 
      hope that something will give. . . We are now 
      witnessing a reincarnation of the pre-2000 
      parliamentary and 2002 presidential poll campaigns 
      where successive British foreign secretaries shouted 
      blue murder at anything coming out of Harare, whether 
      real or imagined. 
 
      ". . .According to the American government, the 
      same forces that were mobilized during the two 
      elections have been re-hired for a fresh 
      onslaught against Zimbabwe. . .  Unfortunately, 
      the plans have come unstuck over the alleged 
      role of South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana 
      in isolating and eventually toppling President 
      Mugabe's government as the three Southern 
      Africa countries have dissociated themselves 
      from such uncouth behavior.  While America is 
      still trying to deal with this embarrassment, 
      the Aussies have taken the relay stick in 
      support of their kith and kin in (Rhodesia) 
      Zimbabwe. . .  Trumped up charges of ethnic 
      cleansing are being bandied around to incite 
      hatred against the Zimbabwean government among 
      whites throughout the world. . .  The bottom 
      line, however, is that Zimbabwe belongs to the 
      majority indigenous population and no amount of 
      demonisation will alter the reality that this 
      is their land." 
 
SULLIVAN