US embassy cable - 02HARARE2015

UNCLAS HARARE 002015 
 
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 REACTION WSSD; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Demonstrations a seal for land 
      reforms" the government-controlled daily "Chronicle" 
      dedicated its September 2 editorial to criticizing the 
      West for failing to endorse the land reform program in 
      Zimbabwe.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "Some Western leaders have been working 
      tirelessly to isolate Zimbabwe through the use of 
      targeted sanctions and vicious condemnation of its 
      land reforms.  However, events unfolding in South 
      Africa at the WSSD and elsewhere, have shown beyond 
      any doubt that the devious machinations to throttle 
      Zimbabwe have only served to cement African unity, and 
      isolated the likes of Blair and Bush.  Several 
      conferences and demonstrations are being held 
      alongside the summit in South Africa as people try to 
      register their anger over the way `development' has 
      been managed, leading to the destabilization of the 
      environment. . .  It was quite interesting that the 
      demonstrators who applauded the President lambasted 
      British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair and American 
      President, Mr. George Bush.  The West should read the 
      signs that Africans can no longer be taken for 
      granted. . .  The land issue is a thorny one in the 
      region since land ownership is still skewed in favor 
      of whites. . .  The calls for land cannot therefore 
      die down before this anomaly is addressed throughout 
      the region and attended to quickly, since the Western 
      countries are ganging up against such initiatives to 
      stall the redistribution of land held by their kith 
      and kin.  We implore the Western leaders to read the 
      mood of the people of Africa and come to their senses 
      instead of trying to propagate notions that will not 
      bring food to our people's tables.  It is not too late 
      for the West to give land reforms in the region all 
      the support the programs need.  This would also 
      safeguard their descendants against future wars over 
      land. 
 
      ". . .The people have spoken, and said that the 
      land issue is an African issue and we hope the 
      likes of Blair and Bush are listening.  Their 
      efforts to divide Africans were dealt another 
      major blow at the weekend when it was revealed 
      by Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique that 
      they were not involved in U.S. plans to remove 
      President Mugabe as the Americans claimed. 
      . . .Zimbabwe is ready to defend its sovereignty 
      and would do so with pride since it will be 
      defending its land, with the full support of 
      fellow Africans in the region.  We are sure Bush 
      and Blair are now feeling isolated and 
      irrelevant, since there is so much principled 
      anger against them across the continent.  Bush 
      even feared to attend the conference!" 
 
SULLIVAN