US embassy cable - 02HARARE2088

UNCLAS HARARE 002088 
 
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: GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO RENEW AFP 
CORRESPONDENT'S CREDENTIAL 
 
1.   American citizen Griffin Shea, senior reporter 
    for the Agence France Presse (AFP) bureau in Harare, 
    is expected to leave Zimbabwe on Saturday, September 
    14, following the Government of Zimbabwe's refusal to 
    renew his work permit.  Shea, who has been working in 
    Zimbabwe since 2000, was ordered to leave the country 
    by the Ministry of Information at the expiry of his 
    contract this week.  According to government-owned 
    media reports Information Minister Jonathan Moyo has 
    dismissed calls for the renewal of Shea's work permit, 
    saying that no foreign journalists will be allowed to 
    hold a permanent work permit in Zimbabwe.  "We are not 
    a banana republic wanting to please foreign 
    journalists. . .  We are very proud that we are one of 
    the countries who have trained an impressive 
    professional cadre of journalists and they need work. 
    Shea is an American and he can go and work there," 
    Moyo is quoted as saying. 
 
SULLIVAN