US embassy cable - 02HARARE2454

UNCLAS HARARE 002454 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA, AF/PDPA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT BANS RETURN OF ITS OWN 
CITIZENS 
 
 
1.   On November 8 government-owned media reported that the 
    Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) has imposed travel bans and 
    visa requirements on a variety of people.  Among those 
    affected are British government officials, members of the 
    British Parliament, an American human rights activist, and 
    journalists.  In a strange and disturbing twist, several of 
    the journalists reported banned from entering Zimbabwe are 
    Zimbabwean citizens. 
 
2.   The travel ban falls most heavily on about 70 members 
    of the British government and parliament.  One American, 
    John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, and one 
    Dutch citizen, Lodewijk Bouwens of Radio Netherlands, are 
    also listed as banned.  More broadly, all British citizens 
    are now required to apply for a visa (either at a 
    Zimbabwean embassy or at the port of arrival) for entry 
    into Zimbabwe.  Before this announcement, British citizens 
    were permitted to enter Zimbabwe without a visa.  These 
    moves appear to be in retaliation for the just-announced 
    requirement that visas will be required of all Zimbabweans 
    wishing to travel to the UK. 
 
3.   Most disturbing is the inclusion of eight Zimbabwean 
    journalists on the list of persons prohibited from entering 
    Zimbabwe.  The eight are all in London working for Short 
    Wave Radio Africa, an independent station broadcasting 
    Zimbabwe-specific programming.  According to the press 
    report, the banned journalists are John Matinde, Gerry 
    Jackson, Georgina Godwin, Simon Parkinson, Mandisa 
    Mundawara, Violet Gonda, Tererai Karimakwenda and Graeme 
    Counsel.  If the press report of the banning order is true, 
    the Government of Zimbabwe has made 8 of its citizens 
    stateless. 
 
SULLIVAN