US embassy cable - 03HARARE936

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000936 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/S RAYNOR, CA/OCS/ACS/AF HOFFSTATTER, CA/P PATT, 
AF/PDPA DALTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PHUM 
SUBJECT: IMMIGRATION TROUBLE FOR RESIDENT AMCIT JOURNALIST 
ANDREW MELDRUM 
 
REF: A) 2002 HARARE 1446  B) 2002 HARARE 1643 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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1.  Andrew Meldrum is an American citizen with Zimbabwean 
permanent residency status.  He is also the Harare 
correspondent for the Guardian newspaper (UK).  He was 
charged by Zimbabwe Republic Police in May 2002 (Ref A) for 
"publishing falsehoods" under Zimbabwe's controversial 
"Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act" 
(AIPPA), but was subsequently cleared of that charge after 
a trial in July 2002 (Ref B).  The GOZ responded to 
Meldrum's acquittal by slapping him with a deportation 
order within minutes of the announcement of the "not 
guilty" verdict.  However, Meldrum's attorney successfully 
appealed the deportation order in Zimbabwe's High Court. 
 
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CURRENT SITUATION 
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2.  During the evening of May 7, several men approached 
Meldrum's Harare home claiming to be Government of Zimbabwe 
immigration officials.  The men refused to show 
identification to Meldrum's wife or his lawyer and would 
not state the purpose of their inquiry.  Meldrum was not at 
home, so the unidentified officials demanded that he 
present himself at the immigration offices the following 
day.  Meldrum refused to comply with this request until he 
or his lawyer was informed about why immigration wanted to 
see him.  He has been staying with friends and keeping a 
low profile until the situation can be resolved. 
 
3.  Two Guardian newspaper executives (British citizens) 
traveled to Zimbabwe on May 9 to assist Meldrum in 
resolving his standoff with Zimbabwean immigration.  Both 
men were given 30-day visas at the Harare airport, but 
later in the day were told by immigration officials that 
their visas had been revoked and that they had 24 hours to 
leave the country. Immigration alleged that the Guardian 
executives had incorrectly filled in their immigration 
forms and had failed to seek advance permission from 
Zimbabwe's Minister of Home Affairs for "entering the 
country to discuss a sensitive issue." 
 
4. Meldrum's attorney, Beatrice Mtetwa, secured an 
interview with Zimbabwe's Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. 
Mgwabi, on Monday May 12.  Mgwabi claimed that Meldrum's 
High Court order (granted in 2002) allowing him to remain 
in Zimbabwe as a permanent resident had expired, as Meldrum 
failed to file a further appeal with the Supreme Court of 
Zimbabwe.  Mtetwa was however able to convince Mgwabi that 
it was in fact incumbent upon the GOZ to file an appeal 
with the Supreme Court if they so desired, as the High 
Court had ruled in Meldrum's favor.  After the interview, 
the Chief Immigration Officer did agree with Mtetwa that 
the High Court order (granting Meldrum continued permanent 
residency) remained in place indefinitely.  However, he 
insisted that Meldrum come to immigration on May 13th to 
meet with another immigration official named Siziba. 
 
5.  Meldrum reported to immigration as instructed on May 
13th, accompanied by his attorney and conoff.  Senior 
immigration officer Siziba refused to allow conoff to 
participate in the interview.  Siziba and another colleague 
first lectured Meldrum about the GOZ's displeasure with the 
type of stories he is writing about Zimbabwe, complaining 
that he portrays the country and its government in a 
negative light.  Siziba then questioned Meldrum about his 
original application for permanent residency, filed in 
1988, claiming that he misrepresented his profession. 
Though all of the forms indicate that Meldrum was (and is) 
a journalist, Siziba claims that he is now acting as a 
"political correspondent" and that such activity is not 
allowed under his residency permit.  Siziba kept Meldrum's 
passport and his residency card, and instructed him to 
return to immigration on May 14 with a letter further 
explaining his current occupation. 
 
6.  Ms. Mtetwa, Meldrum's lawyer, plans to return to 
Immigration today (May 14) to submit the letter as 
requested.  Post will inform Department of further 
developments as they unfold. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  Andrew Meldrum is the only foreign journalist remaining 
in Zimbabwe, and his harassment by GOZ immigration 
officials is part of a clear pattern of actions aimed at 
silencing critical coverage of events here.  In 2001, the 
GOZ began its campaign to expel all foreign journalists.  A 
BBC correspondent (Jonathan Winter) and an Uruguayan 
freelancer (Mercedes Sayagues) were the first to go, after 
each being visited in the middle of the night by state 
security agents and given less than 48 hours to leave the 
country.  In 2002, Griffin Shea, an American citizen 
working for AFP, was denied renewal of his work permit and 
also forced to leave.  If the GOZ is now able to force 
Meldrum out, it will a serious blow to what remains of 
press freedom in Zimbabwe. 
 
WHITEHEAD