US embassy cable - 03HARARE1371

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 001371 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA COVERAGE PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO AFRICA; 
HARARE 
 
  1.   An avalanche of news articles and opinion pieces 
      focusing on the decisive African Nations Cup 
      qualifying soccer match between Zimbabwe and 
      Eritrea, especially in the government-controlled 
      print and electronic media, failed to eclipse 
      critical articles against President George W. Bush's 
      visit to Africa.  In a move described by political 
      analysts as "a deliberate ploy" to deflect and drown 
      out public attention from President Bush's imminent 
      visit to Africa, the government-controlled media 
      deliberately down-played politics from the usual 
      pole position to promote the "crucial game."  Even 
      the ZANU PF's important politburo meeting last 
      Wednesday, including the subsequent 54th Session of 
      the party's Central Committee meeting addressed by 
      Robert Mugabe the following day, played second 
      fiddle to news on the soccer match.  It was 
      uncharacteristic of the state-run ZTV to tuck 
      Mugabe's news clip - in which he urged the party's 
      Central Committee members not to be cowed by Bush's 
      visit - deep into Thursday's (July 3) "Newshour" 
      bulletin at 2000 hours.  Excerpts of the of the nit- 
      picking news articles, op-ed and opinion pieces 
      against President Bush's visit that appeared mostly 
      in the government-controlled and pro-government 
      mainstream newspapers between July 4 and 7 follow: 
 
  2.   Under headline "Bush's visit threatens peace" the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" (07/07) 
      reproduced the following article by Patrica Gwen 
      Afwoni, Africa Strategy Personal Assistant, African 
      Region, on page 7: 
 
      "Africa Strategy notes with sadness and shame the 
      degree of hypocrisy in which the current Right wing 
      Republican Administration of George Bush has 
      conducted its foreign policy on Africa.  The forth 
      coming African tour of Bush. . .is designed to 
      threaten the peace and widen the gaps between 
      moderate states and war mongers in Africa. . .The 
      spirit of Abraham Lincoln will roll in the grave 
      when they hear that President Bush has visited a 
      pseudo democracy in Uganda and spent over six hours 
      dining and dancing with the military dictatorship 
      that has refused people to associate and assemble 
      freely. . .We note with great concern the way 
      millions and millions of U. S. dollars are being 
      channeled through Uganda to train and pay mercenary 
      armies to overthrow the government of President 
      Mugabe.  We are also worried about the Millions of 
      USD that has been pumped into the hands of 
      opposition in Zimbabwe for ECOMIC SABOTAGE (sic). . 
      .Africa Strategy wishes to use this opportunity to 
      warn all those who are bent on paying the government 
      of Uganda to commit violence in the region like. . 
      .the black surrogate Colin Powell that all the 
      peaceful people of the region are documenting all 
      your encounters.  We have now obtained clear 
      evidence from sources about all your financial 
      transactions which point at USA and Britain as the 
      main countries fuelling violence in Zimbabwe. . .We 
      are aware of the impending fabrication and malice 
      that Colin Powell and Bush want to link the people 
      of Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes Region so as to 
      justify regime change. . . ." 
 
  3.   The July 6 edition of the independent weekly "The 
      Daily News on Sunday" printed an article by Agence France- 
      Presse  (AFP) on page one that reported on President Bush's 
      interview centering on his imminent visit to Africa with 
      the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) 
      television.  The "Sunday Special" story ran under the 
      headline "Bush calls for fresh Zimbabwe elections." 
      Another independent weekly "the Standard" (07/06) also 
      carried an article focusing on President Bush's visit to 
      Africa on page one under headline "MDC to meet Bush over 
      Mugabe." 
 
  4.   Under headline "Bush's Africa safari" the 
      pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" (07/06) 
      carried the following opinion piece under the ghost 
      column "The Scrutator" on page 10: 
 
      ". . .Despite assertions to the contrary, many of 
      those (countries) left out of yet another sweeping 
      but selective tour by the leader of the world's sole 
      super power are quietly lamenting and, in some cases 
      fearing, the possible implications of such 
      exclusions and oversight. . . So serious is the U. 
      S. A. about our continent that it has consistently 
      demonstrated a disdain for both the Organization of 
      African Unity which neither (Jimmy) Carter nor 
      (Bill) Clinton visited on the occasion of their 
      respective safaris, and the African Union which, if 
      the U. S. administration had a more defined and 
      sensitive policy in this regard, Bush could have 
      accommodated in his schedule, especially since the 
      AU Summit is meeting in Maputo next Friday. . 
      .Indeed, the U. S. Africa policy is so largely 
      immersed in strategic and economic considerations 
      that the issue of democracy has always been quite 
      secondary.  Even the outpourings on Zimbabwe are 
      only part of that `democracy' smokescreen.  Not 
      surprisingly, therefore, Zimbabwe will not loom 
      large nor should the MDC expect anything more than a 
      reaffirmation of the `African initiative,' 
      spearheaded by South Africa, another long-standing 
      `sub-center' in the superpower's imperialist sphere 
      of influence." 
 
  5.   The same newspaper also ran an interesting article by 
      Tendai Chari" under his weekly column "Media Analysis" on 
      page 11 - under headline "How about a regime change in the 
      media?"  Excerpts: 
 
      "When U. S. A. President George Bush visits Southern 
      Africa. . .he should bring with him, among other 
      rescue packages, a rescue package for the Zimbabwean 
      media?  He must also facilitate a regime change in 
      our media.  The men and women of the pen have become 
      the property and monopoly of political parties. . 
      .Having earned himself the much-fancied title of 
      `liberator' in Iraq I expect President Bush to 
      liberate our media from the bondage pf cronyism.  He 
      must extricate these embeds from the clutches of 
      politicians holding on to them with crab-like 
      tenacity.  We need a free media. . . ." 
 
  6.   Under headline "Why Bush is coming to Africa: U. S. 
      leader in bid to spread his imperialist wings" the July 6 
      edition of the government-controlled weekly "The Sunday 
      Mail" carried the following opinion piece by Munyaradzi 
      Huni, Political Editor, on page 9: 
 
      "So the African Union (AU) summit will be held in 
      Maputo, Mozambique, this week, while the Texan 
      gunslinger, Mr. George W. Bush, will at the same 
      time be roaming around Africa for the time since he 
      `stole' the American election from Mr. Al Gore. . .? 
      But then don't be fooled that it's by mere 
      coincidence that the cunning fox decided to visit 
      this beloved continent at the time when the AU will 
      be taking place.  No! . . .And by the way, don't be 
      fooled into thinking that Mr. Bush just woke up one 
      day and decided to visit South Africa, Botswana, 
      Uganda, Nigeria and Senegal. . .Mr. Bush is already 
      dangling the carrot in billions of American dollars 
      to buy out the African leaders so that they can 
      allow him to spread his stinking imperialistic 
      wings. . . ." 
 
  7.   Under headline "African leaders must rally behind 
      Zimbabwe" the same newspaper carried the following 
      opinion piece by South African-based independent 
      political and socio-economic analyst and media 
      columnist Udo W. Froese on page 10: 
 
      "It is clear that the mighty West. . .particularly 
      Washington. . .will use Africa's own program, NEPAD, 
      to discipline this continent and do the dirty work 
      for and on behalf of the hopeful sponsors, the G-8 
      members.  African countries and their leadership 
      will have to toe the line of the new world economic 
      order and globalization, or face the music. 
      However, both Western programs are to Africa's 
      peril. . .Any attempt to destabilize Zimbabwe 
      further would gave serious regional security 
      implications.  It would enhance wide racism and 
      instability.  As is it is, Zimbabwe is at war.  It 
      would be a political and economic disaster for the 
      Southern African development Community (SADC) to 
      launch a military operation from neighboring 
      Botswana and Uganda in order to force a `fast regime 
      change' in Zimbabwe.  As much as U. S. President 
      George Bush wants to reward Britain's Tony Blair for 
      his zealous support in Afghanistan and Iraq and the 
      rest of the world by returning Zimbabwe to the 
      British crown, such brutal action would create 
      chaos, and terrorism would take advantage.  If 
      President Mugabe's government would be destroyed, 
      thousands of highly trained ZANU PF guerillas would 
      retreat to the bush in order to again pick up the 
      war for their country. . .This would cause havoc in 
      the region. . .When America's President George W. 
      Bush visits Africa this week, Africans have no 
      alternative but to demonstrate that they are 
      unanimous in their decision to counter any 
      destabilization efforts in their regions.  Africa 
      would do well rallying behind Zimbabwe. . . ." 
 
  8.   Under headline "Bush's Africa tour bound to fail - 
       analysts" the Bulawayo-based government-controlled 
       weekly "Sunday News" (07/06) carried the following 
       article by Herbert Zharare, Chief Reporter, on page 
       3: 
 
       "American President George W. Bush's visit to Africa 
       next week, during which he will arm-twist Zimbabwe's 
       neighbors to support a hostile Western campaign 
       against the country, will fail dismally and also 
       prove that the MDC leaders who are jostling to meet 
       with him are puppets of imperialism, analysts have 
       said. . .Political observers argued this week that 
       there is no doubt that Mr. Bush will dangle several 
       incentives to African countries, in a desperate bid 
       to force them to support his agenda of toppling the 
       elected government of Zimbabwe. . .Dr. (Tafataona) 
       Mahoso said African countries that allowed 
       themselves to be used by Mr. Bush to topple 
       President Mugabe were going to be haunted by the 
       aftermath of such an expedition.. . .Dr. William 
       Nhara, the head of a Harare-based regional political 
       think-tank, the Southern Africa Institute for 
       Democracy, told `Sunday News'. . .that the U. S. 
       President can go ahead with is visit to selected 
       African countries, but will achieve nothing. . 
       .Bulawayo-based political and social commentator Dr. 
       Lawton Hikwa concurred with Dr. Mahoso and Mr. Nhara 
       that Mr. Bush's visit. . .was part of the Western 
       campaign to effect so-called regime change in 
       Zimbabwe. . . ." 
 
  9.   Under headline "'Bush's visit not critical': Africa 
      should not be intimidated, says President" the lead 
      story in the July 4 edition of the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" reads: 
 
      "Africa should not be intimidated when the U. S. 
      President George Bush visits the 
      continent. . .President Mugabe said (July 3).  `When 
      Bush visits here, it should not send tremors to your 
      nerves,' he said while addressing the 54th Ordinary 
      Session of the ZANU PF Central Committee.  `He is 
      coming to visit and he would not dare to try what he 
      did to Iraq.  He knows the situation is different. 
      After all we do not have oil,' he said. . .Of late, 
      the U. S. ha renewed its onslaught against Zimbabwe 
      with President Bush, Secretary of State Mr. Colin 
      Powell and Assistant Secretary of State for African 
      Affairs Mr. Walter Kansteiner calling for President 
      Mugabe's exit from power.  `We know that the Bush 
      administration and the Blair government are against 
      this country and its leadership. . .But their 
      conspiracies should never be allowed to succeed and 
      we are glad that Africans oppose that . . . .'" 
 
  10.  While the rest of the government-controlled and 
      independent print media carried wire articles by 
      U. S.-based news agencies on President Bush's 
      remarks at the recent biennial meeting of the 
      Corporate Council on Africa, the July 3 edition of 
      the pro-government weekly "Business Tribune" 
      reproduced the full text of his speech on page 12, 
      under headline "Bush sets agenda for Africa tour: 
      Remarks by U. S. President to the Corporate Council 
      on U. S. (sic) - Africa Business Summit." 
 
SULLIVAN