US embassy cable - 03HARARE1373

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Identifier:	03HARARE1373
Wikileaks:	View 03HARARE1373 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2003-07-08 09:41:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 001373 
 
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, PHUM, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT EDITOR CHARGED UNDER POSA; HARARE 
 
  1.   Nqobile Nyathi, Editor of the independent daily 
      "The Daily News," was arrested, charged and released 
      on June 26 under the controversial Public Order and 
      Security Act (POSA) for allegedly publishing adverts 
      insulting Robert Mugabe.  The ostensibly illicit 
      adverts were placed in the newspaper by the 
      opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). 
      They show a cartoon character of Robert Mugabe being 
      chased by a crowd led by a cartoon character of MDC 
      leader Morgan Tsvangirai.  Part of the wording of 
      the advert reads: "Do you recognize him: Thief! 
      Thief! Thief!"  Under Section 16 of POSA it is an 
      offense to "publicly and intentionally make any 
      false statement about or concerning the President. . 
      . ."  The charge carries a fine of Z$100 000 or five 
      years imprisonment or both.  Nyathi becomes the 
      third editor to be charged under POSA in June. 
 
  2.   On June 11 this year Francis Mdlongwa, the 
      Editor-in-Chief of the Associated Newspapers of 
      Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of "The Daily News", was 
      also charged for publishing a mutinous advert 
      inserted by a group of Zimbabweans who said "they 
      were carrying out a mock trial of Mugabe," when he 
      edited the independent weekly "The Financial 
      Gazette" in 2002.  Bill Said, Editor of the ANZ 
      independent weekly "The Daily News on Sunday," was 
      also charged on June 24 for allegedly publishing a 
      false story last year when he was assistant editor 
      of "The Daily News." 
 
SULLIVAN