US embassy cable - 03HARARE1383

UNCLAS HARARE 001383 
 
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 REACTION PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO AFRICA; 
HARARE 
 
  1.   Under headline "Bush must tell Mbeki to act decisively 
      on Zimbabwe" the July 8 edition of the independent daily 
      "The Daily News" printed an op-ed by Joseph Whande on page 
      8, in which he urges President George Bush to help resolve 
      the socioeconomic and political impasse in Zimbabwe by 
      encouraging his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki to 
      "uphold internationally accepted mediation practices." 
      Excerpts: 
 
  2.   ". . .Both George Bush and Thabo Mbeki must be warned 
      not to continue using Zimbabwe as a playground where 
      international norms, laws, human rights and other practices 
      are disregarded at will.  This has to stop and Bush must 
      make it clear to Mbeki that if he does not want to uphold 
      internationally accepted mediation practices, he should 
      leave the Zimbabwean issue to people who would like to 
      resolve the problem. . .Bush must take note that if he 
      relies too much on Mbeki, he will not get anything resolved 
      in Zimbabwe.  He must be reminded that the people of 
      Zimbabwe have long lamented how Mbeki is a stumbling block 
      to our own efforts to correct the bad situation in our 
      country. . .Apart from Mbeki's cowardice in 
      confronting Mugabe, what we are seeing is a 
      deliberate policy by South Africa to strengthen 
      their economy at our expense. . .We have a problem 
      here in Zimbabwe and it is not an exaggeration that 
      people are suffering needlessly under our Mugabe. 
      Many would like to see him go.  But if your solution 
      to our problems is the same as the one you applied 
      in Iraq, then please forget it.  We are peace-loving 
      people and we only need the kind of assistance that 
      will make it possible and easier for us to resolve 
      our problems peacefully.  The person you should get 
      tough with is Mbeki.  Make him play his role as 
      responsible regional leader, a role befitting the 
      president of South Africa.  As you talk to our 
      dictators around the continent, please keep in mind 
      that you do not incite us to stand up and fight for 
      our rights then fly back home and watch as we get 
      butchered.  Tackling Africa's dictators is a 
      full-time job that needs the participation of the 
      international community. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN