US embassy cable - 03HARARE1408

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001408 
 
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.   President George W. Bush's remarks on the challenges 
      facing Zimbabwe during a joint news conference with 
      his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, in 
      Pretoria made the top story during the state-run 
      radio and television, ZBC/TV, news programs 
      broadcast on July 9 at 2000 hours.  The reporter 
      aired sound bites from the two Presidents that 
      centered on their shared position on how the 
      political, economic and social turbulence in 
      Zimbabwe could be resolved.  This news clip was 
      followed by another clip about an anti-Bush protest 
      that declared him a dangerous warmonger.  However, 
      the station remained tight-lipped about another 
      demonstration by about 100 supporters of the 
      Movement for Democratic Change that waved placards, 
      outside the U. S. Embassy in Pretoria, praising Bush 
      for taking a tough line on Robert Mugabe. 
 
  2.   Armed with the same story and a statement from 
      Information Minister Jonathan Moyo's office, the 
      July 10 editions of the two government-controlled 
      dailies - "The Herald" and "Chronicle" - smiled all 
      the way to the printers to run the following 
      articles: 
 
      "Under headline "Bush shocks MDC" the "Herald" 
      (07/10) carried the following articles under sub- 
      headlines: 
 
      "U. S. President agrees with Mbeki on Zim" Itayi 
      Musengeyi in Pretoria, South Africa reports: 
 
      "United States President George Bush has snubbed an 
      MDC petition calling South African President Thabo 
      Mbeki a `dishonest broker' and urging the American 
      Government to effect a `regime change' in Zimbabwe. 
      Speaking at a Press conference after meeting 
      President Mbeki in Pretoria yesterday, the American 
      President said he was of `one mind' with his South 
      African counterpart's approach to the Zimbabwean 
      situation. . .Mr. Bush told reporters that he did 
      not doubt the South African leader's capabilities as 
      a mediator and that America supported him all the 
      way.  In an apparent climb-down from recent 
      pronouncements that the U. S. would ask South Africa 
      to pressure Zimbabwe to hold fresh presidential 
      elections, Mr. Bush said he was convinced President 
      Mbeki was working hard to help Harare resolve its 
      problems.  The U. S. leader also said Mr. Mbeki was 
      an honest broker on the Zimbabwean issue. . ." 
 
      Under headline "Opposition party's antics laughable 
      and childish" the "Herald" (07/10) carried the 
      following article on page one: 
 
      "The British-sponsored MDC's predictable antics 
      meant to catch the eye of U. S. President George W. 
      Bush are vain, laughable and childish and can only 
      confirm the MDC's infamous status as a puppet 
      organization set up to protect and advance white 
      interests, the Department of Information and 
      Publicity in the President's Office said in a 
      statement yesterday.  `No amount of falsehoods or 
      sonorous verbiage can take away the fundamental 
      truth that Zimbabwe today is a victim of her quest 
      for genuine independence, democratic and full 
      sovereign right over her resources, principally 
      land.  Everything else is extraneous. . .'  The 
      department said President Bush's fleeting and 
      perfunctory reference to Zimbabwe at his Press 
      Conference is a loud climb-down by a President all 
      along misled, but who now leaves the region better 
      enlightened about issues at stake. . .'The U. S. has 
      also had to accept that Zimbabwe savors full and 
      untrammeled sovereignty and thus will not accept 
      false and synthetic solutions from outsiders however 
      powerful.  The long and bloody years of independence 
      struggle against white settler occupation have given 
      this region a unique political trait which Bush 
      cannot ignore, let alone contradict,' the statement 
      read. . . ." 
 
  3.   While the government-controlled press was gleefully 
      reporting on the press conference, the independent 
      daily "The Daily News" (07/10) settled on amplifying 
      opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's message to 
      Presidents Bush and Mbeki.  The paper carried the 
      story on page two under headline "Tsvangirai 
      welcomes U. S. commitment to end crisis."  Excerpts: 
 
      "Opposition MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai 
      yesterday said he had welcomed commitment by 
      American President George Bush and his South African 
      counterpart Thabo Mbeki to seek an urgent end to 
      Zimbabwe's crisis but the opposition leader insisted 
      there was no dialogue yet between his party and the 
      ruling ZANU PF party as claimed by Mbeki. . .`We are 
      encouraged by the statements of President Thabo 
      Mbeki . . .and President George W. Bush. . .that 
      there has been a meeting of minds between the two 
      presidents on the Zimbabwe crisis. . . . '" 
 
SULLIVAN