US embassy cable - 03HARARE1564

UNCLAS HARARE 001564 
 
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, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ANZ SUES INFORMATION MINISTER MOYO; 
HARARE 
 
 
  1.   We have a classic case here in which the prey has 
      become the predator.  Upset by "highly defamatory and 
      malicious attacks" by Information and Publicity Minister 
      Jonathan Moyo, the independent Associated Newspapers of 
      Zimbabwe (ANZ) - publishers of the "Daily News" and its 
      sister weekly the "Daily News On Sunday" - has filed a Z$58 
      million defamation suit against the minister, including the 
      state-owned Zimbabwe Newspapers (ZIMPAERS) group - 
      publishers of "The Herald" and six other titles - and 
      Nathaniel Manheru, a columnist for ZIMPAPERS' flagship "The 
      Herald" newspaper.  According to an article carried in the 
      August 5 edition of the independent daily "The Daily News," 
      under headline "ANZ files $58m defamation suit against 
      Moyo, Herald," ANZ secretary and chief legal advisor 
      Gugulethu Moyo is reported to have instructed ANZ lawyers 
      to issue summons against Moyo in his personal capacity. 
      ANZ is suing Moyo over various statements he allegedly made 
      in the state media attacking and bringing into question the 
      integrity of the ANZ newspapers and their editorial staff. 
2.   Among the offending stories cited in the summons is an 
article carried in the May 17 edition of "The Herald."  In 
the article, Moyo is alleged to have attacked "The Daily 
News," its staff and the ANZ Group non-executive chairman 
Strive Masiyiwa over a story about a plan proposed by the 
international community to help lift Zimbabwe out of the 
current economic crisis.  Another defamatory article cited 
in the summons appeared in "The Herald" of June 10, in 
which Information Minister Moyo is quoted "accusing 
Masiyiwa of using `The Daily News' to destabilize Zimbabwe" 
and also harboring presidential ambitions.  In the June 14 
edition of "The Herald", Manheru allegedly wrote and 
ZIMPAPERS published and distributed an article suggesting 
that Masiyiwa owned and ran a newspaper "to advance his 
personal interests in opposition politics."  According to 
an unnamed official, ANZ has "more than 300 articles in 
which he (Moyo) has made statements which were untrue, 
defamatory and highly prejudicial to the newspaper group." 
Information and Publicity Minister Jonathan Moyo is yet to 
file his papers at court responding to the ANZ suit against 
him. 
 
WHITEHEAD