Cablegate: Zimbabwe Democracy Bill Generates Significant

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

201502Z Aug 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO9290

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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9505
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002457

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, NSC FOR
JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT
MEDIA COVERAGE

1. THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL 2001
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CONTINUES TO DOMINATE HEADLINES IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.
LAST WEEK PRESIDENT MUGABE LASHED OUT AT THE U. S. AND
OTHER WESTERN NATIONS HE SAID WERE PLANNING RACIST AND
PUNITIVE SANCTIONS AGAINST HIS GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF ITS
SEIZURE OF WHITE-OWNED FARMS. EXCERPTS OF NEWSPAPER
ARTICLES, INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE'S COMMENTS, ABOUT THE
BILL FOLLOW:

2. UNDER HEADLINE "STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER SANCTIONS
RULED OUT," THE AUGUST 19 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-
CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" RAN THE FOLLOWING
ARTICLE BY MUNYARADZI HUNI ON PAGE ONE:

"THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO DECLARE A STATE OF
EMERGENCY EVEN IF THE CONTROVERSIAL ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY
AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL IS PASSED IN THE U. S., A
GOVERNMENT MINISTER SAID YESTERDAY (AUGUST 18). THE
MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY,
PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, SAID THERE WAS NO REASON TO
RESORT TO SUCH ACTION SINCE THE COUNTRY WAS ALREADY
UNDER UNDECLARED SANCTIONS. . .'ALL THE TALK AND DEBATE
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPOSING A STATE OF EMERGENCY
IS IDLE. THE TALK HAS LARGELY BEEN FUELLED BY
OPPOSITION ELEMENTS WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A CRISIS
IN THE COUNTRY AND WHO FOOLISHLY IMAGINE THAT THEY CAN
PUSH ZIMBABWE TO A CORNER OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY. THE
SUGGESTION THAT THE AMERICAN SANCTIONS BILL AGAINST
ZIMBABWE WOULD LEAD TO THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF
EMERGENCY IS TOTALLY BASELESS,' SAID PROF. MOYO. . . ."

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3. UNDER HEADLINE "U. S. INTERESTS PREVAIL OVER RIGHTS:
ZIMBABWE BEING PUNISHED FOR TRYING TO REDRESS IMBALANCES,"
KNOCKS ZENGENI, A SENIOR PRESS SECRETARY IN THE DEPARTMENT
OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
AND CABINET, WROTE THE FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE IN THE SAME
NEWSPAPER:

"THE RECENT DECISION BY THE U. S. SENATE TO PASS THE SO-
CALLED ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL
UNDERLINES THE INHERENT CONTRADICTIONS OF U. S. FOREIGN
POLICY TOWARD AFRICA. AS DEMONSTRATED BY PAST AND
CURRENT U. S. POLICIES TOWARD AFRICA, DEMOCRATIZATION
RHETORIC DOES NOT ALWAYS CONFORM WITH ACTUAL POLICIES.
. .AS SUCH, FOR ZIMBABWEANS AND OTHER AFRICANS TO THINK
THAT THE U. S. IS GOING TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THEIR
PROBLEMS IS BEING NAVE. U. S. INTERESTS HAVE NEVER
BEEN MEANT TO SOLVE AFRICA'S PROBLEMS, BUT HAVE OFTEN
CONTRIBUTED TO AFRICA'S PROBLEMS. . .IT IS AGAINST THIS
BACKGROUND THAT MANY PATRIOTIC ZIMBABWEANS AND
AFRICANISTS ARE STRONGLY CONVINCED THAT THE SO-CALLED
ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL IS
NOTHING MORE THAN AN EXPRESSION OF PERSISTING FORMS OF
DOUBLE-STANDARDS AND RACISM IN U. S. FOREIGN POLICY.
MANY ZIMBABWEANS ARE ASKING WHY A COUNTRY THAT HAS
SHOWN WILLINGNESS TO EMBRACE UNDEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS
IS SO QUICK TO PUNISH A COUNTRY LIKE ZIMBABWE WITH A
THRIVING AND STABLE DEMOCRACY. . .ZIMBABWE DOES NOT
NEED A DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. IT NEEDS
ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT IN ITS QUEST TO ATTAIN SOCIAL
JUSTICE. . . ."
4. UNDER HEADLINE "'ACQUIRE WHITE-OWNED FARMS IF U. S.
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PASSES BILL,'" THE AUGUST 17 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-
CONTROLLED DAILY 'THE HERALD, PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING
ARTICLE BASED ON CONTRIBUTIONS IN PARLIAMENT BY A ZANU
PF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR GOKWE WEST, MS. ESTHER
NYAUCHI:

"ALL WHITE-OWNED FARMS SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE
GOVERNMENT ONCE THE UNITED STATES PASSES THE ZIMBABWE
DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL, A PARLIAMENTARY
BACKBENCHER HAS SAID. 'THEY ARE TRYING TO DICTATE TO
ZIMBABWE WHAT TO DO WITH OUR LAND. IS THAT WHAT THEY
CALL DEMOCRACY. . .? (MS.) ESTHER NYAUCHI SAID IN
PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY ((AUGUST 16). EVERY ZIMBABWEAN
SHOULD KNOW THAT THE BILL IS MEANT TO DESTROY OUR HARD-
WON ZIMBABWE. . .,' SHE SAID. . . ."

5. UNDER HEADLINE "ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL: WILL MUGABE
DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY?" THE AUGUST 13 EDITION OF THE
INDEPENDENT DAILY 'THE DAILY NEWS' PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING
ARTICLE AUTHORED BY THE NEWSPAPER'S DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR,
NYASHA NYAKUNU:

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8408

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EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00
DCP-01 NSAE-00 TEST-00 EPAE-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00
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------------------14373C 201507Z /38
P 201502Z AUG 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9506
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002457

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, NSC FOR
JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT
MEDIA COVERAGE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HARARE 02457 02 OF 02 201507Z
"THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL - ZIMBABWE'S EFFORTS TO
WARD OFF PRESSURE AGAINST PRESIDENT MUGABE TO CONFORM
TO THE NORMS OF INTERNATIONAL DICTATES, HAVE HIT A CUL-
DE-SAC. THIS TURN OF EVENTS CAN ONLY SPELL GLOOM AND
DOOM FOR ITS IMPOVERISHED MAJORITY POPULATION. THE
DEATH-KNELL FOR THE IMPENDING SOCIOECONOMIC AND
POLITICAL IMPLOSION WAS SOUNDED LAST WEEK WHEN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE PASSED THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND
ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. . . ."

6. UNDER HEADLINE "WEST TWO-FACED SAYS PRESIDENT," THE
AUGUST 12 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY 'THE
SUNDAY MAIL' PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY FARAI
DZIRUTTWE ON PAGE ONE:

"PRESIDENT MUGABE YESTERDAY (AUGUST 14) LASHED OUT AT
SOME WESTERN GOVERNMENTS FOR DOUBLE STANDARDS AND
HYPOCRITICAL PREACHING ABOUT DEMOCRATIC VALUES AIMED AT
PRESERVING THE IMPERIALIST CONTROL OF ZIMBABWE'S
IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCES. SPEAKING TO THOUSAND OF
PEOPLE WHO GATHERED AT THE NATIONAL HEROES ACRE IN
HARARE TO COMMEMORATE HEROES DAY, (MR.) MUGABE SAID
THESE WESTERN GOVERNMENT WERE BEING LED BY BRITAIN AND
THE UNITED STATES. . . ."

7. EXCERPTS FROM PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE'S SPEECH READ ON
HEROES DAY (AUGUST 11) FOLLOW:

". . .WHEN THE BRITISH RACIAL AUTOCRACY BRUTALIZED AND
TRAUMATIZED US, THE SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIC WORLD WOULD
NOT LIFT A FINGER, OR EVEN RAISE AN EYE-BROW, FOR WE
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DUBBED THE WORLD'S SUPERNUMERARIES, A RACE OF NO RIGHTS
BEYOND THAT OF A CHATTEL. . .WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED,
THE FREE WORLD WAS THERE: BRITAIN, AMERICA, GERMANY,
HOLLAND, THEY WERE THERE. . .YES THE AMERICAN SENATE
AND CONGRESS WERE THERE! AT NO POINT DID THE AMERICAN
SENATE THINK OF SUPPORTING OUR STRUGGLE HERE BY
CRAFTING A SANCTIONS BILL AGAINST THE RHODESIANS WHO
HAD OVERTHROWN THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, THE
CONSTITUTION. IF ANYTHING, THE SAME SENATORS WHO TODAY
WORK WITH OUR OWN PEOPLE IN THE OPPOSITION TO CRAFT THE
INIQUITOUS SO-CALLED ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC
RECOVERY BILL, WERE PART OF THE INFAMOUS INTERNATIONAL
RIGHT-WING FRIENDS OF RHODESIA (FOR) MOVEMENT MEANT TO
DEFEND OVERSEAS WHITE INTERESTS. JUST WHAT IS OUR
CRIME? OUR CRIME IS THAT WE ARE BLACK, AND AMERICA A
CONDEMNED RACE! HOW DARE WE CHALLENGE THEIR KITH AND
KIN HERE, GOD-CHOSEN ANGLO-SAXONS, WE WHO ONLY
YESTERDAY WERE THEIR CONDEMNED SLAVES? THEY FEEL
REVULSED (SIC) THAT WE SEEK TO CORRECT THE EFFECTS,
IMBALANCES AND INJUSTICES OF THAT SINFUL SLAVE PAST.
TO DO SO IS TO PRACTICE TERRORISM AND AUTOCRACY. THESE
ANGLO-SAXON BIGOTS GLIBLY USE LANGUAGE AND VOCABULARY
OF DEMOCRACY TO DUCK THEIR COLONIAL RESPONSIBILITY SO
THEY CAN PROLONG THEIR EVIL CONTROL AND OWNERSHIP OF
OUR LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES. . . ."

8. UNDER HEADLINE "PRESIDENT DISMISSES BILL," THE AUGUST
12 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY 'THE STANDARD'
REPORTS:

"PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE YESTERDAY (AUGUST 11) BRUSHED
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ASIDE THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT
2001 WHICH SEEKS TO IMPOSE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON
HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, HIS MINISTERS AND SERVICE
CHIEFS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. . .MUGABE SAID THE INTENDED
SANCTIONS WOULD NOT STOP GOVERNMENT'S CONTROVERSIAL
FAST-TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. HE ACCUSED THE U. S.
GOVERNMENT OF TRYING TO RULE ZIMBABWE BY "REMOTE
CONTROL" THROUGH ITS ECONOMIC MIGHT. . . ."

ROTH

UNCLASSIFIED

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