Cablegate: Justice Minister Announces Move to Limit Civic

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

240947Z Aug 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO9162

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 UTED-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01
L-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 CAEX-01 PRS-00 P-00
SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 R-00
PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /009W
------------------15F607 240956Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9543
INFO NSC WASHDC
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

UNCLAS HARARE 002505

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S (DELISI, KRAFT), AF/PD (SANDERS, ROBERTSON,
COX), AF (BELLAMY)

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: JUSTICE MINISTER ANNOUNCES MOVE TO LIMIT CIVIC
EDUCATION

1. STATE-CONTROLLED ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION
TELEVISION AND RADIO, AND THE STATE-CONTROLLED DAILY
"HERALD," REPORTED ON AUGUST 22 AND 23 THAT MINISTER OF
JUSTICE PATRICK CHINAMASA WILL PROPOSE LIMITS ON CIVIC
EDUCATION ACTIVITIES IN ZIMBABWE.

2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "ESC TO APPROVE ALL VOTER
EDUCATION, THE AUGUST 23 "HERALD" REPORTED ".THE MINISTER.
HAS PROPOSED THAT THE ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION
(ESC) SHOULD HAVE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF CARRYING OUT VOTER
EDUCATION AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NEXT YEAR.
CHINAMASA SAID HE WILL PROPOSE TO CABINET A POLICY THAT
WOULD ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS DISSEMINATED IN A
NEUTRAL, ACCURATE AND INFORMED MANNER... SOME OF
RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE PUT BEFORE CABINET INCLUDE THE
BANNING OF FOREIGN FUNDING FOR VOTER EDUCATION, EXCEPT WHEN
CHANNELED THROUGH THE ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION.
THIS WOULD PROHIBIT FOREIGN NGOS FROM CONDUCTING VOTER
EDUCATION AND PERMIT LOCAL NGOS TO CONDUCT THE EDUCATION
ONLY AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN REGISTERED BY THE ESC. HOWEVER,
NGOS WOULD NEED TO COMPLY WITH CONDITIONS SET BY THE ESC TO
DISCLOSE SOURCES OF FUNDING. ALL VOTER EDUCATION MODULES
WOULD ALSO BE APPROVED BY THE ESC. ALL POLITICAL PARTIES
WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONDUCT VOTER EDUCATION BUT USING
MODULES DEVELOPED BY THE COMMISSION."

3. ACCORDING TO THE "HERALD" STORY, CHINAMASA WENT ON TO
SAY THAT THESE CHANGES WERE IN RESPONSE TO THE
UNCLASSIFIED

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".REALIZATION THAT SOME NGOS WERE APPROACHING PEOPLE UNDER
THE GUISE OF PROVIDING NEUTRAL EDUCATION, THEREBY GAINING
THE PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE AND ABUSING THE TRUST BY
INFLUENCING THE ELECTORATE."

4. CHINAMASA'S COMMENTS WERE MADE DURING PARLIAMENTARY
QUESTION TIME ON AUGUST 22, IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM
THE MDC CHIEF WHIP TO CLARIFY THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON
VOTER EDUCATION CONDUCTED BY NGOS.

ROTH

UNCLASSIFIED

>

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