Cablegate: Media Report Mugabe Attacks West; Harare

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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001925

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA
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 REPORT MUGABE ATTACKS WEST; HARARE

1. The August 23rd edition of the government-
controlled daily "Herald" gave prominent coverage to
the Government of Zimbabwe's reaction to recent US
criticism of the Mugabe regime. Under headline
"President raps West" the paper ran two, page-one,
above-the-fold stories detailing GoZ rejection of US
criticism. Copies of the stories have been faxed to
AF/S and AF/PD. Excerpts follow.

2. "President Mugabe yesterday accused the United
States, Britain and white members of the Commonwealth
of conducting a racist campaign to undermine the
Zimbabwean government. `Today, Britain, Australia,
New Zealand. . .what color are they? They are white
and are the ones leading the fight against Zimbabwe.'
The President said these countries were resisting the
completion of the independence process began in 1980
in order to protect their kith and kin. . . They
don't want us to be economically independent. They
want us to be beggars. . .coming to them everyday with
a bowl asking for help. No. . .we have our resources
here. They belong to us and we are taking and giving
them to our people. . . The people of Zimbabwe are
the only makers of the leadership, the only makers of
our government. We are not made as a government in
Washington. Let Mr. Bush know that. . . ."

3. Under the sub-head "Demand Explanation from US,
State Urged" the "Herald" also published Information
Minister Jonathan Moyo's reaction to A/S Kansteiner's
August 20 press briefing. Excerpts follow.

"ZANU PF yesterday urged the government to
demand an explanation from the U.S. over its
announcement that it was working with SADC
countries to topple President Mugabe. In a
statement, the party's deputy secretary for
information and publicity Professor Jonathan
Moyo said the claims by the U.S. constituted a
clear threat to regional peace, stability,
solidarity and good neighborliness. `The widely-
publicized and shockingly scandalous claims by
the American Assistant Secretary of State (for
African Affairs), Walter Kansteiner, that the U.
S. is working with `South Africans, Botswanas
(sic) and Mozambicans' to topple President
Mugabe have let the cat out of the bag. Now we
know. As ZANU PF, we call on the government to
demand a full explanation and get to the bottom
of the matter given the seriousness of the
claims and their grave implications,' said Prof
Moyo.

"He said the fact that Mr. Kansteiner had no
qualms about making such an outrageous statement
implicating `our very friendly neighbors
demonstrates that either he is hopelessly
incompetent and immature or the Bush Government
is very contemptuous of South Africa, Mozambique
and Botswana. `We have the highest respect for
the national leadership in South Africa,
Mozambique, Botswana and we have no doubt
whatsoever that they are not among the type of
people who can be used for imperialist and
racist objectives in the pursuit of an American
foreign policy that has clearly gone mad.' On
Mr. Kansteiner's nonsense that the Bush
government does not see President Mugabe as
democratically-elected," Prof. Moyo said it was
a fact that the whole world including Americans
knew that President George Bush was not
democratically-elected as he was chosen by a
partisan Republican appointed court which gave
him victory in a controversial 5-4 decision.
"It is therefore clear that, like his
Bushmaster, Kansteiner lives in the bush of
racist fantasies and delusions that have nothing
to do with democracy or democratic elections.
For these reasons we are outraged by the cowboy
tactics that Bush's men are trying to introduce
into our country and our region.

"Prof Moyo said the Bush government needed to be
told in the strongest possible terms that just
like Zimbabweans will never ever entertain
America's puppets disguised as human rights
activists or democrats, southern Africa would
not tolerate the same. `Each time America
preaches about democracy and human rights,
Africans are reminded of the racist brutality
that the people of color have endured slavery
days but particularly under the Bush Government
following the tragic events of September 11 now
being used as a cover to assault and dehumanize
Africans and others."

SULLIVAN

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