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

010755Z Feb 02

 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO2619

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      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   L-00     AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  
      OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    
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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0851
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000293 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACHTER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, 
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MEDIA BILL; HARARE 
 
 
¶1.   THE CONTROVERSIAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION 
    OF PRIVACY BILL IS EXPECTED TO BE RE-INTRODUCED IN 
    PARLIAMENT TODAY (JANUARY 31), FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS 
    BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL 
    COMMITTEE WHO RECOMMENDED ON TUESDAY THAT THE BILL BE 
    WITHDRAWN BECAUSE IT CONTAINED MANY CLAUSES THAT WERE 
    UNCONSTITUTIONAL.  ADDRESSING PARLIAMENT ON JANUARY 30, 
    JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER PATRICK 
    CHINAMASA TOLD LEGISLATORS THAT BOTH PARTIES HAD AGREED ON 
    THE AMENDMENTS TO BE MADE TO THE BILL.  THEY ALSO AGREED 
    THAT THE AMENDMENTS BE INCORPORATED INTO A NEW CONSOLIDATED 
    TEXT.  THE TWO SIDES REACHED A DEADLOCK ON TUESDAY (JANUARY 
    29) WHEN HARVARD TRAINED LAWYER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE 
    PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE DR. EDDISON ZVOBGO TABLED AN 
    ADVERSE REPORT ON THE BILL DECLARING 21 SECTIONS OF THE 
    PROPOSED LEGISLATION UNCONSTITUTIONAL. 
 
¶2.   MEANWHILE, HARARE POLICE YESTERDAY ARRESTED THREE 
    JOURNALISTS - CORNELIUS NDUNA OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY 
    "THE STANDARD," AND FOSTER DONGOZI AND RHODA MASHAVAVE OF 
    THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" - AFTER A PEACEFUL 
    MARCH TO PARLIAMENT BY INDEPENDENT MEDIA JOURNALISTS TO 
    PROTEST AGAINST THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF 
    PRIVACY BILL.  THE THREE, WHO WERE AMONG 60 INDEPENDENT AND 
    FOREIGN JOURNALISTS WHO PICKETED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT 
    BUILDING, WERE RELEASED YESTERDAY EVENING AND ASKED TO 
    REPORT THIS AFTERNOON TO THE LAW AND ORDER SECTION AT THE 
    HARARE CENTRAL POLICE STATION.  THEY WILL BE CHARGED UNDER 
    THE NEW PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY ACT. 
 
¶3.   THE JOURNALISTS, WHO DENOUNCED THE BILL AND ITS 
    SPONSOR PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, WORE BLUE GAGS OVER THEIR 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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    MOUTHS TO SYMBOLIZE THE EFFECT OF THE PROPOSED LAW ON THE 
    MEDIA AND CARRIED PLACARDS VOWING TO IGNORE THE PROVISIONS 
    OF THE BILL WHEN MADE INTO LAW.  SOME OF THE PLACARDS READ: 
    "DO NOT VIOLATE OUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION," AND "ROCKET 
    SCIENCE MUST NOT TRIUMPH OVER JOURNALISM."  THE ZIMBABWE 
    CHAPTER OF THE MEDIA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (MISA), 
    THE ZIMBABWE UNION OF JOURNALISTS (ZUJ) AND THE FOREIGN 
    CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED THE PEACEFUL 
    DEMONSTRATION. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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