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

091042Z Mar 02


                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ8779

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ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EUR-00   
      UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     
      AC-01    NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  
      T-00     USIE-00  NISC-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     
      SAS-00     /007W
                  ------------------71EBEB  091339Z /03    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1150
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI 
FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE 

 
¶1.   AS ZIMBABWEANS HEAD FOR THE POLLS, EDITORIALS IN 
   THE LEADING NEWSPAPERS TAKE ONE LAST SHOT AT PERSUADING 
   VOTERS TO SUPPORT ONE OF THE TWO LEADING CANDIDATES. 
   EXCERPTS: 
 
¶2.   UNDER HEADLINE "D-DAY FOR ZIMBABWE," THE MARCH 9 
   EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE 
   HERALD" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING EDITORIAL ON PAGE 
   ONE: 
 
   "TODAY IS D-DAY, AS ZIMBABWEANS GO TO THE POLLS TO 
   DECIDE THEIR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FUTURE IN THIS 
   WATERSHED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  THIS IS NO 
   ORDINARY PLEBISCITE TO CHOOSE WHO WILL LEAD THIS 
   COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS.  IT IS IN FACT, A 
   CRUCIAL DEFINING MOMENT WHICH WILL DETERMINE THE 
   DIRECTION WHICH THIS NATION WILL TAKE IN TERMS OF 
   ITS SOVEREIGNTY.  THE RESULT OF THIS ELECTION WILL 
   ALSO HAVE WIDER IMPLICATIONS ON THE POLITICAL AND 
   ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA AND THE REST 
   OF THE CONTINENT.  AFTER THE ELECTION, ZIMBABWE 
   WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.  IT WILL EITHER EMERGE AS A 
   TRULY INDEPENDENT AFRICAN STATE IN CHARGE OF ITS 
   OWN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DESTINY OR A SEEMINGLY 
   PROSPEROUS COUNTRY WHERE THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC 
   DIVIDE BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK WILL BE PERPETUATED. 
 
   .OPTIONS CONFRONTING MOST ZIMBABWEANS AT THIS POINT 
   IN TIME ARE WHETHER THEY WANT TO CONTINUE BEING 
   GOOD DOCILE AFRICANS THAT ARE PAMPERED BY THE NORTH 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00625  01 OF 02  091339Z 
   ATLANTIC WORLD AND FED FROM LEFTOVERS OR THEY WANT 
   TO TAKE THE BULL BY ITS HORNS AND TAKE CHARGE OF 
   THEIR DESTINY. . . 
 
   . . .THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES 
   IMPOSED SURGICAL SANCTIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT MUGABE 
   AND THREATENED TO FREEZE HIS ALLEGED OVERSEAS 
   ASSETS IN A BID TO DAMAGE HIS REPUTATION. . .  THE 
   COMBINED MIGHT OF EUROPE AND AMERICA HAS FAILED TO 
   DAMPEN HIS SPIRIT, WHICH HAS GROWN STRONGER 
   INSTEAD. . .  HISTORY WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR HIS 
   ABILITY TO SACRIFICE HIS GOOD NAME FOR THE SAKE OF 
   THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY. . . 
 
   . . .PRESIDENT MUGABE WILL INDEED GO DOWN IN 
   HISTORY AS A TRUE CHAMPION OF AFRICAN LIBERATION 
   WHO WENT AGAINST THE MIGHT OF THE WEST AND RISKED 
   RELEGATION TO A PARIAH IN ORDER TO DELIVER HIS 
   PEOPLE TO THE PROMISED LAND.  AS ZIMBABWEANS GO TO 
   THE POLLS TODAY AND TOMORROW, THEY DO SO IN DIGNITY 
   AND PRIDE.  THEIR VOTE WILL SEND A CLEAR AND 
   RESOUNDING MESSAGE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT WE 
   ARE A SOVEREIGN NATION WITH THE DETERMINATION NOT 
   ONLY TO SURVIVE, BUT SUCCEED AGAINST ALL ODDS.  THE 
   TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT WILL BE GIVEN BY THE 
   PEOPLE SHOULD SPUR THE PRESIDENT TO COMPLETE THE 
   TASK THAT WAS STARTED IN THE 1960S, TO RESTORE 
   FULLY THE COUNTRY, BACK TO ITS PEOPLE. . ." 
 
¶3.   UNDER HEADLINE "LIFE UNDER ZANU PF HAS BEEN ONE 
   LONG NIGHTMARE," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00625  01 OF 02  091339Z 
   DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" COMMENTS: 
 
¶4.   "DIDYMUS MUTASA HAS BEEN TALKING TOUGH FOR SOME 
   TIME.  SOME OF HIS OUTBURSTS HAVE BEEN PATENTLY 
   INSULTING TO THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE PEOPLE.  HIS 
   GENERAL THEME HAS BEEN THAT ZANU PF CANNOT CEDE THE 
   REINS OF POWER FOR ANY REASON, THAT IF THE MDC WINS THE 
   PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, HIS PARTY WOULD SEEK THE VIOLENT 
   OVERTHROW OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT. . . 
 
   "MOST PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH ZANU PF'S ARROGANCE. 
   IF THEY ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY INCENSED TO VOTE 
   MUGABE OUT OF POWER, THEN THAT WILL BE HIS GOOD 
   FORTUNE.  BUT IF THEY ACT AGAINST HIM, NOBODY - 
   INCLUDING MUTASA AND OTHERS - CAN REVERSE THAT 
   DECISION WITHOUT PLUNGING THE COUNTRY INTO 
   SENSELESS STRIFE." 
 
¶5.   UNDER HEADLINE "TOWARDS A VISION OF POST-ELECTION 
   ZIMBABWE," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT 
   WEEKLY "THE ZIMBABWE MIRROR" COMMENTS: 
 
   ". . .AS WE DECIDE THIS WEEKEND BETWEEN THE TWO 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ8780 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00625  02 OF 02  091340Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EUR-00 
      UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00 
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00 
      T-00     USIE-00  NISC-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------71EBF5  091340Z /03 
P 091042Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1151 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI 
FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00625  02 OF 02  091340Z 
 
   THAT REPRESENT WHAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE OPPOSED 
   WORLD VIEWS IN OUR SOCIETY, ALL OF US WILL HAVE TO 
   BEAR IN MIND THE REALITY THAT WE ARE ZIMBABWEANS, 
   FIRST AND FOREMOST. 
 
   ". . .BOTH ZANU PF AND THE MDC MUST AGREE, WITHIN 
   THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ON THE NEED TO INTRODUCE FOR 
   PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION WHICH 
   WAS REJECTED AT THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT IN THE 
   REFERENDUM IN FEBRUARY, 2000. . .  THE COUNTRY IS 
   IN DIRE NEED OF A NEW CONSTITUTION AND THE DRAFT 
   DOES PROVIDE A BASIS ON WHICH. . .ZIMBABWE CAN 
   USHER IN A NEW POLITICAL ORDER. . ." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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