The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, which was being drafted by the United States government, was meant to punish Zimbabwe for doing the right thing- redistributing land equally among all citizens irrespective of colour, religion or political affiliation, the Herald said.
The paper said it was clear that the bill had come about as a result of President Robert Mugabe’s uncompromising stance on the land issue. Anything else that was said, including perceived violations of human rights and lack of rule of law, was just a smoke-screen to cover the real purpose of the bill.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE2361, MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL; HARARE
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3233
PAGE 01 HARARE 02361 091342Z
ACTION INR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00
DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
——————0FC696 091342Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9432
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 002361
SIPDIS
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, INR/R/MR,
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL; HARARE
¶1. UNDER HEADLINE “U. S. DEMOCRACY BILL DRACONIAN: IN
WHOSE INTEREST IS THE LEGISLATION?,” THE AUGUST 7 EDITION
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HARARE 02361 091342Z
OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY ‘THE HERALD’ CARRIED A
LENGTHY FEATURE ARTICLE THAT WAS CRITICAL OF THE BILL.
EXCERPTS FOLLOW:
¶2. “. . .IN WHOSE INTEREST WAS THE BILL PASSED. . .? IT
IS CLEAR THAT THE BILL HAS COME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF
PRESIDENT MUGABE’S UNCOMPROMISING STANCE ON THE LAND
ISSUE, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS SAID, INCLUDING
PERCEIVED VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND LACK OF RULE OF
LAW, IS JUST A SMOKE-SCREEN TO COVER THE REAL PURPOSE OF
THE BILL. THE CONTROVERSIAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS
MEANT TO PUNISH ZIMBABWE FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR
ITS PEOPLE – REDISTRIBUTING LAND EQUALLY AMONG ALL
CITIZENS IRRESPECTIVE OF COLOR, RELIGION OR POLITICAL
AFFILIATION. . . .”
HOOKS
UNCLASSIFIED
>
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