D-Day for Zimbabwe


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The Herald declared the first day of polling in the 2002 presidential elections as D-day because Zimbabweans had to decide their political and economic future in that election.

“This is no ordinary plebiscite to choose who will lead this country for the next six years,” the paper said. “It is in fact, a crucial defining moment which will determine the direction which this nation will take in terms of its sovereignty.”

“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 Atlantic world and fed from leftovers or they want to take the bull by its horns and take charge of their destiny.”

 

Full cable:

 

Viewing cable 02HARARE625, MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

02HARARE625

2002-03-09 10:42

2011-08-30 01:44

UNCLASSIFIED

Embassy Harare

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

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 00625 01 OF 02 091339Z

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

 

>

 

(22 VIEWS)

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Charles Rukuni
The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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