The Southern African Development Community had betrayed Zimbabweans by failing to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe to abandon his ruinous policies that had brought the country to its knees, the Daily News said in 2003.
The regional body was about to make things even worse by calling on the West to lift travel restrictions on Mugabe and his lieutenants.
“Clearly it is more important for SADC that Mugabe, his officials and their families are able to travel across the globe as they wish than that the misery they have caused in Zimbabwe is ended.
“Claims by SADC leaders that there is progress in Zimbabwe, that there is thawing of relations between Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change are mere lies that should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve,“ the paper said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 03HARARE1671, MEDIA REACTION EDITORIALS AGAINST LIFTING OF
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UNCLAS HARARE 001671
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION EDITORIALS AGAINST LIFTING OF
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON MUGABE AND GOZ OFFICIALS; HARARE
¶1. Back to back editorials in the August 25 edition of
the independent daily “The
Daily News” and the July 24 edition of its sister
weekly “The Daily News on Sunday” are against the
call for the lifting of travel and economic
restrictions imposed on Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe
government officials by the United States, European
Union (EU), Australia and Switzerland . Excerpts
follow:
¶2. Under headline “Zimbabweans betrayed again” the “Daily
News” (08/25) comments:
“As if their inaction as Zimbabwe collapsed was not
enough betrayal, southern African leaders now want
to scuttle efforts by others to try and pressure the
government to abandon its ruinous policies that have
brought this once prosperous nation to its knees.
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
ministers meeting in Tanzania last Saturday called
for the lifting of travel and financial sanctions
imposed on President Robert Mugabe and his
officials. . .by the EU, Australia, Switzerland and
¶U. S. A. . .Clearly it is more important for SADC
that Mugabe, his officials and their families are
able to travel across the globe as they wish than
that the misery they have caused in Zimbabwe is
ended. Claims by SADC leaders that there is
progress in Zimbabwe, that there is thawing of
relations between Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF and
the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
are mere lies that should be dismissed with the
contempt they deserve. . .Whatever the case, SADC
has a choice to either be on the same side with
tormented Zimbabweans or it will become irrelevant.”
¶3. Under headline “Lessons on sanctions” the “Daily News
on Sunday” (08/24) comments:
“. . .Sanctions are designed to punish regimes which
ignore with impunity the rules of the democratic
game and expect other players to treat them with
respect. Muammar Gaddafi took long to pay
compensation for the Lockerbie disaster. But the
sanctions must have convinced him that paying up was
a healthier option than continuing on the stubborn
path to the economic ruin of his country. .
.Rhodesia faced united Nations sanctions; Zimbabwe
does not. There is no U. N. resolution for
sanctions on the country. . .The `sanctions’ are
nowhere near what Rhodesia faced, yet the effect is
far more
devastating. . .Most of the sanctions have been
imposed on individuals of the arrogant regime. To
tell the people that calling for an end to these
`smart’ sanctions is everyone’s patriotic duty is
nonsensical. If the end of sanctions strengthens
ZANU PF’s capacity to inflict more pain on the
people, then they cannot in all conscience support
such calls.”
SULLIVAN
(23 VIEWS)
