The Chronicle said it had uncovered another plot by the United States and Britain to oust President Robert Mugabe. This time, it said, this involved a planned three-day stay away organised by the labour movement.
“Lack of structure has forced the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party to enlist services of the heavily Western-funded National Constitutional Assembly and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions to mobilise workers for mass action following defeat of its leader, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai by President Mugabe, Chronicle learnt this week,” the paper said.
“The mass actions, being planned and directed by the U.S. and British governments will be used as ‘an excuse’ to launch a military intervention against Zimbabwe. The terms ‘civic society’ and ‘labour’ are being bandied about as the West accelerates plans to oust the legitimately elected Mugabe.”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 02HARARE706, MEDIA REACTION U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
181440Z Mar 02
UNCLASSIFIED PTO5572
PAGE 01 HARARE 00706 181452Z
ACTION INR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 IO-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
——————76A917 181452Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1242
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 000706
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
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO
OUST MUGABE; HARARE
¶1. THE LEAD STORY IN THE MARCH 16 EDITION OF THE
BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY “CHRONICLE”
ASSERTS THAT THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS A “SECRET”
PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE. THE ARTICLE,
HEADLINED “MASS STAYAWAY PLANNED: BRITAIN AND U.S.
PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT MUGABE,” ACCUSES THE U.S. AND
BRITAIN OF “PLANNING AND DIRECTING” WORK STOPPAGES AS
“AN EXCUSE” TO LAUNCH “A MILITARY INTERVENTION AGAINST
ZIMBABWE.” EXCERPTS OF ARTICLE, AUTHORED BY “SPECIAL
PROJECTS EDITOR” INNOCENT MADONKO, FOLLOW:
¶2. “LACK OF STRUCTURE HAS FORCED THE OPPOSITION
MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PARTY TO ENLIST
SERVICES OF THE HEAVILY WESTERN-FUNDED NATIONAL
CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY (NCA) AND THE ZIMBABWE
CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU) TO MOBILIZE WORKERS
FOR MASS ACTION FOLLOWING DEFEAT OF ITS LEADER, MR.
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI BY PRESIDENT MUGABE, ‘CHRONICLE’
LEARNT THIS WEEK. THE MASS ACTIONS, BEING PLANNED AND
DIRECTED BY THE U.S. AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS WILL BE
USED AS ‘AN EXCUSE’ TO LAUNCH A MILITARY INTERVENTION
AGAINST ZIMBABWE. THE TERMS ‘CIVIC SOCIETY’ AND
‘LABOR’ ARE BEING BANDIED ABOUT AS THE WEST
ACCELERATES PLANS TO OUST THE LEGITIMATELY ELECTED
(MR.) MUGABE. . . MUGABE CREAMED MR. TSVANGIRAI IN
THE JUST-ENDED ELECTION ON 9 AND 10 MARCH. MOST
OBSERVERS EXCEPT NORWAY HAVE DECLARED THE POLLS FREE
AND FAIR. THE U.S. HAS CONDEMNED THE POLLS AS
‘FLAWED’ SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE PLANNED MILITARY
INTERVENTION. BUT THE BIGGEST HITCH OF THE PLAN IS
THE FACT THAT MDC HAS NO GRASSROOTS STRUCTURES HENCE
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 00706 181452Z
THE DECISION TO USE THE ZCTU AND NCA, BODIES THAT MR.
TSVANGIRAI ONCE ADMITTED ARE ‘THE SOUL OF MDC. . .’
ACCORDING TO. . .SOURCES, WESTERN GOVERNMENTS LED BY
THE U. S. AND BRITAIN, WERE PRESSURING THE MDC TO
UTILIZE NON POLITICAL STRUCTURES TO AUTHENTICATE THE
VIOLENCE AS ‘CIVIL UNREST’ A MOVE EXPECTED TO FURTHER
CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY. . . .”
SULLIVAN
UNCLASSIFIED
>
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