The Sunday Mail called in a major breakthrough and a victory for Zimbabwe and Africa. The Daily News said it was a demonstration that Commonwealth nations were against the lawlessness promoted by President Robert Mugabe.
That was how the independent and the state-owned media saw the Abuja Agreement that was brokered by the Commonwealth to find a solution to Zimbabwe’s controversial land reform programme.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE2660, MEDIA REPORT LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE; 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 PTO4575
PAGE 01 HARARE 02660 101233Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00
DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
——————1CDF32 101233Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9675
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 002660
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 REPORT LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE; HARARE
¶1. SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10 EDITORIALS IN THE GOVERNMENT-
CONTROLLED WEEKLY “THE SUNDAY MAIL” AND THE INDEPENDENT
DAILY “THE DAILY NEWS” FOCUS ON THE NIGERIAN-BROKERED
AGREEMENT COVERING THE CONTROVERSIAL LAND REFORM PROGRAM
IN ZIMBABWE. EDITORIAL EXCERPTS FOLLOW:
¶2. UNDER HEADLINE “AFTER ABUJA, TIME TO PUT WAR VETS IN
THEIR PLACE,” THE SEPTEMBER 10 EDITION OF THE “DAILY
NEWS” COMMENTS:
“THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND BRITAIN
AT THE ABUJA TALKS ON LAND WAS POSSIBLE ONLY BECAUSE
THE COMMONWEALTH NATIONS STOOD SOLIDLY AGAINST THE
LAWLESSNESS PROMOTED BY THE MUGABE REGIME THROUGH
THE SO-CALLED WAR VETERANS. NONE OF THEM WERE EVER
IN DOUBT THAT THE LAND ISSUE HAD TO BE RESOLVED.
THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE HAD NEVER DISPUTED THE NEED
FOR A LAND REFORM PROGRAM THAT WOULD REDISTRIBUTE
LAND SO THAT THE MAJORITY, NOW CONFINED TO
OVERCROWDED COMMUNAL AREAS, COULD OWN MOST OF IT.
WHAT MOST CRITICS WOULD NOT ACCEPT WAS THE VIOLENCE
ACCOMPANYING LAND
REFORM. . .ALTHOUGH THE AGREEMENT IN ABUJA HAS BEEN
TOUTED AS A BREAKTHROUGH, MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE.
THE BALL IS NOW FIRMLY IN MUGABE’S COURT. THE
FUTURE OF THE WAR VETERANS’ ROLE IN THE LAND
SEIZURES HAS TO BE ADDRESSED FAIRLY URGENTLY IF THE
PRESIDENT IS TO SIGNIFY HIS COMMITMENT TO THE ABUJA
ACCORDS. . . .”
¶3. UNDER HEADLINE “MILESTONE REACHED IN LAND PROGRAMME
(SIC),” THE SEPTEMBER 9 EDITION OF “THE SUNDAY MAIL”
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 02660 101233Z
COMMENTS:
“THE BREAKTHROUGH IN THE ABUJA LAND TALKS IS A
VICTORY FOR ZIMBABWE AND AFRICA. FIRST, IT IS AN
AFFIRMATION OF THE POSITION THAT ZIMBABWE HAS ALWAYS
HELD ON THE LAND QUESTION. AND SECOND, IT CONFIRMS
OUR BELIEF ALL ALONG THAT SOLUTIONS TO AFRICA’S
PROBLEMS WILL ONLY COME FROM AFRICANS THEMSELVES. .
.BRITAIN HAS UNDERTAKEN ALONGSIDE THE OTHER WESTERN
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT THE ABUJA MEETING. . .TO
MOBILIZE OTHER COUNTRIES AND DONORS TO SUPPORT LAND
REFORM IN ZIMBABWE. SURELY THE BRITISH WILL
MOBILIZE NOBODY IF THEY DON’T MOBILIZE THEIR MAJOR
ALLAY THE UNITED STATES, AND ALONG WITH IT, THE
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND THE WORLD BANK. AND
FOR THE AMERICANS THE FIRST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO
FLUSH DOWN THE TOILET THEIR ILL-CONCEIVED SANCTIONS
BILL. . . .”
ROTH
UNCLASSIFIED
>
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