All the people, including the rural folk, were not going to stand idly by if the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front tried to steal the 2002 presidential elections.
This was the warning from the Daily News a day before the election results were announced.
The paper said ZANU-PF had tried to curry favour with the rural folk for years by publicly demeaning the urban dweller, going to the extent of accusing them of having contributed far less to the liberation struggle than the rural folk.
Because of this perceived rural base, President Robert Mugabe was already considered home and dry but, the paper said, it would be disturbing if the rural folk felt they owed Mugabe the vote because of the land reform programme.
“We we doubt that they could be so simple minded,” the paper said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 02HARARE666, MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; 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.
140556Z Mar 02
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2051
PAGE 01 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z
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 LAB-01 VCE-00
NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
——————74456B 140606Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1201
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000666
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 ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE
¶1. WITH VOTE COUNTING UNDER WAY IN ZIMBABWE,
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z
EDITORIALS PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 12 EDITIONS OF THE
THREE DAILIES IN THE COUNTRY DISCUSS CONCEIVABLE END
RESULTS OF THE JUST ENDED PRESIDENTIAL POLL. EXCERPTS:
¶2. UNDER HEADLINE “WHITES’ ACTIONS DESPICABLE,” THE
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY “THE HERALD” (03/12)
COMMENTS:
“WHITE PEOPLE IN ZIMBABWE WENT FOR BROKE DURING THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS THEY PUSHED FOR AN
UNLIKELY MDC VICTORY. . . THE SAME RACISTS WHO
HAVE ALWAYS SEEN BLACKS AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS
WERE DURING THE ELECTION TRYING HARD TO JOIN HANDS
WITH BLACKS, SOMETHING THEY HAVE RESISTED FOR A
LONG TIME. WHAT HAS CHANGED SO DRAMATICALLY TO SEE
WHITE PEOPLE NOT ONLY STANDING IN LONG QUEUES TO
VOTE BUT TRYING TO COERCE OTHER PEOPLE INTO VOTING
FOR THE OPPOSITION MDC? THE ANSWER IS ALL TOO
OBVIOUS. THEY ARE ONLY PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL
POLITICS TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS. THEY WANT TO
HANG ON TO THE VAST FARMS WHILE BLACKS REMAIN
CRAMMED ON SMALL PIECES OF FRAGILE LAND. . . THE
WATERSHED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROVIDED
ZIMBABWEANS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE A LEADER
WHO WILL GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL RECLAIM THEIR
BIRTHRIGHT. PRESIDENT MUGABE THROUGHOUT HIS
CAMPAIGN PERIOD TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT LAND WILL BE
EQUITABLY REDISTRIBUTED FOR ZIMBABWE’S INDEPENDENCE
TO BE COMPLETE. THE MDC, FUNDED BY WHITES AND
WESTERN BACKERS, ON THE OTHER HAND WANTS TO RETURN
ACQUIRED LAND TO WHITE PEOPLE, HENCE THE
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z
DETERMINATION BY WHITE PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THEIR
PARTY WINS. THEY ARE IN FOR A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT
AS THEIR NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES INFURIATED THE
MAJORITY OF VOTERS. THEIR PUPPET WILL NOT WIN.”
¶3. UNDER HEADLINE “WIDENING RURAL-URBAN GAP AN EVIL
POLITICAL PLOY,” THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY
NEWS” (03/12) COMMENTS:
“. . .ZANU PF HAS TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO CURRY
FAVOR WITH THE RURAL FOLK BY PUBLICLY DEMEANING THE
URBAN DWELLER, GOING TO THE EXTENT OF ACCUSING THEM
OF HAVING CONTRIBUTED FAR LESS TO THE LIBERATION
STRUGGLE THAN THE RURAL FOLK. THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO
ACHIEVE THIS CAME WITH THE CHAOTIC LAND REFORM
PROGRAM WITH WHICH THE PARTY SEEMS DETERMINED TO
TURN THE COUNTRY INTO ONE VAST VILLAGE. FOR THAT,
ZANU PF EXPECTS THE RURAL FOLK TO REWARD IT WITH A
RESOUNDING VOTE FOR ITS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE,
ROBERT MUGABE. BY THE DUBIOUS CALCULATIONS OF THE
PARTY POLLSTERS, MUGABE WILL WIN BECAUSE THERE ARE
MORE REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE RURAL AREAS THAN IN
THE URBAN AREAS. THE THEORY IS THAT BECAUSE ZANU
PF HAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE RURAL AREAS ITS
BEDROCK OF SUPPORT, MUGABE IS AS GOOD AS HOME AND
DRY. . . IT WOULD BE VERY DISTURBING IF THE RURAL
FOLK FELT THEY OWED MUGABE THE VOTE BECAUSE OF THE
LAND REFORM PROGRAM. WE DOUBT THAT THEY COULD BE
SO SIMPLE MINDED. . . ZANU PF’S ALMOST EVIL DESIGN
IS TO DIVIDE THE PEOPLE ALONG THEIR SOCIAL STATUS,
TO HAVE THE RURAL FOLK DESPISE THEIR URBAN COUSINS
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 04 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z
AS PUPPETS OF TONY BLAIR, THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS,
THE TRADE UNIONS AND THE MDC. YET THE TRUTH, WHICH
WE KNOW THE RURAL FOLK ARE AWARE OF, IS THAT ZANU
PF HAS FAILED TO DEVELOP THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING
THE RURAL AREAS, TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL. NOW IT IS
USING MURDER, RAPE AND VIOLENCE TO INTIMIDATE THE
PEOPLE INTO VOTING FOR IT. AS ONE, THE PEOPLE ARE
BOUND TO REJECT THIS PARTY OF VIOLENCE AND LIES.
IF ZANU PF ATTEMPTS TO STEAL THE ELECTION, ALL THE
PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE RURAL FOLK, CANNOT POSSIBLY
STAND IDLY BY.”
¶4. UNDER HEADLINE “THE EU MUST NOT CHOOSE LEADERS FOR
US,” THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY
“CHRONICLE” (03/12) COMMENTS:
“AS THE NATION ANXIOUSLY WAITS FOR THE RESULTS OF
THE ‘WATERSHED’ PRESIDENTIAL POLLS, THE EUROPEAN
UNION (EU) HAS DEMONSTRATED WHY IT IS NOW BEING
REFERRED TO AS THE ‘ERRING UNION’ BY TELLING THE
WORLD WHO THEY WANT TO WIN THE ELECTIONS. TO THE
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2052
PAGE 01 HARARE 00666 02 OF 02 140606Z
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 LAB-01 VCE-00
NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00
SAS-00 /003W
——————74456F 140607Z /38
P 140556Z MAR 02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1202
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000666
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 ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE
BLUNDERING EU, THE POLL WILL NOT BE FREE AND FAIR
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HARARE 00666 02 OF 02 140606Z
IF WON BY ANYBODY WHO IS NOT THEIR FAVORED
CANDIDATE. . . IF THAT ‘WINNER’ DOES NOT TURN OUT
TO BE ANYONE THEY HAVE IN MIND, THEN THEY WILL
IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWE.
. . BY IMPOSING SANCTIONS, THE EU IS TELLING
ZIMBABWEANS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO
WITH US. . . IF THEIR (EU’S) INTENTIONS WERE NOBLE
AND ABOVE BOARD, THE ERRING UNION SHOULD HAVE
WAITED FOR THE RESULTS OF THE 9 AND 10 MARCH POLLS
AND THEN MAKE WHATEVER ‘RESOLUTIONS’ BASED ON THE
RESULTS AND REPORTS FROM THE VARIOUS REGIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS. WAITING HAS NEVER BEEN
THE WHITE MAN’S FAVORITE GAME. THEY JUST HAVE TO
PILE ‘PRESSURE’ AND GRAB EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT.
BY COMING WITH THESE ‘THREATS’ BEFORE ANYTHING HAS
AN INKLING OF THE RESULTS, THEY ARE TELLING US THAT
IT’S THE EU THAT WANTS PRESIDENT MUGABE OUT AND NOT
THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE. . . IN FACT THE EU AND
THEIR COUSINS IN THE UNITED STATES, HAVE BEEN
TRYING TO TELL THE VOTING PUBLIC NOT TO VOTE FOR A
LEADER OF THEIR CHOICE. THEY WANTED THE PEOPLE OF
ZIMBABWE TO GO FOR THEIR PUPPET. . . IN THEIR
DEMENTED MINDS, ELECTIONS CAN ONLY BE ‘FREE AND
FAIR’ WHEN THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE WINS THEM.
THEY TRIED IT IN ZAMBIA BUT FAILED DISMALLY.
INDICATIONS ARE THAT THEY HAVE FAILED IN ZIMBABWE.
. . WE WANT TO MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT WHOEVER
THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT FOR
SIX YEARS, NEVER MIND WHAT THE EU AND THE COWBOYS
AT WHITE HOUSE SAY. . . .”
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 00666 02 OF 02 140606Z
SULLIVAN
UNCLASSIFIED
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