Delusionist in State House!

The success of the week-long anti-government demonstration called by the Movement for Democratic Change had drawn the attention of the country and the world to the connection between brutal misrule and economic collapse, the Independent said.

“That is the issue successfully dramatized by its followers in the teeth of repression and which can no longer be ignored, not even by the delusionist in State House,” the paper said.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 03HARARE1158, MEDIA REACTION MASS ACTION IN ZIM; 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.

060901Z Jun 03

UNCLAS HARARE 001158

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS AND INR/R/MR

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MASS ACTION IN ZIM; HARARE

¶1.   The week-long mass action, called by the opposition

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) aimed at

forcing Robert Mugabe to address the economic and

political crisis afflicting the country, remains the

mainstay for editorials being carried in the

mainstream media. Excerpts follow:

¶2.   Under headline “The final nail on the economy” the

independent daily “The Daily News” (06/06) comments:

“The government’s forcible opening of companies

heeding the opposition mass action to stay shut this

week and threats to deregister these firms could be

the final nail on an economy already on the brink of

total collapse. When the dust of the harsh

clampdown on the mass action and on these companies

has settled down, the cost of the government’s high-

handedness will only then unfold, and many in the

administration could have a rude awakening. . .It is

not the companies which will be the eventual losers

in this high-stakes game, but the government itself,

Zimbabwe and its people. . . .”

¶3.   Under headline “Regime clinging to power by force” the

independent weekly “The Zimbabwe Independent” (06/06)

comments:

“. . .If the MDC is unable to assemble its

supporters in town centers, its leadership is at

least able to call a successful strike whenever it

likes. No amount of threats by ministers. . .could

get people to work. . .At the end of the week the

impression that remained was one of a desperately

insecure regime using every means at its disposal. .

.to get the country back to work. . .The reality,

which the world was able to observe this week, was

of a regime that is only able to survive by brute

force. . .We are all agreed that by its campaign

this week the MDC has drawn the attention of the

country and the world to the connection between

brutal misrule and economic collapse. That is the

issue successfully dramatized by its followers in

the teeth of repression and which can no longer be

ignored, not even by the delusionist in State

House.”

¶4.   Under headline “The West in discord” the

government-controlled daily “Chronicle” (06/06)

comments:

“. . .While the Western self-appointed anointers of

African rulers have consistently refused to `bless’

our President’s victory in the 2002 election, the

same `angels. . .,’ have decided to see legitimacy

in the mass action organized by MDC, when the action

was declared illegal by the High Court. . .The

Western governments decide to close their eyes so

that they see no evil and hear no evil. They are

mum about the beatings of demonstrators in their

backyards but are quick to chastise Zimbabwe for

breaking up demonstrations organized by a party that

is in possession of a High Court order outlawing the

action. . .The people of this country will never

surrender their sovereignty to a bunch of leaders

who have never been elected by Zimbabweans. . . .”

SULLIVAN

(64 VIEWS)