Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said violence begets violence and talk about phantom violence in Zimbabwe could only encourage unscrupulous elements, among them ex-Rhodesians belonging to the Movement for Democratic Change to instigate violence in the hope of using it as a political platform.
Moyo was commenting on sentiments by Acting United States Secretary of State for African Affairs William Bellamy that the US congress and administration were concerned about the level of violence in Zimbabwe.
“We are totally against violence and that is why we are the most peaceful country in the region,” Moyo was quoted by the State-owned daily, The Herald, as saying.
“The time has come for people like Mr Bellamy to identify violence where it is and it is certainly not in Zimbabwe because we will not allow it,” Moyo said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE2793, MEDIA REPORT BELLAMY ON DEMOCRACY BILL AFTER
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
240605Z Sep 01
UNCLASSIFIED PTO1936
PAGE 01 HARARE 02793 01 OF 02 240625Z
ACTION INR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 USNW-00
DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 IRM-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00
DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W
——————23C99A 240625Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9790
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002793
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 BELLAMY ON DEMOCRACY BILL AFTER
TERROR ATTACKS; HARARE
¶1. THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY NEWS” AND THE
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY “THE HERALD” COVERED THE
SEPTEMBER 20 AMERICAN EMBASSY TELEVISION INTERACTIVE
CENTERING ON AFRICAN DIPLOMACY AFTER THE TERROR ATTACKS
IN THE U. S. WITH MR. WILLIAM M. BELLAMY, ACTING
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS.
CONCENTRATING ON BELLAMY’S RESPONSES TO A QUESTION
REGARDING THE FATE OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND
ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACKS AND
THE ABUJA ACCORD RAISED BY MARVELOUS MAPININGA, DEPUTY
NEWS EDITOR OF “THE HERALD” (WHO ALSO COVERED THE FRANK
AND LIVELY DISCUSSION PROGRAM), THE SEPTEMBER 21
EDITIONS OF THE TWO NEWSPAPERS CARRIED THE FOLLOWING
ARTICLES:
¶2. UNDER HEADLINE “U. S. ACTION ON MUGABE IMMINENT,”
THE LEAD ARTICLE IN THE “DAILY NEWS” BY THE PAPER’S
CHIEF REPORTER CONRAD NYAMUTATA READS:
“THE U.S., STILL SMARTING FROM FATAL TERRORIST
ATTACKS LAST WEEK, SAYS DESPITE THE TRAGEDY, IT
WOULD STILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AGAINST
ZIMBABWE BECAUSE OF RECURRENT STATE-SPONSORED
VIOLENCE. SPEAKING FROM WASHINGTON VIA SATELLITE
YESTERDAY, WILLIAM BELLAMY, THE U. S. ACTING
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS,
VIRTUALLY SIGNALED THE IMPENDING IMPOSITION OF
SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWE UNLESS THE SITUATION
CHANGED. HE WAS RESPONDING TO A QUESTION ON THE
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 02793 01 OF 02 240625Z
FATE OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC
RECOVERY BILL, AFTER TERRORIST ATTACKS IN WHICH
HIJACKERS ON THREE CIVILIAN PLANES RAMMED INTO THE
WORLD TRADE CENTER AND THE PENTAGON, WHILE A FOURTH
CRASHED INTO THE GROUND ON 11 SEPTEMBER. THE BILL,
SEEKING TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE, WAS TO BE
TABLED BEFORE CONGRESS THIS MONTH. ‘I CAN’T SAY
WHAT ACTION CONGRESS WILL TAKE ON THAT PIECE OF
LEGISLATION,’ HE SAID, ‘BUT CONCERN IN THE U. S.
OVER EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE REMAINS HIGH.’ BELLAMY,
ACCUSING THE MUGABE GOVERNMENT OF FOMENTING
LAWLESSNESS, SAID ACTION AGAINST ZIMBABWE WAS
ALMOST CERTAIN. ‘WE ARE CONCERNED BY THE VIOLENCE
ORCHESTRATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE, AND THE
POLITICAL REPRESSION,’ HE SAID. ‘THE CONCERNS
REMAIN FOREMOST. AND I MUST SAY THERE IS CONSENSUS
BETWEEN THE U. S. ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS FOR
AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE ON
ZIMBABWE. . . .'”
¶3. UNDER HEADLINE “U. S. SECRETARY OF STATE REFUSES
TO DISCUSS ABUJA PACT,” THE “HERALD” PUBLISHED
FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY MARVELOUS MANIPININGA ON PAGE
TWO:
“THE ACTING U. S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR
AFRICAN AFFAIRS, MR. WILLIAM BELLAMY, YESTERDAY
REFUSED TO TALK ABOUT THE LANDMARK ABUJA AGREEMENT,
PREFERRING INSTEAD TO FOCUS ON VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE
WHICH HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS PHANTOM BY THE
GOVERNMENT. SPEAKING FROM WASHINGTON DURING A TELE-
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 04 HARARE 02793 01 OF 02 240625Z
CONFERENCE WITH JOURNALISTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA,
NIGERIA, UGANDA AND ZIMBABWE, MR. BELLAMY SAID THE
¶U. S. CONGRESS AND ADMINISTRATION WERE CONCERNED
WITH THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IN THE COUNTRY. THE
MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY,
PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, SAID THE LANGUAGE ABOUT
VIOLENCE COMING FROM MR. BELLAMY WAS ‘MOST
UNHELPFUL.’ ‘VIOLENCE BEGETS VIOLENCE AND THE TALK
ABOUT PHANTOM VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE CAN ONLY
ENCOURAGE UNSCRUPULOUS ELEMENTS, AMONG THEM EX-
RHODESIANS BELONGING TO THE MDC (MOVEMENT FOR
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE), TO INSTIGATE VIOLENCE IN THE
HOPE OF USING IT AS A POLITICAL PLATFORM. . .WE ARE
TOTALLY AGAINST VIOLENCE AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE THE
MOST PEACEFUL COUNTRY IN THE REGION. . .THE TIME
HAS COME FOR PEOPLE LIKE MR. BELLAMY TO IDENTIFY
VIOLENCE WHERE IT IS AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT IN
ZIMBABWE BECAUSE WE WILL NOT ALLOW IT,’ SAID
PROFESSOR MOYO. . .(HE), HOWEVER, SAID FAIR-MINDED
OBSERVERS WOULD BE SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED BY MR.
BELLAMY’S REFUSAL TO COMMENT ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8550
PAGE 01 HARARE 02793 02 OF 02 240625Z
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
——————23C99E 240625Z /38
P 240605Z SEP 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9791
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002793
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 BELLAMY ON DEMOCRACY BILL AFTER
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HARARE 02793 02 OF 02 240625Z
TERROR ATTACKS; HARARE
EVENT AS THE ABUJA AGREEMENT. . . .”
ROTH
UNCLASSIFIED
>
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