Foreign Affairs Minister Stan Mudenge rapped Western governments for supporting the Movement for Democratic Change’s lawlessness and hooliganism at the expense of the government’s efforts to uphold the rule of law.
He was commenting on the five-day stay-away organised by the MDC in June 2003.
“This is dangerous. If allowed to succeed it will lead to anarchy and chaos in this country,” he told diplomats.
“This exposes the hypocrisy and double standards of these external financiers and handlers of the MDC. . .But it becomes a crime when the government of Zimbabwe tries to enforce High Court rulings aimed at restraining forces hell-bent on removing a legitimately- elected government by violent means and in trying to make the country ungovernable. Tsvangirai is not above the law.”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 03HARARE1150, MEDIA REPORT GOZ ACCUSES WEST OF BACKING MDC;
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UNCLAS HARARE 001150
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS AND AF/S RAYNOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT GOZ ACCUSES WEST OF BACKING MDC;
HARARE
Stung by a paralyzing five-day country-wide shut-down
arranged by Zimbabwe’s main opposition party – Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) – to register their displeasure at
Mugabe’s mismanagement of the country, Foreign Affairs
Minister Stan Mudenge has spoken angrily to the Western
governments accusing them of supporting “MDC’s lawlessness
and hooliganism” at the expense of government efforts to
uphold the rule of law. Addressing diplomats in Harare on
June 4, Mudenge is quoted as saying: “This is dangerous.
If allowed to succeed it will lead to anarchy and chaos in
this country. . .This exposes the hypocrisy and double
standards of these external financiers and handlers of the
MDC. . .But it becomes a crime when the government of
Zimbabwe tries to enforce High Court rulings aimed at
restraining forces hell-bent on removing a legitimately-
elected government by violent means and in trying to make
the country ungovernable. . .Tsvangirai is not above the
law. . .No government deriving its mandate from the people
would allow lawlessness to prevail. . .Let no one suffer
from any illusion that the people of Zimbabwe as well as
the forces of law and order will ever tolerate the removal
of a legally elected government by force. That will not
happen. . .” Mudenge’s briefing to diplomats on the
current situation in the country received extensive media
play, especially in the government-controlled print and
electronic media.
SULLIVAN
(17 VIEWS)
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