Mugabe must know the world is watching his every move

The suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth must serve to remind President Robert Mugabe that the rest of the world is watching his every move and will pounce on him if he continues to stray from the straight and narrow path of good governance.

This was the view of the Daily News when the Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from the 54-member organisation in March 2002.

“Emmerson Mnangagwa’s reaction to Zimbabwe’s suspension from the Commonwealth is loaded with the false bravado with which the government has reacted to censure and condemnation for its actions over the last two years,” the paper said.

“On the surface, it smacks of defiance and arrogance, but it is really a cry of pain and rejection.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE735, MEDIA REACTION ZIM AFTER PRESIDENTIAL POLL;

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

210906Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED     PTO6933

PAGE 01       HARARE 00735 210922Z

ACTION INR-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AF-00   A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00

DS-00   EUR-00   OIGO-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

——————7864F4 210928Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1284

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000735

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

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM AFTER PRESIDENTIAL POLL;

HARARE

¶1.   EDITORIALS IN THE MARCH 21 EDITIONS OF THE

INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY NEWS” AND THE INDEPENDENT

WEEKLY “THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE” CALL ON PRESIDENT

ROBERT MUGABE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS THAT LED TO

ZIMBABWE’S SUSPENSION FROM THE COMMONWEALTH.

EXCERPTS:

¶2.   “LIFE CANNOT GO ON AS BEFORE WHEN YOU CHEAT,” THE

“DAILY NEWS” (03/21) COMMENTS:

“(SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT) EMMERSON MNANGAGWA’S

REACTION TO ZIMBABWE’S SUSPENSION FROM THE

COMMONWEALTH IS LOADED WITH THE FALSE BRAVADO WITH

WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS REACTED TO CENSURE AND

CONDEMNATION FOR ITS ACTIONS OVER THE LAST TWO

YEARS. ON THE SURFACE, IT SMACKS OF DEFIANCE AND

ARROGANCE, BUT IT IS REALLY A CRY OF PAIN AND

REJECTION. . . WHAT MNAGNGAGWA AND HIS COLLEAGUES

OUGHT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT ZIMBABWE HAS BEEN

SUSPENDED BECAUSE ZANU PF CHEATED IN THE RECENT

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. . . IN A SMALL WAY, THE

COMMONWEALTH DECISION TO SUSPENDED ZIMBABWE MUST

SERVE TO REMIND MUGABE THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD

IS WATCHING HIS EVERY MOVE AND WILL POUNCE ON HIM

IF HE CONTINUES TO STRAY FROM THE STRAIGHT AND

NARROW PATH OF GOOD GOVERNANCE.

“. . .WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RESTORE THE DIGNITY

OF THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD

IS FOR MUGABE. . .TO END THE VIOLENCE AGAINST HIS

OWN PEOPLE, TO PUT THE WAR VETERANS IN THEIR PLACE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03       HARARE 00735 210922Z

ONCE AND FOR ALL, TO ABANDON THE TRAINING OF

MISGUIDED, JOBLESS YOUTHS INTO PARTY MEDIA, NOT AS

ENEMIES OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY, BUT AS PATRIOTS AS

ANXIOUS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR COUNTRY AS HE

AND ZANU PF OUGHT TO BE. LIFE MAY GO ON AFTER

EXPULSION FROM THE COMMONWEALTH, BUT ZIMBABWE

WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME.”

¶3.   “MUGABE’S OPTIONS,” THE “FINANCIAL GAZETTE”

(03/21) COMMENTS:

“EVEN BEFORE HE TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE TO START A

NEW SIX-YEAR TERM, PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE LAST

WEEK SIGNALED THE DIRECTION OF HIS GOVERNMENT BY

IMMEDIATELY SIGNING INTO LAW THE CONTROVERSIAL

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY

BILL. THE NEW LAW. . .BULLDOZED THROUGH

PARLIAMENT JUST BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,

NOT ONLY STIFLES PRESS FREEDOM IN ZIMBABWE BUT

THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN THE COUNTRY’S ENTIRE

INDEPENDENT NEWS MEDIA. . .   HOW CAN THE

PRESIDENT RECONCILE THE FACT THAT ON ONE HAND HE

WANTS COOPERATION FROM THE OPPOSITION WHILE ON THE

OTHER HE LAUNCHES A CRACKDOWN ON ITS MEMBERS?

INDEED, HOW CAN A CONCILIATORY PRESIDENT WHO IS

DETERMINED TO HEAL THE NATION’S BLOODLETTING AND

PALPABLE PAIN OF THOSE WHO REGARD HIS ELECTION AS

STOLEN GO AHEAD WITH A BILL WHICH DEPRIVES THE

NATION OF INFORMATION THAT IS SO VITAL TO DECISION-

MAKING?. . .”

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04       HARARE 00735 210922Z

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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