Mugabe says US is trying to rule Zimbabwe by remote control

President Robert Mugabe said the United States was trying to rule Zimbabwe by “remote control” through its economic might.

He was commenting on the proposed Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act which sought to impose travel restrictions on himself and his family, his ministers and service chiefs and their families.

Mugabe said the intended sanctions would not stop government’s fast-track resettlement programme.

Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said the government was not going to declare a State of Emergency because of the proposed legislation.

“All the talk and debate about the possibility of imposing a State of Emergency is idle. The talk has largely been fuelled by opposition elements who have been waiting for a crisis in the country and who foolishly imagine that they can push Zimbabwe to a corner of a State of Emergency,” he said.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE2457, ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

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

201502Z Aug 01

UNCLASSIFIED     PTO9290

PAGE 01       HARARE 02457 01 OF 02 201507Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DS-00

EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00

DCP-01   NSAE-00 IRM-00   TEST-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02   NFAT-00

SAS-00     /004W

——————14371F 201507Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9505

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002457

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, NSC FOR

JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT

MEDIA COVERAGE

¶1.   THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL 2001

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02       HARARE 02457 01 OF 02 201507Z

CONTINUES TO DOMINATE HEADLINES IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

LAST WEEK PRESIDENT MUGABE LASHED OUT AT THE U. S. AND

OTHER WESTERN NATIONS HE SAID WERE PLANNING RACIST AND

PUNITIVE SANCTIONS AGAINST HIS GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF ITS

SEIZURE OF WHITE-OWNED FARMS. EXCERPTS OF NEWSPAPER

ARTICLES, INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE’S COMMENTS, ABOUT THE

BILL FOLLOW:

¶2.   UNDER HEADLINE “STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER SANCTIONS

RULED OUT,” THE AUGUST 19 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-

CONTROLLED WEEKLY “THE SUNDAY MAIL” RAN THE FOLLOWING

ARTICLE BY MUNYARADZI HUNI ON PAGE ONE:

“THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO DECLARE A STATE OF

EMERGENCY EVEN IF THE CONTROVERSIAL ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY

AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL IS PASSED IN THE U. S., A

GOVERNMENT MINISTER SAID YESTERDAY (AUGUST 18). THE

MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY,

PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, SAID THERE WAS NO REASON TO

RESORT TO SUCH ACTION SINCE THE COUNTRY WAS ALREADY

UNDER UNDECLARED SANCTIONS. . .’ALL THE TALK AND DEBATE

ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPOSING A STATE OF EMERGENCY

IS IDLE. THE TALK HAS LARGELY BEEN FUELLED BY

OPPOSITION ELEMENTS WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A CRISIS

IN THE COUNTRY AND WHO FOOLISHLY IMAGINE THAT THEY CAN

PUSH ZIMBABWE TO A CORNER OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY. THE

SUGGESTION THAT THE AMERICAN SANCTIONS BILL AGAINST

ZIMBABWE WOULD LEAD TO THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF

EMERGENCY IS TOTALLY BASELESS,’ SAID PROF. MOYO. . . .”

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03       HARARE 02457 01 OF 02 201507Z

¶3.   UNDER HEADLINE “U. S. INTERESTS PREVAIL OVER RIGHTS:

ZIMBABWE BEING PUNISHED FOR TRYING TO REDRESS IMBALANCES,”

KNOCKS ZENGENI, A SENIOR PRESS SECRETARY IN THE DEPARTMENT

OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

AND CABINET, WROTE THE FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE IN THE SAME

NEWSPAPER:

“THE RECENT DECISION BY THE U. S. SENATE TO PASS THE SO-

CALLED ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL

UNDERLINES THE INHERENT CONTRADICTIONS OF U. S. FOREIGN

POLICY TOWARD AFRICA. AS DEMONSTRATED BY PAST AND

CURRENT U. S. POLICIES TOWARD AFRICA, DEMOCRATIZATION

RHETORIC DOES NOT ALWAYS CONFORM WITH ACTUAL POLICIES.

. .AS SUCH, FOR ZIMBABWEANS AND OTHER AFRICANS TO THINK

THAT THE U. S. IS GOING TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THEIR

PROBLEMS IS BEING NAVE. U. S. INTERESTS HAVE NEVER

BEEN MEANT TO SOLVE AFRICA’S PROBLEMS, BUT HAVE OFTEN

CONTRIBUTED TO AFRICA’S PROBLEMS. . .IT IS AGAINST THIS

BACKGROUND THAT MANY PATRIOTIC ZIMBABWEANS AND

AFRICANISTS ARE STRONGLY CONVINCED THAT THE SO-CALLED

ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL IS

NOTHING MORE THAN AN EXPRESSION OF PERSISTING FORMS OF

DOUBLE-STANDARDS AND RACISM IN U. S. FOREIGN POLICY.

MANY ZIMBABWEANS ARE ASKING WHY A COUNTRY THAT HAS

SHOWN WILLINGNESS TO EMBRACE UNDEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS

IS SO QUICK TO PUNISH A COUNTRY LIKE ZIMBABWE WITH A

THRIVING AND STABLE DEMOCRACY. . .ZIMBABWE DOES NOT

NEED A DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. IT NEEDS

ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT IN ITS QUEST TO ATTAIN SOCIAL

JUSTICE. . . .”

¶4.   UNDER HEADLINE “‘ACQUIRE WHITE-OWNED FARMS IF U. S.

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04       HARARE 02457 01 OF 02 201507Z

PASSES BILL,'” THE AUGUST 17 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-

CONTROLLED DAILY ‘THE HERALD, PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING

ARTICLE BASED ON CONTRIBUTIONS IN PARLIAMENT BY A ZANU

PF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR GOKWE WEST, MS. ESTHER

NYAUCHI:

“ALL WHITE-OWNED FARMS SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE

GOVERNMENT ONCE THE UNITED STATES PASSES THE ZIMBABWE

DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL, A PARLIAMENTARY

BACKBENCHER HAS SAID. ‘THEY ARE TRYING TO DICTATE TO

ZIMBABWE WHAT TO DO WITH OUR LAND. IS THAT WHAT THEY

CALL DEMOCRACY. . .? (MS.) ESTHER NYAUCHI SAID IN

PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY ((AUGUST 16). EVERY ZIMBABWEAN

SHOULD KNOW THAT THE BILL IS MEANT TO DESTROY OUR HARD-

WON ZIMBABWE. . .,’ SHE SAID. . . .”

¶5.   UNDER HEADLINE “ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL: WILL MUGABE

DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY?” THE AUGUST 13 EDITION OF THE

INDEPENDENT DAILY ‘THE DAILY NEWS’ PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING

ARTICLE AUTHORED BY THE NEWSPAPER’S DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR,

NYASHA NYAKUNU:

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ8408

PAGE 01       HARARE 02457 02 OF 02 201507Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 INL-00   DODE-00 DS-00

EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00

DCP-01   NSAE-00 TEST-00 EPAE-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02   NFAT-00

SAS-00     /004W

——————14373C 201507Z /38

P 201502Z AUG 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9506

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 002457

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, NSC FOR

JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL GENERATES SIGNIFICANT

MEDIA COVERAGE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02       HARARE 02457 02 OF 02 201507Z

“THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL – ZIMBABWE’S EFFORTS TO

WARD OFF PRESSURE AGAINST PRESIDENT MUGABE TO CONFORM

TO THE NORMS OF INTERNATIONAL DICTATES, HAVE HIT A CUL-

DE-SAC. THIS TURN OF EVENTS CAN ONLY SPELL GLOOM AND

DOOM FOR ITS IMPOVERISHED MAJORITY POPULATION. THE

DEATH-KNELL FOR THE IMPENDING SOCIOECONOMIC AND

POLITICAL IMPLOSION WAS SOUNDED LAST WEEK WHEN THE

UNITED STATES SENATE PASSED THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND

ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. . . .”

¶6.   UNDER HEADLINE “WEST TWO-FACED SAYS PRESIDENT,” THE

AUGUST 12 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY ‘THE

SUNDAY MAIL’ PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY FARAI

DZIRUTTWE ON PAGE ONE:

“PRESIDENT MUGABE YESTERDAY (AUGUST 14) LASHED OUT AT

SOME WESTERN GOVERNMENTS FOR DOUBLE STANDARDS AND

HYPOCRITICAL PREACHING ABOUT DEMOCRATIC VALUES AIMED AT

PRESERVING THE IMPERIALIST CONTROL OF ZIMBABWE’S

IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCES. SPEAKING TO THOUSAND OF

PEOPLE WHO GATHERED AT THE NATIONAL HEROES ACRE IN

HARARE TO COMMEMORATE HEROES DAY, (MR.) MUGABE SAID

THESE WESTERN GOVERNMENT WERE BEING LED BY BRITAIN AND

THE UNITED STATES. . . .”

¶7.   EXCERPTS FROM PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE’S SPEECH READ ON

HEROES DAY (AUGUST 11) FOLLOW:

“. . .WHEN THE BRITISH RACIAL AUTOCRACY BRUTALIZED AND

TRAUMATIZED US, THE SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIC WORLD WOULD

NOT LIFT A FINGER, OR EVEN RAISE AN EYE-BROW, FOR WE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03       HARARE 02457 02 OF 02 201507Z

DUBBED THE WORLD’S SUPERNUMERARIES, A RACE OF NO RIGHTS

BEYOND THAT OF A CHATTEL. . .WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED,

THE FREE WORLD WAS THERE: BRITAIN, AMERICA, GERMANY,

HOLLAND, THEY WERE THERE. . .YES THE AMERICAN SENATE

AND CONGRESS WERE THERE! AT NO POINT DID THE AMERICAN

SENATE THINK OF SUPPORTING OUR STRUGGLE HERE BY

CRAFTING A SANCTIONS BILL AGAINST THE RHODESIANS WHO

HAD OVERTHROWN THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, THE

CONSTITUTION. IF ANYTHING, THE SAME SENATORS WHO TODAY

WORK WITH OUR OWN PEOPLE IN THE OPPOSITION TO CRAFT THE

INIQUITOUS SO-CALLED ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC

RECOVERY BILL, WERE PART OF THE INFAMOUS INTERNATIONAL

RIGHT-WING FRIENDS OF RHODESIA (FOR) MOVEMENT MEANT TO

DEFEND OVERSEAS WHITE INTERESTS. JUST WHAT IS OUR

CRIME? OUR CRIME IS THAT WE ARE BLACK, AND AMERICA A

CONDEMNED RACE! HOW DARE WE CHALLENGE THEIR KITH AND

KIN HERE, GOD-CHOSEN ANGLO-SAXONS, WE WHO ONLY

YESTERDAY WERE THEIR CONDEMNED SLAVES? THEY FEEL

REVULSED (SIC) THAT WE SEEK TO CORRECT THE EFFECTS,

IMBALANCES AND INJUSTICES OF THAT SINFUL SLAVE PAST.

TO DO SO IS TO PRACTICE TERRORISM AND AUTOCRACY. THESE

ANGLO-SAXON BIGOTS GLIBLY USE LANGUAGE AND VOCABULARY

OF DEMOCRACY TO DUCK THEIR COLONIAL RESPONSIBILITY SO

THEY CAN PROLONG THEIR EVIL CONTROL AND OWNERSHIP OF

OUR LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES. . . .”

¶8.   UNDER HEADLINE “PRESIDENT DISMISSES BILL,” THE AUGUST

12 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY ‘THE STANDARD’

REPORTS:

“PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE YESTERDAY (AUGUST 11) BRUSHED

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04       HARARE 02457 02 OF 02 201507Z

ASIDE THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT

2001 WHICH SEEKS TO IMPOSE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON

HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, HIS MINISTERS AND SERVICE

CHIEFS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. . .MUGABE SAID THE INTENDED

SANCTIONS WOULD NOT STOP GOVERNMENT’S CONTROVERSIAL

FAST-TRACK RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. HE ACCUSED THE U. S.

GOVERNMENT OF TRYING TO RULE ZIMBABWE BY “REMOTE

CONTROL” THROUGH ITS ECONOMIC MIGHT. . . .”

ROTH

UNCLASSIFIED

>

(68 VIEWS)