President Robert Mugabe described the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act as repugnant and provocative adding that it was a bold insult to the people of Zimbabwe and an intolerable insult to parliament.
He said this in his State of the Nation address which received front-page coverage in the Herald, but was on page two in the Daily News.
While the State-owned media concentrated on Mugabe’s criticism of the United States, the Daily News said Mugabe had evaded key issues.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE3798, MEDIA REPORT — MUGABE CRITICIZES U.S. IN STATE
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
191347Z Dec 01
UNCLASSIFIED PTO2409
PAGE 01 HARARE 03798 191447Z
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 H-01 TEDE-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W
——————4DBF22 191448Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0590
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 003798
SIPDIS
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/RA FOR SWANN,
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT — MUGABE CRITICIZES U.S. IN STATE
OF THE NATION ADDRESS
¶1. PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE DEDICATED SEVERAL MINUTES OF
HIS DECEMBER 18 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS TO CRITICISM OF
THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT (ZDERA).
MUGABE DESCRIBED THE BILL AS “REPUGNANT AND PROVOCATIVE”
AND SAID THAT IT WAS “.A BOLD INSULT TO THE PEOPLE OF
ZIMBABWE. AN INTOLERABLE INSULT TO THIS HOUSE (THE
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE).” MUGABE’S CRITICISM WAS DIRECTED
PRIMARILY AT THE U.S. CONGRESS, ESPECIALLY AT SENATOR
HELMS, AND CHARACTERIZED ZDERA AS AN ASSAULT ON ZIMBABWE’S
SOVEREIGNTY.
¶2. THE DECEMBER 19 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED
“HERALD” GAVE MUGABE’S SPEECH FRONT-PAGE PLAY UNDER THE
HEADLINE “PRESIDENT SLAMS U.S.” SUB-HEADS READ
“SOVEREIGNTY UNDER THREAT — SANCTIONS BID REPUGNANT,
PROVOCATIVE.”
¶3. STATE-CONTROLLED ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION
(ZBC) RADIO AND TELEVISION LED THEIR DECEMBER 18 AND 19
NEWS PROGRAMS WITH REPORTS ON THE STATE OF THE NATION
SPEECH. ZBC REPORTING EMPHASIZED PRESIDENT MUGABE’S
ASSERTION THAT ZDERA STEMS FROM AN AMERICAN DESIRE TO
“PUNISH” ZIMBABWE FOR ITS LAND REFORM EFFORTS.
¶4. THE DECEMBER 19 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE
DAILY NEWS” ALSO CARRIED AN ARTICLE ABOUT MUGABE’S ADDRESS,
BUT PUBLISHED IT ON PAGE 2 UNDER HEADLINE “MUGABE EVADES
KEY ISSUES.” THE “DAILY NEWS” REPORT FOCUSSED ON ISSUES
SUCH AS ZIMBABWE’S ECONOMIC PROBLEMS AND POLITICAL
VIOLENCE, ISSUES THE PAPER CLAIMS MUGABE OVERLOOKED IN HIS
ADDRESS. THE PAPER DID REPORT ON MUGABE’S CRITICISM OF THE
U.S., BUT GAVE IT ONLY ONE SENTENCE AT THE END OF THE
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 03798 191447Z
STORY.
SULLIVAN
UNCLASSIFIED
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