Paper describes government as regime gone berserk

The Financial Gazette described the government’s proposed move to withdraw passports of Zimbabweans who were opposed to it as a sign of a regime gone berserk and nearing its end.

The threat had been made by Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo who said passports were not a right but a privilege.

“Not content with draconian laws rushed through Parliament earlier this year to silence democratic dissent, the besieged government now wants to clamp down further on the free movement and free speech of some citizens on the pretext that they are campaigning against Zimbabwe,” the paper said.

“That there is a world of difference between Zimbabwe, as a nation and as a state, and individual government members who are wilfully flouting the law is conveniently ignored to try to appeal to the crude emotions of the common man.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE1824, MEDIA REPORT GOZ TO CLAMP DOWN ON OPPOSITION;

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001824

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD (DALTON), AF/S (SCHLACHTER), INR/R/MR

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT GOZ TO CLAMP DOWN ON OPPOSITION;

HARARE

¶1.   Under headline “Signs of the end” the independent

weekly “The Financial Gazette” dedicated its

August 8 editorial to criticizing the government of

Zimbabwe for mooting a plan to clamp down on

opposition by withdrawing traveling documents from

Zimbabweans opposed to the Mugabe administration.

Excerpts:

¶2.   “The threat by Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo to

withdraw the passport of Zimbabweans who are opposed to the

government and to slap them with exit visas is only the

latest sign, if any was needed, of a regime gone berserk

and clearly nearing its end. Not content with draconian

laws rushed through Parliament earlier this year to silence

democratic dissent, the besieged government now wants to

clamp down further on the free movement and free speech of

some citizens on the pretext that they are campaigning

against Zimbabwe. That there is a world of difference

between Zimbabwe, as a nation and as a state, and

individual government members who are willfully flouting

the law is conveniently ignored to try to appeal to the

crude emotions of the common man. Needless to say that the

proposed measures are grossly unconstitutional and aimed at

pushing Zimbabwe back into the Stone Age. . .It is thus

that the administration’s counter-sanctions lobby has

hatched the grand plan of taking harsh retaliatory action

against all perceived enemies, both domestic and foreign,

to try to weaken a people’s resolve to end tyranny that is

daily engulfing the land. . . .”

WHITEHEAD

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