Sydney Masamvu- Martial law looms in Zimbabwe

Under the headline Martial Law Looms, the August 9 edition of the independent weekly The Financial Gazette carried the following lead article by the paper’s political editor, Sydney Masamvu:

Viewing cable 01HARARE2389, MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL; HARARE

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.

101228Z Aug 01

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ6643

PAGE 01       HARARE 02389 101231Z

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   DCP-01   NSAE-00 IRM-00   TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00

DSCC-00 DRL-02   NFAT-00 SAS-00     /005W

——————108A22 101231Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9451

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 002389

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/PD, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR

JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL; HARARE

¶1. CONTRIBUTING TO DEBATE ON PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE’S ADDRESS TO

PARLIAMENT, FORMER CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO)

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02       HARARE 02389 101231Z

DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND GOVERNING ZANU PF PARTY BACKBENCHER MR.

SHADRECK CHIPANGA CALLED, ON AUGUST 8, FOR THE DECLARATION OF

“MARTIAL LAW” IN ZIMBABWE. THE AUGUST 9 EDITIONS OF THE

GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY ‘THE HERALD’ AND THE INDEPENDENT DAILY

‘THE DAILY NEWS’ COVERED THE LEGISLATOR’S STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT

WHICH COMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE APPROVAL OF THE ZIMBABWE

DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL BY THE U. S. SENATE. THE LEAD

STORY IN TODAY’S EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY ‘THE FINANCIAL

GAZETTE’ CENTERS ON THE SAME ISSUE. ARTICLE EXCERPTS FOLLOW:

¶2. UNDER HEADLINE “DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY IF U. S. CONGRESS

PASSES BILL – CHIPANGA,” THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED DAILY ‘THE

HERALD’ REPORTS:

“A ZANU-PF BACKBENCHER YESTERDAY (AUGUST 8) CALLED UPON PARLIAMENT

TO SUPPORT THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE COUNTRY

IF THE U. S. CONGRESS PASSES THE CONTROVERSIAL ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY

(AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY) BILL. MAKONI EAST MP (MEMBER OF

PARLIAMENT) SHADRECK CHIPANGA SAID THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY THE

COUNTRY WOULD PROTECT ITSELF. ‘I WANT TO APPEAL TO THIS HOUSE

THAT IF AND WHEN THIS BILL IS PASSED, WE SHOULD AS A NATION MAKE

SURE THAT A STATE OF EMERGENCY IS DECLARED. THE STATE OF

EMERGENCY IS THE ONLY WEAPON IN OUR KIT. THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT

NO BY-ELECTION AND NO ELECTION IS HELD IN THIS COUNTRY AND THAT NO

ONE, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE IN THE HABIT OF GLOBETROTTING

ADVOCATING FOR SANCTIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.

. .HOWEVER, BULIMAMANGWE SOUTH MP MR. EDWARD MKHOSI (MOVEMENT FOR

DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) SAID A STATE OF EMERGENCY WOULD ‘DEVOUR’

THE COUNTRY. . .’THE STATE OF EMERGENCY THAT IS BEING ADVOCATED

FOR IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT. THAT WAS THE MOST

DANGEROUS THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY. YOU HAVE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03       HARARE 02389 101231Z

BROTHER KILLING BROTHER AND IT WAS A HORRENDOUS SITUATION.’ HE

SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD RUN ELECTIONS AND WORK WITH THE

OPPOSITION ‘IN A PROPER WAY. . . .'”

¶3. UNDER HEADLINE “EX-CIO BOSS URGES GOVERNMENT TO IMPOSE STATE OF

EMERGENCY,” THE INDEPENDENT DAILY ‘THE DAILY NEWS’ REPORTS:

“SHADRECK CHIPANGA, THE ZANU PF MP FOR MAKONI EAST, SAID YESTERDAY

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD IMPOSE A STATE OF EMERGENCY ONCE THE UNITED

STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND

ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. BUT AN MDC MP FROM MATABELELAND SAID THE

CONSEQUENCES OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY WOULD BE AS HORRENDOUS AS

THEY WERE IN THE 1983-87 PERIOD. CHIPANGA, A FORMER CENTRAL

INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAID A STATE OF

EMERGENCY SHOULD BE DECLARED ONCE THE BILL PASSES THROUGH THE U.

¶S. CONGRESS AND EVENTUALLY SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W.

BUSH. . . .”

¶4. UNDER HEADLINE “MARTIAL LAW LOOMS,” THE AUGUST 9 EDITION OF THE

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY ‘THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE’ CARRIED THE FOLLOWING

LEAD ARTICLE BY THE PAPER’S POLITICAL EDITOR, SYDNEY MASAMVU:

“PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE’S CABINET IS ACTIVELY CONSIDERING

DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY IF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY GOES

AHEAD TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AGAINST HIM AND HIS SENIOR GOVERNMENT

OFFICIALS, AUTHORITATIVE OFFICIAL SOURCES SAID THIS WEEK. THEY

SAID THE APPROVAL BY THE U. S. SENATE LAST WEEK OF THE ZIMBABWE

DEMOCRACY (AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY) BILL, WHICH STILL HAS TO BE

ENDORSED BY CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE, HAD RE-IGNITED INTENSE

DEBATE WITHIN CABINET ON WHETHER HARARE SHOULD IMPOSE EMERGENCY

RULE. . .OFFICIALS IN BOTH THE HARARE GOVERNMENT AND ITS GOVERNING

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04       HARARE 02389 101231Z

ZANU PF PARTY THIS WEEK SAID THE ‘LAW OF SURVIVAL’ WOULD TAKE OVER

IF SANCTIONS ARE IMPOSED ON ZIMBABWE. ‘WE WILL BE LEFT WITH NO

CHOICE BUT TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY IF WE ARE UNDER

SANCTIONS . . .WITH THE WAY THE SITUATION IS DEVELOPING, THAT

CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THE LAW OF SURVIVAL WILL TAKE OVER,’ THE

MINISTER SAID, PREFERRING NOT TO BE NAMED. . . .'”

WHITEHEAD

UNCLASSIFIED

>

(145 VIEWS)