ZIDERA meant to punish Zimbabwe for doing the right thing

The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, which was being drafted by the United States government, was meant to punish Zimbabwe for doing the right thing- redistributing land equally among all citizens irrespective of colour, religion or political affiliation, the Herald said.

The paper said it was clear that the bill had come about as a result of President Robert Mugabe’s uncompromising stance on the land issue. Anything else that was said, including perceived violations of human rights and lack of rule of law, was just a smoke-screen to cover the real purpose of the bill.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE2361, MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL; HARARE

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

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ3233

PAGE 01       HARARE 02361 091342Z

ACTION INR-00

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

DODE-00 DS-00   EUR-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

——————0FC696 091342Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9432

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 002361

SIPDIS

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

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL; HARARE

¶1.   UNDER HEADLINE “U. S. DEMOCRACY BILL DRACONIAN: IN

WHOSE INTEREST IS THE LEGISLATION?,” THE AUGUST 7 EDITION

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02       HARARE 02361 091342Z

OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY ‘THE HERALD’ CARRIED A

LENGTHY FEATURE ARTICLE THAT WAS CRITICAL OF THE BILL.

EXCERPTS FOLLOW:

¶2.   “. . .IN WHOSE INTEREST WAS THE BILL PASSED. . .? IT

IS CLEAR THAT THE BILL HAS COME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF

PRESIDENT MUGABE’S UNCOMPROMISING STANCE ON THE LAND

ISSUE, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS SAID, INCLUDING

PERCEIVED VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND LACK OF RULE OF

LAW, IS JUST A SMOKE-SCREEN TO COVER THE REAL PURPOSE OF

THE BILL. THE CONTROVERSIAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS

MEANT TO PUNISH ZIMBABWE FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR

ITS PEOPLE – REDISTRIBUTING LAND EQUALLY AMONG ALL

CITIZENS IRRESPECTIVE OF COLOR, RELIGION OR POLITICAL

AFFILIATION. . . .”

HOOKS

UNCLASSIFIED

>

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