Zimbabwe does not need dirty money

The United States should withhold its money if it will be used to destroy democracy and create a dependency on donor funds, the Bulawayo daily, Chronicle, said after the United States threatened to cut aid to African countries for accepting election results in Zimbabwe in 2002.

“If the idea of NEPAD is to perpetuate the myth that investors will not come unless we submit to denigration, we unequivocally tell the Americans to look elsewhere because we do not need dirty money,” the paper said.

“The Americans and their friends elsewhere seem not to have got the message from the people of Zimbabwe, that President Mugabe is our choice and he will lead this country for the next six years, come rain or sunshine.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE802, MEDIA REACTION U. S. UNDER FIRE; 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.

271253Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED     PTO6338

PAGE 01       HARARE 00802 271310Z

ACTION INR-00

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

DODE-00 DS-00   EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 LAB-01

VCE-00   NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 IIP-00   DSCC-00

DRL-02   NFAT-00 SAS-00     /003W

——————7B4108 271311Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1334

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000802

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND

SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI

FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION U. S. UNDER FIRE; HARARE

¶1.   UNDER HEADLINE “PRESIDENT MUGABE IS OUR CHOICE,”

THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY

“CHRONICLE” DEDICATED ITS MARCH 27 EDITORIAL TO

DENOUNCING THE UNITED STATES OVER ITS STANCE ON

ZIMBABWE’S PRESIDENTIAL POLL. EXCERPTS:

¶2.   “THE AMERICANS AND THEIR FRIENDS ELSEWHERE SEEM

NOT TO HAVE GOT THE MESSAGE FROM THE PEOPLE OF

ZIMBABWE, THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE IS OUR CHOICE AND HE

WILL LEAD THIS COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS, COME

RAIN OR SUNSHINE. IN THEIR TYPICAL BULLISH STYLE, THE

AMERICANS THINK THAT THEY CAN USE AID AS A WHIP TO

TURN AFRICANS AGAINST EACH OTHER. WE ARE GLAD THAT

SUCH EFFORTS, AS EXHIBITED BY THE U.S. YESTERDAY IN

NIGERIA, HAVE BEEN DISMISSED FOR THE HOT AIR THAT THEY

ARE. AND WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THEY WILL REMAIN PART

OF THE AMERICANS’ WISHFUL THINKING. WE APPLAUD THE

SPECIAL ECONOMIC ADVISOR TO SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT

THABO MBEKI FOR TAKING EXCEPTION TO THE U.S. POSITION

THAT THE CONTINENT’S ENDORSEMENT OF PRESIDENT MUGABE’S

RE-ELECTION THREATENED WESTERN SUPPORT FOR THE NEW

PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD). THE

AMERICANS HAVE IN THE PAST DEMONSTRATED THEIR LACK OF

DEMOCRACY BY RESORTING TO THE COURTS TO DECIDE WHO

WILL LEAD THEM WHEN THE OPTION OF AN ELECTION RE-RUN

WAS CLEAR. NOW THEY WANT TO PREACH DEMOCRACY TO US

WHEN WE JUST HELD FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN WHICH

THEIR CANDIDATE, MR. MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, WAS TROUNCED.

WE ADVISE THE AMERICANS TO WITHHOLD THEIR MONEY IF IT

WILL BE USED TO DESTROY DEMOCRACY AND CREATE A

DEPENDENCY ON DONOR FUNDS. IF THE IDEA OF NEPAD IS TO

PERPETUATE THE MYTH THAT INVESTORS WILL NOT COME

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03       HARARE 00802 271310Z

UNLESS WE SUBMIT TO DENIGRATION, WE UNEQUIVOCALLY TELL

THE AMERICANS TO LOOK ELSEWHERE BECAUSE WE DO NOT NEED

DIRTY MONEY.”

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

>

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