MEDIA REACTION ELECTION AFTERMATH; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 001001

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR
JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ELECTION AFTERMATH; HARARE



1. Under headline "What price freedom?" the
independent financial weekly "The Financial Gazette"
dedicated its April 25 editorial to calling on Robert
Mugabe to publicly condemn "the increasing acts of
outright banditry by his supporters" in the aftermath
of the disputed March presidential poll. Excerpts:


2. ". . .Mugabe's absolute silence on the increasing
acts of outright banditry by his supporters is not only
a cause for deep concern but begs the question of how
far the terrorism will be allowed to go on before it is
ended. The terrorism is not just confined to MDC
followers or those suspected to be so, scores of whom
have been brutally slain and tens of thousands of
others displaced in their own country in the past two
years. . . Looting of property, assaults of
countless individuals and the rape of women and
young girls are all rising, courtesy of the same
militia which has decided to eradicate the
'scourge' that is known as the MDC. As well as the
President's silence, we must ask: Where is the
police force whose first duty is to maintain law
and order. . .? While the police force repeatedly
pours its members onto the streets to crush
peaceful protests by opposition groups, we see no
demonstrable same sense of zeal and urgency in
cracking down on the mindless political violence
blighting the land. . . Are Zimbabweans asking too
much from Mugabe that he not only publicly condemns
these acts of madness by his supporters but that he
orders the entire police force to crush the armed
rebellion - violently if need be? Are Zimbabweans
asking too much when they clearly and repeatedly
make the clarion call that they have had enough?"

SULLIVAN