GOVERNMENT OP-ED CRITICIZES BUSH PLAN TO

UNCLAS HARARE 001567 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO ZI SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OP-ED CRITICIZES BUSH PLAN TO VISIT AFRICA ¶1. An op-ed published in the June 27 edition of the government-controlled daily "The Herald," dismisses President Bush's planned visit to Africa next year as a "non-event." Under headline "Bush's visit a non- event: West should stop meddling in Africa's internal affairs," the newspaper's special assignments writer, Tim Chigodo, reports: ¶2. "Very few Africans will find excitement and joy in the proposed visit to the continent by American President George W. Bush following his hard-line stance on Third World states. . . Analysts say the US and Britain cannot lecture Africans on democracy. Both countries were too directly involved in the slave trade to be capable of selfless contribution on the subject. They have their hands, historically, dripping with the incalculable suffering of black people. . . Observers say the US as the most powerful nation in the world, should concentrate on various aspects of poverty reduction, debt relief, globalization and war against HIV/AIDS which is reducing life expectancy in Africa instead of meddling in the internal affairs of the country. . . There is no doubt that most Africans, including Zimbabweans, will treat the visit by the American leader as a damp squid. It is very clear that the West still holds paternalistic and imperialistic attitudes towards Africa." SULLIVAN