MEDIA REPORT MUGABE ATTACKS WEST; HARARE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001925 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 KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MUGABE ATTACKS WEST; HARARE ¶1. The August 23rd edition of the government- controlled daily "Herald" gave prominent coverage to the Government of Zimbabwe's reaction to recent US criticism of the Mugabe regime. Under headline "President raps West" the paper ran two, page-one, above-the-fold stories detailing GoZ rejection of US criticism. Copies of the stories have been faxed to AF/S and AF/PD. Excerpts follow. ¶2. "President Mugabe yesterday accused the United States, Britain and white members of the Commonwealth of conducting a racist campaign to undermine the Zimbabwean government. `Today, Britain, Australia, New Zealand. . .what color are they? They are white and are the ones leading the fight against Zimbabwe.' The President said these countries were resisting the completion of the independence process began in 1980 in order to protect their kith and kin. . . They don't want us to be economically independent. They want us to be beggars. . .coming to them everyday with a bowl asking for help. No. . .we have our resources here. They belong to us and we are taking and giving them to our people. . . The people of Zimbabwe are the only makers of the leadership, the only makers of our government. We are not made as a government in Washington. Let Mr. Bush know that. . . ." ¶3. Under the sub-head "Demand Explanation from US, State Urged" the "Herald" also published Information Minister Jonathan Moyo's reaction to A/S Kansteiner's August 20 press briefing. Excerpts follow. "ZANU PF yesterday urged the government to demand an explanation from the U.S. over its announcement that it was working with SADC countries to topple President Mugabe. In a statement, the party's deputy secretary for information and publicity Professor Jonathan Moyo said the claims by the U.S. constituted a clear threat to regional peace, stability, solidarity and good neighborliness. `The widely- publicized and shockingly scandalous claims by the American Assistant Secretary of State (for African Affairs),Walter Kansteiner, that the U. ¶S. is working with `South Africans, Botswanas (sic) and Mozambicans' to topple President Mugabe have let the cat out of the bag. Now we know. As ZANU PF, we call on the government to demand a full explanation and get to the bottom of the matter given the seriousness of the claims and their grave implications,' said Prof Moyo. "He said the fact that Mr. Kansteiner had no qualms about making such an outrageous statement implicating `our very friendly neighbors demonstrates that either he is hopelessly incompetent and immature or the Bush Government is very contemptuous of South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana. `We have the highest respect for the national leadership in South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and we have no doubt whatsoever that they are not among the type of people who can be used for imperialist and racist objectives in the pursuit of an American foreign policy that has clearly gone mad.' On Mr. Kansteiner's nonsense that the Bush government does not see President Mugabe as democratically-elected," Prof. Moyo said it was a fact that the whole world including Americans knew that President George Bush was not democratically-elected as he was chosen by a partisan Republican appointed court which gave him victory in a controversial 5-4 decision. "It is therefore clear that, like his Bushmaster, Kansteiner lives in the bush of racist fantasies and delusions that have nothing to do with democracy or democratic elections. For these reasons we are outraged by the cowboy tactics that Bush's men are trying to introduce into our country and our region. "Prof Moyo said the Bush government needed to be told in the strongest possible terms that just like Zimbabweans will never ever entertain America's puppets disguised as human rights activists or democrats, southern Africa would not tolerate the same. `Each time America preaches about democracy and human rights, Africans are reminded of the racist brutality that the people of color have endured slavery days but particularly under the Bush Government following the tragic events of September 11 now being used as a cover to assault and dehumanize Africans and others." SULLIVAN