MEDIA REACTION ZDERA; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000323 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/RA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZDERA; HARARE ¶1. UNDER HEADLINE "WHERE IS THE PATRIOTISM OF THE ZANU PF LEADERSHIP?" THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" DEDICATED ITS FEBRUARY 6 EDITORIAL TO A WARNING THAT THE CHILDREN OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS STUDYING ABROAD COULD, BE AFFECTED BY ASPECTS OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL. EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. "IN PRINCIPLE, ANY SUGGESTION THAT PUNISHMENT PRESCRIBED FOR THE SINS COMMITTED BY A PARENT SHOULD BE VISITED ON THE CHILD SHOULD BE MORALLY REPUGNANT. THE PUNITIVE MEASURES ENVISAGED IN THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY (ACT)(ZDERA) RECENTLY PASSED BY THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (SIC) AS PART OF THE SANCTIONS TARGETING TOP ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, WILL UNFORTUNATELY AFFECT THEIR CHILDREN. A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HAVING CHILDREN WHO ARE ATTENDING EITHER SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY OVERSEAS, WHOSE WELFARE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE AFFECTED IN NO SMALL MEASURE BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART SANCTIONS AGAINST THE TARGETED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. ¶3. ".IN ANY CASE, IF OUR FORMER COLONIAL MASTERS ARE AS TERRIBLE AS PRESIDENT MUGABE WOULD HAVE VOTERS BELIEVE, THEN ALL HIS LIEUTENANTS MUST SURELY SING FROM THE SAME HYMN SHEET. IT IS PARTICULARLY CHEEKY THAT WHILE THEY SEND THEIR OWN CHILDREN TO FINE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN LONDON, SYDNEY, NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE, THEY REDUCE THE CHILDREN OF ZIMBABWE'S LONG-SUFFERING TAXPAYERS TO THE STATUS OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00323 061652Z THE NOW UBIQUITOUS "GREEN BOMBERS" GRADUATING FROM THE BORDER GEZI TRAINING CENTER BEFORE DESCENDING ON THE INNOCENT POPULACE TO METE OUT VIOLENCE ON THEIR OWN PARENTS." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >