MORE NEGATIVE COMMENTARY IN GOVERNMENT MEDIA

UNCLAS HARARE 001028 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR NEARY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MORE NEGATIVE COMMENTARY IN GOVERNMENT MEDIA TO POWELL-NCUBE MEETING ¶1. Under the headline "Archbishop Ncube shameless" the government-controlled daily "Herald's" May 24 editorial criticized Archbishop Pius Ncube for meeting with Secretary Powell. Excerpts follow: SIPDIS ¶2. "Like the proverbial Judas Iscariot, Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube was in Washington on Tuesday to sacrifice his country to the altar of the mighty U.S. and to be thanked by the Americans for being in tune with their grand plans on Zimbabwe. . . Instead of reporting to God, who is his Master, he now reports to the American Government. He shamelessly scurries to the imperial master for advice and guidance on how to deal with the Zimbabwean government. Archbishop Ncube knows that Colin Powell wields enough power to order the overthrow of a government as the Americans have already done in Afghanistan and Iraq. . . Instead of seeking God's intervention for whatever he believes needs to be solved in Zimbabwe, Archbishop Ncube has gone to the U.S. for them to do to Zimbabwe what Pilate and Herod did to Jesus Christ. The Archbishop knows very well that the American Government has no higher moral ground than anyone else on human rights or the rule of law as its track record in Iraq, Afghanistan or the U.S. is atrocious. . . It would have been understandable if the Archbishop was called to the Vatican to be thanked by the Pope for standing up to what he believes to be right. He has lost the dignity and sanctity of the cloth he wears. . ." SULLIVAN