US embassy cable - 00HARARE3094

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S ATTN: POWELL, RENDER, SCHNEIDMAN, 
GURNEY 
TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE 
STATE PASS USTR/RWHITTAKER 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/10 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES STATE-SPONSORED 
VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION WITH A PROGRESSIVE MINISTER 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY ECON/COMM OFFICER MARK PROKOP, REASONS 
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1.5 (B), (D) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: IN A SERIES OF CALLS BEING MADE ON 
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ON JUNE 8 AMBASSADOR AND 
ECONOFF MET WITH SIMON K. MOYO, MINISTER OF MINES, 
ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM, TO DISCUSS CONDITIONS IN 
ZIMBABWE RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS, AND OUR ABHORRENCE 
OF THE STATE-SPONSORED VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION THAT 
HAS OCCURRED TO DATE.  MOYO, CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE 
A ZANU-PF PROGRESSIVE, WAS GLIB, DISPLAYED AN 
ADMIRABLE BOB-AND-WEAVE TECHNIQUE, AND PARROTED THE 
PARTY LINE.  HIS EXPRESSED A PERSONAL DISDAIN OF 
VIOLENCE, LABELING IT GOOD FOR NO ONE, BUT CLAIMED 
THAT BOTH PARTIES WERE EQUALLY TO BLAME FOR ITS 
OCCURRENCE.  HE ALSO CRITICIZED THE NATIONAL 
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) REPORT ON UNSATISFACTORY 
ELECTION CONDITIONS, POSTULATING THAT A NINE-DAY TRIP 
WITH VISITS TO ONLY THREE LOCATIONS WAS INSUFFICIENT 
TO ACCURATELY ASSESS TRUE CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR KICKED OFF THE MEETING BY 
ASKING IF A FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE IN THE INDEPENDENT 
NEWSPAPER "THE DAILY NEWS", PROCLAIMING THAT "TOP 
ZANU-PF LEADERS CALL FOR END TO VIOLENCE" WAS 
CORRECT.  DODGING THE DIRECT QUESTION, MINISTER MOYO 
LAMENTED THE EXISTENCE OF VIOLENCE AND ATTRIBUTED IT 
TO THE EXISTENCE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 
INDEPENDENCE, OF AN ACTUAL, VIABLE, AND ORGANIZED 
OPPOSITION, FIELDING 120 CANDIDATES.  "IT HAS RAISED 
THE TEMPERATURE", HE STATED, "ESPECIALLY SINCE BOTH 
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SIDES VIEW THEMSELVES AS THE WINNERS."  BOTH PARTIES 
HAVE CAUSED THE VIOLENCE HE CONTINUED, AND THE 
LEADERS OF BOTH NEED TO CONTROL THEIR FOLLOWERS.  WE 
ARE DOING THAT NOW, HE ADMITTED, TELLING US THAT THE 
JUNE 7 POLITBURO MEETING PARTICIPANTS DECIDED THAT 
THE RULING PARTY WOULD PUBLICLY BEGIN CALLING FOR AN 
END TO THE VIOLENCE.  THE POLICE NEED TO DO THEIR 
JOB, HE ADDED, AND THAT SHOULD START NOW HE TOLD US, 
INFERRING THAT THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT BY 
THE OFFICIAL DECISION-MAKING ORGAN. 
 
3.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR ACKNOWLEDGED THE MINISTER'S 
HIGH-MINDED SENTIMENTS, BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE 
RULING PARTY HAS BEEN THE CLEAR AND EXCESSIVE 
WRONG DOER TO DATE.  AFTER AGAIN SINGING A PSALM OF 
THE MERITS OF PEACE, THE WAR VETERAN AND CABINET 
MEMBER REITERATED THE RULING PARTY'S WISE, NEW, 
PEACE-FOCUSED PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN, AND AGAIN 
BLAMED THE OPPOSITION FOR CAUSING VIOLENCE.  HE 
PROUDLY CITED THE EXAMPLE OF THE AFTER-BUSINESS-HOURS 
POSTERING OF ZANU-PF HEADQUARTERS IN CHINHOYI WITH 
MDC (MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE) POSTERS BY 
UNKNOWN PERPETRATORS.  "IMAGINE THE VIOLENCE THAT 
SUCH AN ACT WOULD HAVE CAUSED", HE PLEADED, "IF 
ANYONE HAD BEEN IN THE BUILDING."  WHEN THE 
AMBASSADOR RAISED THE ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE METED 
OUT WITHIN HITLER HUNZVI'S MEDICAL SURGERY, THE 
MINISTER COULD ONLY REPEAT A MANTRA OF "UNPALATABLE, 
UNPALATABLE...." 
 
4.  (C) WHEN THE AMBASSADOR RAISED THE BEATINGS AND 
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INTIMIDATION OF EDUCATORS (CITING RAPES, 
HOUSEBURNINGS AND NEAR-FATAL BEATINGS), THE MINISTER 
INFORMED US THAT TEACHERS WHO DIGRESS FROM THE 
CURRICULUM TO PREACH THE MERITS OF THE OPPOSITION 
MUST BE DISCIPLINED; THOUGH HE SUBSEQUENTLY ADMITTED 
THAT AN ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS EXISTED FOR THIS.  WHEN 
ECONOFF POINTED OUT THAT FOR YEARS THE RULING PARTY 
HAS DIRECTED AND ENCOURAGED TEACHERS TO DIGRESS FROM 
THE CURRICULUM AND PREACH THE MERITS OF ZANU-PF; MOYO 
RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS ONLY THE INCULCATION OF 
"HISTORY", WHICH NONE COULD FIND FAULT WITH.  "THE 
STORY OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AND THE GLORIOUS 
ROLE OF ZANU-PF IN ITS SUCCESS" HE CROONED, "IS OUR 
NATIONAL HERITAGE AND CAN NEVER BE QUESTIONED OR 
DENIED US."  "I AM A VETERAN AND IT IS OUR RIGHT", HE 
SUMMARILY DECLARED, AS HE HASTENED OFF TO A MEETING 
WITH A DELEGATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTION 
OBSERVERS. 
 
5. COMMENT: WE CAME, SPOKE SERIOUSLY, AND MINISTER 
MOYO PERFORMED.  FROM OUR OBSERVATION HE NEVER ONCE 
STEPPED OUT OF HIS ACCOMPLISHED PLAYACTING.  PERHAPS 
HE HAS BEEN AT IT SO LONG THAT THE DISTINCTION 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2056 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  03094  02 OF 02  081537Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  ANHR-00  SRPP-00 
      DS-00    VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   L-00 
      VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    IRM-00   STR-00   USIE-00 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------60A655  081537Z /38 
P 081542Z JUN 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6249 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
DEPTTREAS WASHDC 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/S ATTN: POWELL, RENDER, SCHNEIDMAN, 
GURNEY 
TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE 
STATE PASS USTR/RWHITTAKER 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/10 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES STATE-SPONSORED 
VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION WITH A PROGRESSIVE MINISTER 
 
BETWEEN SELF AND DRAMATIS PERSONA HAS BECOME BLURRED 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  03094  02 OF 02  081537Z 
OR NONEXISTENT.  HIS COMMENTS REVEAL THAT THE STATE 
MACHINE MARCHES ON IN LOCK STEP WITH THE RULING PARTY 
TOWARDS THE ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN TWO WEEKS, 
EXECUTING A BATTLE PLAN THAT MAY BE GROWING 
INCREASINGLY INCORRECT IN A SHIFTING ENVIRONMENT.  WE 
EXPECT THAT THEY WILL PREACH PEACE BUT CONTINUE TO 
ORCHESTRATE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF VIOLENCE.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
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