US embassy cable - 00HARARE3095

UNCLAS HARARE 003095 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR AF PDAS POWELL, DAS SCHNEIDMAN, AF/S DIRECTOR 
RENDER, ZIMBABWE DESK OFFICER GURNEY 
 
ROME PASS TO VATICAN FOR AMBASSADOR BOGGS FROM AMBASSADOR 
MCDONALD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, VT, ZI 
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM A CATHOLIC PRIEST ON ZIMBABWEAN 
POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
 
DEAR LINDY: 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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THE FOLLOWING IS A LETTER PROVIDED TO US BY A MOVEMENT FOR 
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE, (MDC) (THE MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTY), 
ACTIVIST THAT WAS SENT FROM A CATHOLIC PARISH PRIEST TO A 
ZANU-PF PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE, MR. PHILLIP CHIYANGWA, 
URGING HIM TO HELP STOP THE ONGOING POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 
ZIMBABWE AND CRITICIZING HIM FOR HIS PUBLIC STATEMENTS. 
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT WITH VATICAN OFFICIALS, BUT 
PROTECT THE PRIEST'S NAME, AS YOU URGE THEM TO BE HELPFUL ON 
THIS ISSUE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE.  I LOOK FORWARD 
TO OUR CONTINUING DIALOGUE ON THIS MATTER. 
 
BEST REGARDS, TOM 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
DEAR MR. CHIYANGWA, 
 
I AM WRITING TO YOU AS THE CATHOLIC PRIEST OF BANKET, A 
PLACE IN YOUR FUTURE CONSTITUENCY. I AM WRITING BECAUSE I AM 
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR MEETING WHICH YOU HELD IN 
KUWADZANA TOWNSHIP ON FRIDAY 19TH MAY, 2000 IN THE KUWADZANA 
HALL. A NUMBER OF OUR PARISHIONERS AND CHRISTIANS FROM OTHER 
DENOMINATIONS ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SPEECH AND THE WAY 
YOU ADVOCATED VIOLENCE, DESTRUCTION AND HATRED AMONG OUR 
PEOPLE. YOU HAD BEEN SAYING THAT IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A MEMBER 
OF ANOTHER PARTY (YOU MENTIONED THE MDC) "KILL HIM". YOU 
ENCOURAGED THE DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY (PTC) WHICH IS 
THERE FOR THE GOOD OF ALL PEOPLE. 
 
THE PEOPLE OF BANKET ARE PEACEFUL PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF 
COLOR, CREEO OR POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE, WHO WANT TO WORK 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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TOGETHER ANO BUILO UP THE COUNTRY. YOUR AIM SEEMS TO BE THE 
OPPOSITE. YOUR SPEECH HAS MAOE MANY PEOPLE VERY SAO, BECAUSE 
YOU SEEM TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO FIGHT A CIVIL WAR, A WAR OF 
MURDER ANO OESTRUCTION. 
 
MOST OF YOUR LISTENERS ARE CHRISTIANS. REMEMBER, THEY KNOW 
THE COMMANDMENT "THOU SHALT NOT KILL". MOST OF YOUR 
LISTENERS RESPECT THE TRADITIONAL VALUES OF THEIR 
FOREFATHERS, FOR WHICH MURDER WAS A CRIME. THEY STILL CLING 
TO THE IDEA OF HUMAN INTEGRITY (IN SHONA "UNHU"). WE ARE 
VERY WORRIED THAT THESE VALUES ARE BEING DESTROYED THESE 
DAYS AND ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT YOUR ATTACK ON HUMAN DIGNITY 
ON FRIDAY 19TH MAY, IN THE KUWADZANA HALL. 
 
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHEN YOU ARE 
ELECTED WILL YOU FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE 
CONSTITUENCY OR ONLY TO THE MEMBERS OF YOUR PARTY? THIS IS 
IMPORTANT FOR ALL WHO VOTE, BECAUSE WE WANT MEMBERS IN 
PARLIAMENT WHO INTEGRATE A COMMUNITY AND NOT THOSE WHO 
DIVIDE, INTIMIDATE AND EVEN ENCOURAGE LAWLESSNESS. 
WE ARE PRAYING DAILY IN OUR CONGREGATION FOR PEACE AND THE 
ADVANCEMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND OR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF ALL 
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY. WE PRAY ALSO FOR YOU, THAT YOU MAY 
REALIZE WHAT THE TRUE VALUES ARE. I AM NOT WRITING AS A 
POLITICIAN TO YOU BUT AS A PRIEST, WHO HAS THE GOOD OF ALL 
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY AT HEART. 
 
YOURS SINCERELY, 
 
W. THAMM SJ 
PARISH PRIEST, BANKET 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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