US embassy cable - 00HARARE3759

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 003759 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN 
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND T. FAULK 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SA WJEFFERS AND A/AID RMCCALL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT:  INTIMIDATION AGAINST FARMERS AND MDC 
CONTINUES IN POST-ELECTION PERIOD 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  03759  01 OF 03  111533Z 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD FEARS OF A 
SPIKE IN VIOLENCE TO APRIL-MAY LEVELS FOLLOWING THE 
JUNE 24-25 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS HAVE SO FAR 
PROVEN UNFOUNDED, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DISTURBING 
SIGNS THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND ZANU-PF ARE CONTINUING 
THEIR PRE-ELECTION POLICY OF SPONSORING VIOLENCE AND 
LAWLESSNESS.  DESPITE HOPES THAT THE OCCUPATION OF 
FARMS BY WAR VETS WAS A PRE-ELECTION PLOY, FARM 
OCCUPATIONS HAVE CONTINUED AND ABOUT 25 ADDITIONAL 
FARMS HAVE BEEN INVADED.  FARMERS HAVE REPORTED 
INCREASINGLY INTIMIDATING BEHAVIOR BY WAR VETS ON 
THEIR FARMS, INCLUDING DEATH THREATS.  IN ADDITION, 
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS SINCE THE 
ELECTION IN WHICH POLICE AND SOLDIERS HAVE BEATEN UP 
PEOPLE PERCEIVED AS SUPPORTERS OF THE MOVEMENT FOR 
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC). 
 
2.  (C)  THE PROBABILITY OF LARGE-SCALE ELECTION- 
RELATED RETALIATORY VIOLENCE IS RECEDING AS TIME 
PASSES.  HOWEVER, WE NOTE THAT POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
HAS ALWAYS BEEN ORCHESTRATED FROM THE TOP AND THAT 
THE PRESIDENT MAY ONCE AGAIN FIND A NEW SPATE OF 
VIOLENCE -- AGAINST THE MDC, FARMERS, OR OTHER 
PERCEIVED OPPONENTS -- TO BE IN HIS POLITICAL 
INTEREST.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SITUATION ON FARMS REMAINS GRIM 
------------------------------- 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03759  01 OF 03  111533Z 
3.  (C)  BEFORE THE JUNE 24-25 PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS, 
THE OCCUPATION OF FARMS BY WAR VETS WAS USED AS AN 
ELECTION PLOY AIMED AT RALLYING THE PUBLIC BEHIND 
THE IDEA OF LAND REDISTRIBUTION.  IT WAS WIDELY 
BELIEVED THAT THE VETS WERE LIKELY TO LEAVE THE 
FARMS AFTER THE ELECTIONS, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE 
CASE.  THE VETS HAVE REMAINED ON OVER 1000 OCCUPIED 
FARMS AND HAVE ESCALATED THE LEVEL OF VERBAL 
INTIMIDATION AIMED AT FARMERS AND WORKERS, INCLUDING 
THREATENED RETRIBUTION AGAINST MDC SUPPORTERS.  IN 
ADDITION, THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 25 NEW FARM 
INVASIONS SINCE THE ELECTIONS.  IN A JULY 5 
STATEMENT, THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION (CFU) NOTED 
THAT "THE ELECTIONS ARE OVER NOW AND YET THE 
EXTORTION, DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, THEFT AND THE 
THREATS CONTINUE LARGELY UNABATED ON FARMS." 
 
4.  (C)  A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CFU TOLD US THAT, 
FOLLOWING THE JULY 2 DEADLINE FOR FARMERS TO APPEAL 
THE COMPULSORY ACQUISITION OF 804 FARMS, WAR VETS 
DEMANDED THAT THE FARMERS LEAVE THEIR LAND 
IMMEDIATELY.  IN CONTRAST TO THE PRE-ELECTION 
PERIOD, DURING WHICH MANY FARMERS WERE ALLOWED TO 
CONTINUE RUNNING THEIR FARMS AS LONG AS THEY 
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE WAR VETS WERE IN CHARGE, 
FARMERS ARE NOW IN MANY CASES BEING FORCED OFF THE 
FARMS ALTOGETHER.  TONY REELER (PROTECT), DIRECTOR 
OF THE AMANI TRUST, AN NGO THAT ASSISTS VICTIMS OF 
TORTURE AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, TOLD US 
THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS DEATH THREATS AGAINST 
FARMERS SINCE THE ELECTION.  ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  03759  01 OF 03  111533Z 
THE CFU REPORTS THAT THE LEVEL OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE 
BY WAR VETERANS ON THE FARMS HAS DECREASED SINCE THE 
ELECTION.  THERE HAVE BEEN NO POST-ELECTION REPORTS 
OF KILLINGS ON FARMS. 
 
INTIMIDATION OF MDC MEMBERS 
--------------------------- 
 
5.  (C)  A NUMBER OF EMBASSY CONTACTS, INCLUDING MDC 
LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, HAVE REPORTED TO US THAT 
MEMBERS OF THE POLICE AND MILITARY HAVE DESCENDED ON 
NIGHTCLUBS IN HIGH-DENSITY HARARE SUBURBS ON RECENT 
WEEKENDS AND ASSAULTED PATRONS THEY BELIEVED TO BE 
MDC SUPPORTERS.  THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF SIMILAR 
INCIDENTS IN THE MIDLANDS PROVINCE CITY OF KWEKWE, 
WHERE MINISTER OF JUSTICE EMMERSON MNANGAGWA LOST TO 
THE MDC IN A HIGH-PROFILE RACE.  TONY REELER HAS 
TOLD US THAT HIS ORGANIZATION IS RECEIVING A 
"CONTINUING STREAM" OF VICTIMS WHO ARE PROVIDING 
TESTIMONY OF CONTINUING VIOLENCE AND REPRISALS.  HIS 
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED 
IN THE VIOLENCE TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN THE POLICE. 
 
CONTINUED IMPUNITY 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7616 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  03759  02 OF 03  111534Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  SMEC-00  INL-00 
      DINT-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    FBIE-00  VC-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01 
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00 
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------6CBC96  111534Z /38 
P 111538Z JUL 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6568 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 003759 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN 
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND T. FAULK 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SA WJEFFERS AND A/AID RMCCALL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT:  INTIMIDATION AGAINST FARMERS AND MDC 
CONTINUES IN POST-ELECTION PERIOD 
 
------------------ 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  03759  02 OF 03  111534Z 
 
6.  (C)  A NUMBER OF EMBASSY CONTACTS HAVE 
EMPHASIZED TO US THAT THEY ARE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED 
NOT ONLY ABOUT CONTINUING VIOLENCE BUT ABOUT 
IMPUNITY FOR PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE.  THERE HAVE BEEN 
NO ARRESTS IN ANY OF THE MORE THAN 30 CASES OF 
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED MURDER SINCE FEBRUARY.  POLICE 
HAVE FAILED TO LODGE CHARGES AGAINST PERSONS 
WITNESSES HAVE IDENTIFIED AS THE PERPETRATORS OF 
ACTS OF VIOLENCE, AND IN MANY CASES HAVE REFUSED 
EVEN TO TAKE AFFIDAVITS FROM WITNESSES.  REELER 
POINTED OUT THAT, EVEN IN THE SMALL MINORITY OF 
CASES WHERE CHARGES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT, THE SEVERITY 
OF THE OFFENSE HAS BEEN UNDERSTATED -- FOR EXAMPLE, 
PEOPLE GUILTY OF MURDER HAVE BEEN CHARGED ONLY WITH 
PUBLIC VIOLENCE.  REELER TOLD US THAT IN A NUMBER OF 
CASES, SUCH AS THE MURDER OF FARMER DAVID STEPEHENS, 
THE POLICE HAVE REFUSED TO MAKE ARRESTS EVEN THOUGH 
THEY ADMIT THAT THEY KNOW WHO THE CULPRITS ARE. 
 
7.  (C)  MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI COMPLAINED 
TO THE AMBASSADOR IN A JULY 10 MEETING (SEPTEL) THAT 
THE GOVERNMENT HAS FALSELY IMPLICATED HIGH-LEVEL MDC 
MEMBERS IN INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE.  HE NOTED THAT 
NEWLY ELECTED MDC MP JUSTIN MUTENDADZAMERA HAD BEEN 
ARRESTED ON JULY 6 FOR ALLEGEDLY SEVERELY ASSAULTING 
A MAN WEARING A "VOTE YES" (FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL 
REFERENDUM) T-SHIRT.   IN FACT, TSVANGIRAI SAID, THE 
INCIDENT HAD BEEN A "SCUFFLE" BETWEEN GRASSROOTS- 
LEVEL ZANU-PF AND MDC MEMBERS IN WHICH 
MUTENDADZAMERA WAS NOT INVOLVED. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03759  02 OF 03  111534Z 
 
8.  (C)  THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION AND HUMAN RIGHTS 
ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE TO CALL, AS THEY HAVE SINCE 
THE VIOLENCE BEGAN AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE 
CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN FEBRUARY, FOR A 
COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION INTO PRE-ELECTION 
VIOLENCE.  TSVANGIRAI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR ON JULY 10 
THAT THE MDC WILL CALL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A 
COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE VIOLENCE AS ONE OF 
ITS FIRST ACTS AS THE PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION. 
 
LEVEL OF ORCHESTRATION 
---------------------- 
 
9.  (C)  OUR CONTACTS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO 
SPECULATE ABOUT THE LEVEL OF ORCHESTRATION OF POST- 
ELECTION VIOLENCE.  THE HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM, A GROUP 
OF TEN LOCAL LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS NGOS, CONTINUES 
TO ASSESS THE SITUATION AND PLANS TO ISSUE A BRIEF 
REPORT ON POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN RECENT WEEKS. 
PHIL MATSHEZA (PROTECT), EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 
HUMAN RIGHTS RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION TRUST OF 
SOUTHERN AFRICA, TOLD DCM ON JULY 6 THAT HE DOES NOT 
HAVE A SENSE THAT THE POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE IS 
BEING DIRECTED FROM SENIOR LEVELS OF THE GOVERNMENT 
AT THIS STAGE.  ABSENT A DECISION BY PRESIDENT 
MUGABE TO LAUNCH ANOTHER SPATE OF ORCHESTRATED 
AGGRESSION, HE CONTINUED, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE 
CURRENT VIOLENCE WILL BURN ITSELF OUT IN A FEW 
WEEKS. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  03759  02 OF 03  111534Z 
10.  (C)  OTHERS, HOWEVER, HAVE POINTED OUT THAT 
POLITICAL VIOLENCE HERE IS GENERALLY ORCHESTRATED AT 
THE HIGHEST LEVEL, AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF UNIFORMED 
SERVICE MEMBERS IN THE VIOLENCE POINTS TO HIGH-LEVEL 
COMPLICITY.  THERE IS ALSO WIDESPREAD CONCERN THAT 
THE CURRENT RELATIVE QUIET, COMPARED TO THE APRIL- 
MAY PERIOD, MAY MERELY BE A LULL BEFORE MORE 
POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED RETRIBUTION FROM BOTH SIDES 
BEGINS.  MANY OF OUR CONTACTS HAVE REMINDED US THAT 
THERE WAS A PERIOD OF RELATIVE PEACE BETWEEN 
FEBRUARY 13, WHEN PRESIDENT MUGABE'S CONSTITUTIONAL 
REFERENDUM WAS DEFEATED, AND APRIL 1, WHEN THE WAR 
VETS ATTACKED A PEACEFUL NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL 
ASSEMBLY MARCH IN HARARE AND THE VIOLENCE ASSOCIATED 
WITH THE LAND INVASIONS BEGAN IN EARNEST. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
11.  (C)  THERE HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD RELIEF THAT 
POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE HAS NOT REACHED APRIL-MAY 
LEVELS.  IT IS LIKELY THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN 
MORE RETALIATORY VIOLENCE IF ZANU-PF HAD LOST OR IF 
THE MDC HAD LOST BY A LARGER MARGIN.  HOWEVER, GIVEN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7617 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  03759  03 OF 03  111534Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  SMEC-00  INL-00 
      DINT-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    FBIE-00  VC-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01 
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00 
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------6CBCA1  111534Z /38 
P 111538Z JUL 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6569 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 003759 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN 
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND T. FAULK 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
PASS USAID FOR AFR/SA WJEFFERS AND A/AID RMCCALL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT:  INTIMIDATION AGAINST FARMERS AND MDC 
CONTINUES IN POST-ELECTION PERIOD 
 
NEW FARM OCCUPATIONS, CONTINUED THREATS OF VIOLENCE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  03759  03 OF 03  111534Z 
AGAINST FARMERS AND FARM WORKERS, AND REPRISALS 
AGAINST MDC MEMBERS BY UNIFORMED SERVICEMEN, 
VIOLENCE REMAINS A SERIOUS CONCERN.  WE BELIEVE THAT 
THE CURRENT VIOLENCE, LIKE THE PRE-ELECTION 
VIOLENCE, IS BEING ORCHESTRATED FROM THE TOP.  THE 
INVOLVEMENT OF UNIFORMED SERVICE MEMBERS IN VIOLENCE 
IS A SIGN THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DEVELOPING NEW 
TACTICS OF INTIMIDATION IN THE POST-ELECTION PERIOD. 
THE OVERALL LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IN COMING MONTHS IS 
LIKELY TO DEPEND, AS IT HAS IN THE PAST, ON WHETHER 
PRESIDENT MUGABE BELIEVES THAT VIOLENCE IS IN ZANU- 
PF'S POLITICAL INTEREST.  THE PRESIDENT AND ZANU-PF 
ARE REELING FROM THE PARTY'S ELECTION DEFEAT AND MAY 
NOT HAVE DECIDED WHAT NEXT STEPS TO TAKE.  EMBASSY 
WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THE 
SITUATION.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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