US embassy cable - 00HARARE5187

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 005187 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ZI, MDC 
SUBJECT:  RAID ON MDC HEADQUARTERS; ZIMBABWE POLICE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  05187  01 OF 02  141445Z 
RATCHETS UP HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION 
 
REFTEL: HARARE 5075 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD.  REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND 
(D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: AN OPPOSITION ADVISOR AND RELIABLE 
EMBASSY CONTACT REPORTED TO THE AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 14 
AN UPSURGE IN POLICE HARASSMENT OF THE OPPOSITION.  AT 
THE TOP OF THE LIST WAS A RAID ON THE MOVEMENT FOR 
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) HEADQUARTERS TODAY AND AN 
ATTEMPT TO ARREST TWO SENIOR MDC OFFICIALS.  POLICE ARE 
ALSO REPORTED TO BE HARASSING OWNERS AND FARM WORKERS ON 
FARMS IN THE HARARE AREA.  THE POLICE ACTIONS MAY BE 
PARTLY A GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO MDC CALLS FOR CIVIL 
DISOBEDIENCE AND PARTLY AN ATTEMPT TO ASSERT MORE 
CONTROL OVER A POLICE FORCE INCREASINGLY SYMPATHETIC TO 
THE OPPOSITION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  MDC ADVISOR AND CONFIDANT CLIVE PUZEY CALLED ON THE 
AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 14 ON SHORT NOTICE TO REPORT AN 
UPSURGE IN POLICE HARASSMENT OF THE OPPOSITION.  HE 
STATED THAT THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE (ZRP) ENTERED 
MDC HEADQUARTERS ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 14 WITH A 
WARRANT TO SEARCH FOR HIDDEN ARMS CACHES.  (UNKNOWN 
ASSAILANTS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED THE HEADQUARTERS ENTRANCE 
WITH A TYPE OF GRENADE LATE ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 
11.  SEE REFTEL.)  HAVING FOUND NO WEAPONS, THE ZRP 
ATTEMPTED TO ARREST, WITHOUT A WARRANT, TWO MDC 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  05187  01 OF 02  141445Z 
OFFICIALS, ONE OF THEM BEING GANDI MUDZINGWA, MDC 
PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI'S POLITICAL ASSISTANT AND 
RIGHT-HAND MAN.  PUZEY DID NOT KNOW THE IDENTITY OF THE 
OTHER OFFICIAL BEING SOUGHT.  (MORGAN TSVANGIRAI IS 
CURRENTLY IN MANICALAND ON AN "OPINION CANVASSING" TRIP, 
ACCORDING TO PUZEY).  HAVING NOT FOUND EITHER OFFICIAL, 
THE ZRP HAS SEALED OFF MDC HEADQUARTERS IN THE BELIEF 
THAT THE TWO OFFICIALS ARE IN HIDING SOMEWHERE IN THE 
BUILDING.  PUZEY REPORTED THAT THE PRESS, MDC LAWYERS, 
MDC MPS, AND OTHER SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN CALLED TO THE 
SCENE IN AN ATTEMPT TO PRESSURE THE ZRP TO LEAVE. 
 
3.  (C) PUZEY ALSO SAID THAT THE ZRP IS STEPPING UP ITS 
HARASSMENT OF COMMERCIAL FARMERS AND OTHER PERCEIVED MDC 
SUPPORTERS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.  HE CITED ONE FARMER NEAR 
HARARE AS BEING SOUGHT BY THE ZRP FOR INCITING HIS 
WORKERS TO ATTACK WAR VETERANS.  THE FARMER CALLED IN 
HIS LAWYER TO TRY TO KEEP THE POLICE AT BAY, BUT IT IS 
UNKNOWN IF HE WAS DETAINED.  THE "DAILY NEWS" REPORTED A 
SIMILAR STORY SEPTEMBER 14 IN WHICH SEVERAL WAR VETERANS 
WERE HOSPITALIZED AFTER "HEAVY FIGHTING" WITH FARM 
WORKERS ON A HARARE-AREA FARM.  THE FIGHTING WAS 
REPORTEDLY SPARKED BY FARM WORKERS REACTING TO 
HARASSMENT BY THE WAR VETERANS.  THE NEWS STORY 
INDICATED THAT POLICE OFFICERS LATER RETURNED TO THE 
FARM AND ACTED "OPENLY HOSTILE" TO THE WORKERS, BEGAN 
PUSHING AND SHOVING THEM, AND ACCUSED THEM OF BEING 
ANTOGONISTIC TO THE WAR VETERANS' CAUSE.  THE WAR 
VETERANS, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE POLICE, THREATENED TO 
KILL THE FARM'S OWNER, ARTHUR HARLEY, FOR INCITING HIS 
WORKERS.  HARLEY REPORTEDLY THEN WENT INTO HIDING. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  05187  01 OF 02  141445Z 
 
4.  (C) WHEN ASKED WHY THE ZRP WAS SUDDENLY STEPPING UP 
ITS HARASSMENT OF THE MDC, PUZEY OFFERED A MULTITUDE OF 
POSSIBLE REASONS.  HE CITED THE MDC'S CALLS FOR 
IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT MUGABE, ITS CALLS LAST WEEK FOR 
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND WORK STAY-AWAYS, AND THE GROWING 
CLAMOR FOR CHANGE COMING FROM THE MDC BENCH IN 
PARLIAMENT.  HE ALSO STATED THAT SUPPORT FOR THE MDC IS 
GROWING IN THE ZRP, AND THAT SENIOR GOZ OFFICIALS HAVE 
DEMANDED THAT HIGH-RANKING POLICE OFFICIALS TAKE MORE 
ACTION IN FAVOR OF THE WAR VETERANS.  THESE SENIOR 
OFFICIALS HAD THREATENED THE CHILDREN OF THESE POLICE 
OFFICERS IF THEY DID NOT TAKE ACTION, ACCORDING TO 
PUZEY.  PUZEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT TRIBAL ELDERS ACROSS 
ZIMBABWE ARE FED UP WITH MUGABE AND WILL BE COMING TO 
HARARE SOON TO DEMAND CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT: PUZEY, A WELL-KNOWN LOCAL BUSINESSMAN 
AND RELIABLE EMBASSY CONTACT, APPEARED VERY DISTRAUGHT 
AT THE POLICE ACTION, THE FIRST OVERT GOVERNMENT ACTION 
AGAINST THE MDC SINCE IT CAPTURED 57 SEATS IN JUNE'S 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION.  IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW FAR 
THIS WILL GO AND WHETHER THIS IS PART OF A WIDER 
NATIONWIDE CRACKDOWN ON OPPOSITION ACTIVITIES AND 
SUPPORTERS.  THE PURPORTED THREATS AGAINST THE POLICE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8236 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  05187  02 OF 02  141445Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  DODE-00 
      DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   VC-00    H-01 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    JUSE-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    SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00 
        /009W 
                  ------------------854C04  141446Z /38 
O 141444Z SEP 00 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7107 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 005187 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/10 
TAGS:  PGOV, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT:  RAID ON MDC HEADQUARTERS; ZIMBABWE POLICE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  05187  02 OF 02  141445Z 
RATCHETS UP HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION 
 
OFFICERS ARE CREDIBLE AND COULD PARTLY INDICATE AN 
ATTEMPT BY THE GOZ TO EXERT POLITICAL CONTROL OVER A 
POLICE FORCE THAT INCREASINGLY SYMPATHIZES WITH THE 
OPPOSITION. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>