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| Identifier: | 00HARARE6910 |
|---|---|
| Wikileaks: | View 00HARARE6910 at Wikileaks.org |
| Origin: | Embassy Harare |
| Created: | 2000-12-07 16:27:00 |
| Classification: | CONFIDENTIAL |
| Tags: | EAGR PHUM ZI |
| Redacted: | This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks. |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
071627Z Dec 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTO4848
PAGE 01 HARARE 06910 270923Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 DODE-00
SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00
IO-00 L-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PRS-00 P-00
SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PRM-02 DRL-02
G-00 SAS-00 /008W
------------------AFFEF7 270926Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7797
INFO NSC WASHDC
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 006910
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CGURNEY
PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/10
TAGS: EAGR, PHUM, ZI
SUBJECT: COMMERCIAL FARMER ABDUCTED BY WAR VETERANS AND
TAKEN TO STATE HOUSE IN EFFORT TO FORCE AN AUDIENCE WITH
PRESIDENT MUGABE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 06910 270923Z
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D).
1. (U) THE DECEMBER 7 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT
NEWSPAPER "THE DAILY NEWS" CARRIED A FRONT PAGE STORY
THAT A COMMERCIAL FARMER, LANCE KENNEDY, HAD BEEN
FORCIBLY ABDUCTED BY A GROUP OF TWENTY WAR VETERANS WHO
WERE OCCUPYING HIS SIGARO FARM, AND FORCED TO DRIVE SOME
OF HIS ABDUCTORS INTO HARARE TO STATE HOUSE IN AN
ATTEMPT TO GAIN AN AUDIENCE WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE. THIS
ABDUCTION OCCURRED AFTER A DISPUTE BETWEEN MR. KENNEDY
AND THE WAR VETERANS OVER THE RIGHT TO PLANT ON A PIECE
OF LAND ON KENNEDY'S FARM. THE WAR VETERANS WERE
REFUSED ENTRANCE TO STATE HOUSE BY POLICE GUARDS. THEY
THEN REMAINED OUTSIDE STATE HOUSE IN KENNEDY'S PARKED
CAR FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS, BEFORE THE POLICE FORCED THEM
TO LEAVE. THEY THEN RETURNED TO THE SIGARO FARM, WHERE
MR. KENNEDY WAS RELEASED UNHURT.
2. (C) ECONOFF CONTACTED JERRY DAVISON, THE COMMERCIAL
FARMERS UNION EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR WATER AND
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS TO GET ADDITIONAL DETAIL ON THIS
STORY. DAVISON TOLD ECONOFF THAT KENNEDY'S FARM IS ONLY
ABOUT TEN MILES NORTH OF HARARE. THE WAR VETERANS
ABDUCTED MR. KENNEDY AND BROUGHT HIM TO STATE HOUSE,
SEEKING AN AUDIENCE WITH MUGABE IN ORDER TO RESOLVE
THEIR DISPUTE. NORMALLY THESE DISPUTES ARE RESOLVED IN
THE DISTRICT SEAT IN WHICH A FARM IS LOCATED. IN THIS
CASE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A LONGER
TRIP, WITH THE DISTRICT SEAT LOCATED ABOUT THIRTY MILES
NORTH OF THE FARM, THE WAR VETERANS DECIDED TO SAVE TIME
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 06910 270923Z
AND GO RIGHT TO THE TOP AND HAVE MUGABE SETTLE THE
DISPUTE. DAVISON CONFIRMED THAT WHILE KENNEDY WAS
FORCIBLY ABDUCTED, HE WAS NOT PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED BY
THE WAR VETERANS, AND HE WAS RELEASED UNHARMED AT HIS
FARM FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF THE WAR VETS TO GAIN THEIR
DESIRED AUDIENCE WITH MUGABE.
3. (C) COMMENT: WHILE THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT
PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS USED THE WAR VETERANS AS ENFORCERS
FOR ZANU-PF DURING THE ELECTIONS, AS WELL AS SWAT TEAMS
IN THE FARM INVASIONS, THIS STORY AGAIN RAISES THE
QUESTION OF HOW MUCH DAY-TO-DAY CONTROL MUGABE AND THE
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE HAVE OVER THE INCREASINGLY
AUDACIOUS WAR VETERANS. CLEARLY, THIS IS AN
EMBARRASSING INCIDENT FOR MUGABE, AND HE WOULD NOT HAVE
ALLOWED IT TO OCCUR WERE THERE AN ESTABLISHED COMMAND-
AND-CONTROL STRUCTURE IN PLACE OVER THE WAR VETS. END
COMMENT.
MCDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
>
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