US embassy cable - 01HARARE537

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000537 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE WAR VETERANS ON THE RAMPAGE 
 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR 
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: ZIMBABWE'S SO-CALLED WAR VETERANS WENT 
ON A RAMPAGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING THE WEEK OF 
JANUARY 22.  HUNDREDS OF THEM, OR PEOPLE THEY DRAGOONED, 
HAVE BESIEGED THE HARARE OFFICES OF THE INDEPENDENT "THE 
DAILY NEWS" AND CONFISCATED THE PUBLICATION FROM 
VENDORS, HARASSED STRIKING CIVIL SERVICE WORKERS, AND 
RAIDED SEVERAL CITY COUNCIL OFFICES IN MATABELELAND TO 
EXPEL THEIR MEMBERS.  THE WAR VETERANS' RENEWED ACTIVITY 
IN OPPOSITION STRONGHOLDS COULD INDICATE THAT ZANU-PF 
HAS NOT WRITTEN THEM OFF AS PRESUMED, AND THAT THESE 
AREAS WILL BE TARGETS OF INTIMIDATION IN THE RUN-UP TO 
THE 2002 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) ON JANUARY 23, THE INDEPENDENT "THE DAILY NEWS" 
REPORTED THAT WAR VETERANS AND A "HIRED CROWD," LED BY 
WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT CHENJERAI HUNZVI AND 
SELF-STYLED FARM OCCUPATIONS LEADER JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, 
BESIEGED ITS HARARE OFFICES FOR SEVERAL HOURS.  THE 
NEWSPAPER REPORTED THAT WAR VETERANS BLOCKED TRAFFIC, 
JOSTLED "DAILY NEWS" JOURNALISTS COVERING THE EVENT, 
BEAT UP PASSERS-BY WHO FAILED TO CHANT ZANU-PF SLOGANS, 
AND DAMAGED TWO OFFICE WINDOWS.  APPARENTLY, NO WAR 
VETERANS ENTERED THE NEWSPAPER'S OFFICES, HOWEVER.  THE 
JANUARY 24 GOVERNMENT MOUTHPIECE "THE HERALD" 
CHARACTERIZED THE DEMONSTRATION AS A "SOLIDARITY MARCH" 
TO SHOW ZIMBABWEAN SUPPORT FOR THE DRC.  OBSERVERS 
REPORTED THAT THE UNRULY CROWD WAVED PROFESSIONALLY- 
PRINTED PLACARDS CRITICIZING THE NEWSPAPER'S REPORT THAT 
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MOST ZIMBABWEANS WERE ELATED BY THE DRC PRESIDENT'S 
DEATH.  THE JANUARY 25 "THE HERALD" REPORTED THAT WAR 
VETERANS IN MUTOKO DISTRICT OF MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE 
DEMONSTRATED AGAINST THE "THE DAILY NEWS" FOR THE SAME 
ARTICLE.  THE DEMONSTRATORS SAID THEY WOULD ENSURE THAT 
THE INDEPENDENT PAPER WAS NEVER CIRCULATED IN MUTOKO 
AGAIN.  THE JANUARY 26 ISSUE OF THE "THE DAILY NEWS" 
STATED THAT ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN CONFISCATING 
FROM VENDORS COPIES OF "THE DAILY NEWS" AND BURNING 
THEM, AND THAT POLICE HAVE FAILED TO INTERVENE. 
 
3.  (U) ON JANUARY 24, ABOUT 100 WAR VETERANS DESCENDED 
ON MASVINGO TOWN TO FORCE STRIKING CIVIL SERVANTS, 
PRINCIPALLY TEACHERS, TO RETURN TO WORK, ACCORDING TO 
"THE DAILY NEWS."  THE WAR VETS WARNED THAT ALL TEACHERS 
NOT REPORTING FOR WORK WOULD BE "AUTOMATICALLY 
DISMISSED."  RETIRED ARMY CAPTAIN FRANCIS ZIMUTO, KNOWN 
AS BLACK JESUS, IS REPORTED TO HAVE ARRESTED THREE 
STRIKING TEACHERS AND TAKEN THEM TO A POLICE STATION. 
THE POLICE RELEASED THEM LATER THAT DAY.  THE CAMPAIGN 
APPEARS TO HAVE WORKED AS NEARLY ALL THE TEACHERS IN 
MASVINGO SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED FOR WORK. 
 
4.  (U) ON JANUARY 25, WAR VETERANS INVADED THE VICTORIA 
FALLS TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES AND FORCED ITS WORKERS TO 
LEAVE.  THE COUNCIL OFFICE BUILDING ALSO HOUSES A NUMBER 
OF TOUR OPERATORS, WHO WERE FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN.  THE 
VETS REPORTEDLY ACCUSED THE COUNCIL OF SYMPATHIZING WITH 
THE OPPOSITION MDC.  PRESS REPORTS INDICATED SAID THAT 
ZANU-PF WAS ANGRY THAT THREE TOWN COUNCILLORS HAD 
RECENTLY DEFECTED TO THE MDC, AND THAT IT SENT THE WAR 
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VETERANS IN TO RETALIATE.  IN MID-JANUARY, WAR VETS 
INVADED ANOTHER MATABELELAND COUNCIL IN PLUMTREE TO 
PROTEST ITS COMPOSITION.  THE MATABELELAND SOUTH 
GOVERNOR, STEPHEN NKOMO, LATER SUSPENDED EIGHT OFFICIALS 
ON THE COUNCIL. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT: THE RECENT WAVE OF WAR VETERANS ACTIONS 
IN URBAN AND MATABELELAND AREAS--OPPOSITION STRONGHOLDS- 
-INDICATES THAT ZANU-PF HAS NOT WRITTEN THESE AREAS OFF 
AS PRESUMED, AND THAT IT MAY EXTEND ITS INTIMIDATION 
CAMPAIGN TO INCLUDE THESE AREAS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE 
EARLY 2002 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  THE RULING PARTY HAS 
A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER BEFORE THE ELECTION.  WE CAN 
EXPECT IT TO USE ITS "WAR VETERAN" SHOCK TROOPS MORE 
FREQUENTLY OVER THE NEXT YEAR IN WAYS THAT ARE DIFFICULT 
FOR THE STATUTORY SECURITY FORCES TO DO, I.E. TO REIN IN 
WAYWARD LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES AND TO INTIMIDATE 
TRADITIONAL OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, SUCH AS TEACHERS, 
URBANITES, AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
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