US embassy cable - 04HARARE495

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000495 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S. DELISI, L. AROIAN, M. RAYNOR 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER, D. TEITELBAUM 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2009 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT: "DELIVER US FROM EVIL": NATIONAL PRAYER EVENT SET 
FOR MARCH 27 
 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Win Dayton under Section 1.5(b), (d) 
 
1.  (U) Involving broad participation from leading clerics 
around the country, an ecumenical day of prayer is being 
planned for March 27.  Under a banner "Deliver Us From Evil" 
in a March 21 advertisement in the independent weekly 
Standard, the Zimbabwe National Pastors Conference and 
Christians Together for Peace and Justice invited the public 
to two events -- a two-hour session at the City Sport Center 
in Harare and a three-hour event at St. Mary's Catholic 
Cathedral in Bulawayo.  The announcement states that prayers 
would be offered for open political dialogue, political 
stability, good rains and food for all, real peace and 
prosperity for all, HIV/AIDS, truth justice and 
reconciliation, violent free democratic society, new and old 
farmers, and end to corruption, and free and fair elections. 
 
2.  (C) The event has been planned quietly for months. 
Clerics involved have told us that the participation has been 
wired down to the congregation level and they expect 
participation from church leaders throughout the region, 
including clerics from South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, 
Mozambique and Botswana.  Catholic Bishop Pius Ncube told the 
Ambassador March 22 that the organizers were undecided on 
whether to march from the Catholic Cathedral to the Anglican 
Cathedral in Bulawayo.  He said he had argued strongly 
against it, noting that such a march would violate draconian 
anti-assembly laws and give the GOZ pretense to arrest or 
even commit violence against the throng.  He asserted that 
they would be safe in the cathedral and said he thought a 
permit had been obtained for the Harare event.  Ncube said 
the organizers are planning to gauge the atmosphere of the 
Bulawayo crowd on March 27 and make a decision at the venue. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: Assuming the meetings proceed, The 
Ambassador plans to attend the Harare gathering and a poloff 
will be present at the Bulawayo meeting.  We are quietly 
suggesting other diplomatic missions send representatives as 
well.  If authorities did issue a permit for the Harare 
event, it is quite likely they will retract it after seeing 
the tenor of the advertisement.  Whether one or both events 
is held or not, their organization appears to have reached 
critical mass and poses a tactical challenge to GOZ.  Since 
last June's stay-away, the GOZ has generally done whatever 
was necessary to stem any momentum for mass expression of 
dissent without regard to public relations concerns. 
SULLIVAN