US embassy cable - 01HARARE695

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000695 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/05/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT:  ALTERNATIVE WAR VETERANS' GROUP SEEKS TO RESTORE 
GOOD NAME OF THOSE WHO WAGED THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE 
 
 
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REF:  HARARE 644 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL IRVING.  REASONS: 1.5 
(B) AND (D). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (C) WILFRED MHANDA, LEADER OF THE ZIMBABWE LIBERATORS' 
PLATFORM, A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION SEEKING TO RESTORE THE 
GOOD NAME OF WAR VETERANS, TOLD CHARGE AND POLITICAL 
SECTION CHIEF ON FEBRUARY 8 THAT VERY FEW EX-COMBATANTS ARE 
INVOLVED IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO COW OPPOSITION 
SUPPORTERS, THE JUDICIARY, AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA.  THE 
MAN LEADING THE GOVERNMENT'S CAMPAIGN OF TERROR, ZANU-PF MP 
CHENJERAI HUNZVI, IS NOT A GENUINE WAR VETERAN AND DOES NOT 
REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF MOST EX-COMBATANTS, ACCORDING TO 
MHANDA.  SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS HAVE TOLD MHANDA THAT 
HUNZVI COULD BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL IN FIVE MINUTES, 
SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT DECIDE TO DO SO.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) WILFRED MHANDA, LEADER OF THE ZIMBABWE LIBERATORS' 
PLATFORM, A MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION OF WAR VETERANS, CALLED 
ON THE CHARGE ON FEBRUARY 8.  MHANDA WAS JOINED BY ADVISOR 
HAPPYSON NENJI.  CHARGE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY POLITICAL 
SECTION CHIEF. 
 
ZIMBABWE LIBERATORS' PLATFORM 
----------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) MHANDA SAID THE ZIMBABWE LIBERATORS' PLATFORM WAS 
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FORMED TO WORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREEDOMS 
ZIMBABWEANS FOUGHT FOR DURING THE WAR OF LIBERATION. 
SPECIFICALLY, THE ORGANIZATION IS STRIVING TO RESTORE THE 
GOOD NAME OF WAR VETERANS, TO ASSIST THEM IN BECOMING 
ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE, REDUCING THEIR VULNERABILITY TO 
POLITICAL MANIPULATION, PRESSING FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE 
RULE OF LAW AND DEVELOPMENT OF A NON-RACIAL DEMOCRACY. 
APPROXIMATELY 500 EX-COMBATANTS HAVE PAID THEIR MEMBERSHIP 
DUES IN THE ZLP, AND MHANDA FELT CONFIDENT THAT THAT NUMBER 
WOULD INCREASE.  NOTING THAT HIS ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY 
CANNOT AFFORD OFFICE SPACE, MHANDA MADE A PITCH FOR 
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT, NOTING THAT, WITHOUT SUCH RESOURCES, 
GROUPS LIKE HIS CANNOT PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE 
VOICE AND CANNOT HOPE TO COMPETE FOR POLITICAL SPACE WITH A 
GOVERNMENT WITH FULL ACCESS TO THE STATE MACHINERY. 
 
VERY FEW WAR VETS INVOLVED IN MUGABE'S VIOLENT CAMPAIGN 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
4.  (C) THE CHARGE SOLICITED MHANDA'S ASSESSMENT OF THE 
ZIMBABWE NATIONAL LIBERATION WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION 
(ZNLWVA) LED BY CHENJERAI "HITLER" HUNZVI, NOTING THAT 
HUNZVI AND HIS BAND OF WAR VETERANS HAVE PLAYED A LARGE 
ROLE IN BLACKENING ZIMBABWE'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE.  THE 
ZNLWVA, MHANDA REPLIED, IS NO LONGER A FUNCTIONING 
ORGANIZATION.  IT HAS CEASED TO SERVE THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH 
IT WAS FOUNDED -- REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF EX- 
COMBATANTS -- BUT, RATHER, HAS BEEN HIJACKED BY PRESIDENT 
MUGABE TO BE USED AS A ZANU-PF MILITIA.  HUNZVI, MHANDA 
CLAIMED, IS NOT HIMSELF A GENUINE EX-COMBATANT.  HUNZVI HAS 
NO INDEPENDENT SUPPORT BASE AND, MHANDA ASSERTED, HAS BEEN 
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GIVEN LITTLE ROOM FOR MANEUVER BY MUGABE.  HUNZVI'S PRIMARY 
VALUE LIES IN GIVING PRESIDENT MUGABE PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY 
BY SERVING AS THE PUBLIC FACE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CAMPAIGN 
OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION.  ACCORDING TO MHANDA, THE 
DECISION TO INVADE COMMERCIAL FARMS AND TO COW OPPOSITION 
SUPPORTERS WAS MADE BY PRESIDENT MUGABE AND HIS MILITARY 
SERVICE CHIEFS, NOT BY HUNZVI. 
 
5.  (C) MHANDA INSISTED THAT VERY FEW OF ZIMBABWE'S 
APPROXIMATELY 40,000 WAR VETERANS ARE WORKING WITH HUNZVI 
AND HIS THUGS.  ABOUT HALF OF THE EX-COMBATANTS ARE STILL 
SERVING IN THE ARMY, WHILE MOST OF THE REMAINING 20,000 ARE 
GAINFULLY EMPLOYED ELSEWHERE IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE 
SECTORS.  MHANDA ESTIMATED THAT FEWER THAN 100 GENUINE 
LIBERATION WAR VETERANS, IN ADDITION TO LARGER NUMBERS OF 
ZANU-PF THUGS, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING OUT THE 
GOVERNMENT'S CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION AGAINST 
OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS, THE JUDICIARY, AND THE INDEPENDENT 
MEDIA, AS WELL AS OCCUPYING COMMERCIAL FARMS.  THE MILITARY 
SERVICE CHIEFS HAVE TOLD MHANDA THEY COULD BRING HUNZVI 
UNDER CONTROL IN FIVE MINUTES.  THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE NOT 
DONE SO, MHANDA SURMISED, CONFIRMS THAT HUNZVI AND HIS 
SHOCK TROOPS ARE CONTINUING TO SERVE A USEFUL ROLE FOR 
ZANU-PF.  FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT HUNZVI AND THE "WAR 
VETERANS" ARE LITTLE MORE THAN PAWNS, OUR INTERLOCUTOR 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0227 
 
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ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DINT-00 
      DODE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   FAAE-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 
                  ------------------C36BE3  091231Z /38 
R 091232Z FEB 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8203 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000695 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/05/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT:  ALTERNATIVE WAR VETERANS' GROUP SEEKS TO RESTORE 
GOOD NAME OF THOSE WHO WAGED THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE 
 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  00695  02 OF 02  091230Z 
NOTED, IS THE FACT THAT NONE OF THEM WERE GIVEN CABINET 
RANK PORTFOLIOS OR WERE BROUGHT INTO THE ZANU-PF POLITBURO. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6.  (C) WE FOUND MHANDA TO BE BRIGHT AND ARTICULATE, AND 
EMBARRASSED THAT THE REPUTATION OF "WAR VETERANS" HAS BEEN 
DRAGGED THROUGH THE MUD.  HE WAS AT GREAT PAINS TO EXPLAIN 
THAT HITLER HUNZVI AND MOST OF THOSE UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, 
NEVER FOUGHT IN THE LIBERATION WAR.  THE SUBSTANCE OF 
MHANDA'S CONTENTION HAS BEEN WIDELY ACCEPTED IN ZIMBABWE, 
BUT THE ZLP LEADER WAS TROUBLED THAT BOTH DOMESTIC AND 
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE HUNZVI AND HIS 
HENCHMEN AS WAR VETERANS.   MHANDA WAS CLEARLY CONTEMPTUOUS 
OF HUNZVI, AND WE CONSIDER CREDIBLE HIS DECLARATION THAT 
THE ZANU-PF MP DOES NOT SPEAK FOR THE MAJORITY OF WAR 
VETERANS BUT, IN FACT, HAS DESTROYED THE ORGANIZATION SET 
UP TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF EX-COMBATANTS. 
 
7.  (C) IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HUNZVI HAS AN IMPORTANT 
CONSTITUENCY OF ONE --  PRESIDENT MUGABE.  THERE IS 
SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS 
GIVEN HUNZVI GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS WITH CARTE BLANCHE ON 
TACTICS TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE RULING PARTY 
WINS PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS AND THE BIGGEST PRIZE OF 
ALL: THE 2002 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  HUNZVI CLEARLY HAS 
TAKEN ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITH PATHOLOGICAL ENTHUSIASM, 
EVIDENT IN HIS SUPERVISION OF -- AND PERSONAL PARTICIPATION 
IN -- TERROR CAMPAIGNS AGAINST OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS IN 
ADVANCE OF BY-ELECTIONS IN MARONDERA AND BIKITA.  HUNZVI 
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HAS MOST RECENTLY TAKEN THE LEAD IN CARRYING OUT THE 
GOVERNMENT'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE JUDICIARY AND THE 
INDEPENDENT MEDIA.  END COMMENT. 
 
IRVING 
 
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