US embassy cable - 01HARARE856

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000856 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/26/11 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PINS, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT:  THREATS AGAINST WHITE OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL IRVING.  REASONS: 1.5 
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(B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) IN A FEBRUARY 23 MEETING WITH POLITICAL SECTION 
CHIEF, MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) MP AND 
SECRETARY FOR POLICY FORMULATION AND RESEARCH TRUDY 
 
SIPDIS 
STEVENSON EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT ESCALATING 
HARASSMENT OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY'S LEADERS.  SHE 
RECOUNTED A TROUBLING CONVERSATION THAT HER MDC MP 
COLLEAGUE, MIKE AURET, SR., HAD HAD RECENTLY WITH AN 
ACQUAINTANCE.  THAT ACQUAINTANCE, WHO APPARENTLY IS WELL- 
CONNECTED TO THE RULING PARTY, WARNED AURET THAT SENIOR 
PEOPLE IN THE ZANU-PF HIERARCHY PLANNED TO "TAKE OUT" A 
PROMINENT WHITE MEMBER OF THE MDC BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. 
STEVENSON, WHO IS WHITE, SURMISED THAT THE PRINCIPAL 
TARGETS WOULD BE AURET AND MP DAVID COLTART, BOTH OF WHOM 
PRESIDENT MUGABE REGULARLY SINGLES OUT FOR CRITICISM, MOST 
RECENTLY IN REMARKS TO THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED PRESS ON FEBRUARY 
21.  STEVENSON FEARED THAT ZANU-PF THUGS COULD INTERPRET THE 
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AS A GREEN LIGHT TO HARM AURET OR 
COLTART. 
 
2.  (C) POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF SOUGHT ADDITIONAL DETAILS 
IN A MEETING WITH COLTART ON FEBRUARY 27.  COLTART 
CONFIRMED TRUDY STEVENSON'S ACCOUNT, SAYING THE MESSAGE TO 
AURET HAD BEEN DELIVERED ON FEBRUARY 21 BY JAMES MUSHURI 
(PHONETIC), A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE NATIONAL MERCHANT BANK. 
IN ADDITION, MDC ADVISOR CLIVE PUZEY TOLD COLTART ON FEBRUARY 
22 THAT A LONGTIME CONTACT IN THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE 
ORGANIZATION HAD TOLD PUZEY THAT COLTART IS THE TARGET. 
COLTART IS CONVINCED THAT THE THREAT IS GENUINE, SINCE HE 
RECEIVED SIMILAR INFORMATION FROM TWO UNRELATED 
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SOURCES.  ASKED WHETHER HE HAS TAKEN ANY ACTION TO 
STRENGTHEN HIS PERSONAL SECURITY, COLTART SHRUGGED, SAYING 
THERE WAS LITTLE HE COULD DO.  HE DOES NOT OWN A HANDGUN, 
FOR INSTANCE, AND HAS NO INTENTION OF PURCHASING ONE. 
ASKED WHETHER THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT COULD DO 
ANYTHING TO BE HELPFUL, COLTART ASKED THAT ANY PUBLIC 
REMARKS CONTAIN A CATALOGUE OF ABUSES BY THE GOVERNMENT, 
RATHER THAN ADDRESS HIS CASE INDIVIDUALLY. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: FOR SOME TIME, RUMORS HAVE CIRCULATED HERE 
OF THE EXISTENCE OF A DEATH LIST CONTAINING THE NAMES OF 
MDC MEMBERS.  UNTIL RECENTLY, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GO AS FAR AS ORDERING THE 
ASSASSINATION OF MDC LEADERS, OR COMMIT SUCH INFORMATION TO 
PAPER IF IT TRULY INTENDED TO PROCEED ALONG THIS COURSE. 
NEVERTHELESS, THE MERE RUMOR OF A DEATH LIST WOULD BE AN 
EFFECTIVE TOOL IN INTIMIDATING THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION. 
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS THE GOZ HAS GONE 
TO RECENTLY TO SUPPRESS POLITICAL DISSENT AND ALTERNATIVE 
VIEWS -- BOMBING THE "DAILY NEWS" PRINTING PRESS, 
THREATENING JUDGES WITH PHYSICAL HARM AND FORCING OUT THE 
CHIEF JUSTICE, BEATING UP SENIOR MDC OFFICIALS IN THEIR 
HOMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AS WELL AS ORDINARY 
CIVILIANS IN HARARE'S HIGH DENSITY SUBURBS -- WE FRANKLY 
HAVE STOPPED BEING SURPRISED AT ANYTHING THE MUGABE 
GOVERNMENT DOES.  UNDERSTANDING THE CONSEQUENCES THAT SUCH 
A HIT MIGHT BRING WITH IT, GOVERNMENT OPERATIVES PROBABLY 
WOULD NOT CARRY IT OUT, BUT RATHER WOULD CREATE THE RIGHT 
CLIMATE FOR A FANATIC TO DO SO. 
 
IRVING 
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