US embassy cable - 04HARARE1197

UNCLAS HARARE 001197 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICAN DIRECTOR C. COURVELLE, D.TEITELBAUM 
LONDON FOR C.GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C.NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, ZI, MDC 
SUBJECT: ANOTHER OPPOSITION MP ARRESTED 
 
REF: (A) HARARE 858 (B) HARARE 716  (C) HARARE 693 (D) 
HARARE 553 
 
1. (U) GOZ police arrested MDC MP for Glen Norah, Priscilla 
Misihairambwi - Mushonga on July 15. Misihairambwi was asked 
to present herself to the Law and Order section at Harare 
Central Police station at 9:30 am. Charged under the 
Miscellaneous Offences Act, she is accused of having 
breached the peace by using threatening abusive language or 
behaving in a threatening manner while brandishing a pistol 
in connection with an incident involving a man in her 
constituency.  Misihariambwi was released at 7 pm after 
spending nine hours in police custody. 
 
2. (SBU) Lawyers for Misihairambwi advised the Embassy on 
July 15 that Misihairambwi denied the allegations. 
Misihairambwi's attorney said that she had been arrested for 
trying to investigate allegations of assault in her 
constituency.  MDC members of her constituency who had been 
assaulted by two Zanu-PF members approached Misihairambwi 
for help.  On July 13, the MP assisted these individuals in 
making a report to Glen Norah police station and then 
approached an unidentified man, who was alleged to be one of 
the assailants. This unidentified man later reported to the 
police that Misihairambwi had threatened him with a gun. 
 
3. (SBU) According to the lawyers, police searched the MP's 
home and offices last night but failed to locate a pistol. 
The police will continue to investigate the matter and 
proceed by way of summons if they feel that she has a case 
to answer. 
 
4. (SBU) COMMENT:  ZANU-PF pressure on MDC MPs takes on many 
guises and is increasing across the board in the run up to 
next March's scheduled parliamentary elections. 
Misihairambwi is the third MDC MP in the last few months to 
fall victim to the GOZ's systematic strategy of intimidating 
the opposition through arrest on apparently trumped up 
charges.  A very active Chairperson of the Parliamentary 
Public Accounts Committee, Misihariambwi is a popular, 
outgoing politician who is highly regarded in diplomatic 
circles.  Other MDC MPs arrested this year include Job 
Sikhala (ref B), Evelyn Masaiti (ref C), and Ben Tumbare- 
Mutasa (ref D), while Roy Bennet faces potential 
incarceration over his involvement in a fracas on the floor 
of parliament (ref A).  In most cases, proceedings do not 
result in a conviction but their existence absorbs the 
opposition's time and resources while generating fodder for 
the relentless GOZ propaganda mill. 
 
SULLIVAN