US embassy cable - 01HARARE3463

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 003463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/19/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC 
INTENSIFIES 
 
REF:  HARARE 3400 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.  REASONS: 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (C) IN A SEVERAL-HOUR RAMPAGE THROUGH BULAWAYO ON NOVEMBER 16, 
WAR VETERANS AND ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS BURNED TO THE GROUND THE 
OPPOSITION MDC'S OFFICE, RANSACKED THE OFFICE OF THE CITY'S MAYOR, 
BEAT THOSE SELLING AND READING INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS, AND SMASHED 
CAR WINDSHIELDS.  THEY WERE ESCORTED BY RIOT POLICE WHO DID NOT 
INTERVENE.  IN RETALIATION, MDC SUPPORTERS BURNED DOWN A PRIVATE 
COLLEGE OWNED BY A SENIOR ZANU-PF OFFICIAL AND A TRUCK BELONGING 
TO A GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER, AND CLASHES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS 
CONTINUED INTO THE NIGHT IN THE HIGH-DENSITY SUBURBS.  AN UNEASY 
CALM HAS RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE'S SECOND-LARGEST CITY, BUT FEW 
OBSERVERS BELIEVE THE VIOLENCE IS OVER.  REMARKS BY PRESIDENT 
MUGABE ON NOVEMBER 19 WILL NOT HELP MATTERS, AS THE PRESIDENT 
BLAMED THE RECENT MURDER OF A PROMINENT WAR VETERAN ON THE MDC, 
ACCUSED THE OPPOSITION PARTY OF OPERATING TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS 
AND TORTURING ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS, AND INSISTING THAT THE MDC'S 
"DAYS ARE NUMBERED."  THE MDC'S NATIONAL COORDINATOR BELIEVES THE 
GOZ IS TRYING TO FRAME THE MDC AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION WHICH 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03463  01 OF 03  191923Z 
RECEIVES FOREIGN FUNDING IN VIOLATION OF ZIMBABWEAN LAW, THUS 
PROVIDING A LEGAL BASIS FOR OUTLAWING THE PARTY AND PROHIBITING IT 
FROM CONTESTING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  FOR OUR PART, WE 
SURMISE THAT INTIMIDATION GUARANTEEING A ZANU-PF "VICTORY" AT THE 
POLLS MAY BE MUGABE'S BOTTOM LINE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
WAR VETERANS RAMPAGE THROUGH BULAWAYO 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
2. (C) SEVERAL HUNDRED WAR VETERANS AND ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS 
RAMPAGED THROUGH THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT OF BULAWAYO ON 
NOVEMBER 16 AFTER MEETING WITH SENIOR RULING PARTY OFFICIALS ABOUT 
THE MURDER OF WAR VETERAN LEADER CAIN NKALA (REFTEL).  ESCORTED BY 
RIOT POLICE WHO APPARENTLY DID NOTHING TO RESTRAIN THEM, THE MOB 
RANDOMLY ATTACKED WITH STICKS VENDORS AND READERS OF INDEPENDENT 
NEWSPAPERS AND BROKE CAR WINDSHIELDS, FORCING A NUMBER OF 
FRIGHTENED BUSINESS OWNERS TO SHUT DOWN.  ACCORDING TO PRESS 
REPORTS, ONE WHITE ELDERLY MAN WAS BEATEN BY THE MOB, AND THERE 
WERE REPORTS THAT A GERMAN AID WORKER WHO HAPPENED TO BE IN THE 
VICINITY WAS ALSO ACCOSTED.  THE CROWD PROCEEDED TO CITY HALL, 
WHERE SEVERAL MARCHERS RANSACKED THE OFFICE OF MAYOR JAPHET 
NDABENI-NCUBE, ELECTED IN SEPTEMBER ON THE TICKET OF THE 
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC). NDABENI-NCUBE 
TOLD US THAT HE ESCAPED JUST BEFORE EIGHT MEN COMPLETELY RANSACKED 
HIS OFFICE -- HE LATER FOUND IMPORTANT PAPERS OUTSIDE IN A FLOWER 
GARDEN -- AND STOLE HIS BRIEFCASE.  HE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO 
POLICE IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD, BUT THEY HAD YET TO APPEAR BY 
NOVEMBER 19, THREE DAYS LATER.  THE MOB CAPPED OFF ITS DESTRUCTIVE 
AFTERNOON BY THROWING PETROL BOMBS AT THE OFFICE BUILDING OF THE 
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC), REDUCING IT TO A 
SMOLDERING SHELL, AS POLICE STOOD BY. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  03463  01 OF 03  191923Z 
 
RETALIATION 
----------- 
 
3. (C) THE BURNING OF THE MDC OFFICES SPARKED RETALIATION FROM 
ANGRY MDC YOUTHS, WHO BURNED DOWN A PRIVATE COLLEGE OWNED BY 
SIKHANYISO NDLOVU, ZANU-PF'S ACTING POLITICAL COMMISSAR AND SET 
ALIGHT A TRUCK BELONGING TO THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER 
"THE CHRONICLE."  A CROWD OF SEVERAL THOUSAND BULAWAYO RESIDENTS 
THEN GATHERED IN FRONT OF ZANU-PF OFFICES, INTENT ON DOING DAMAGE, 
BUT DISPERSED AFTER A TENSE STANDOFF WITH RIOT POLICE.   SHARI 
EPPEL, DIRECTOR OF THE BULAWAYO OFFICE OF THE RESPECTED HUMAN 
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION AMANI TRUST, SAID SKIRMISHES BETWEEN ZANU-PF 
AND MDC SUPPORTERS CONTINUED INTO THE NIGHT IN SOME OF THE CITY'S 
HIGH-DENSITY SUBURBS, BUT THAT THE SITUATION HAD CALMED DOWN BY 
THE NEXT MORNING.  SHE SAID MOST OF THE WAR VETERANS AND RULING 
PARTY THUGS WHO HAD STARTED THE TROUBLE ARRIVED ON TRAINS THE 
NIGHT BEFORE, WHILE A PROMINENT INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST TOLD US THE 
TROUBLEMAKERS WERE "NOT FROM HERE." 
 
4. (C) THE WAR VETERANS AND ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS WENT ON THEIR 
RAMPAGE AFTER RULING PARTY POLITBURO MEMBER -- AND FORMER MINISTER 
OF HOME AFFAIRS -- DUMISO DABENGWA REPORTEDLY WHIPPED THEM INTO AN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7590 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  03463  02 OF 03  191923Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  WHA-00   SRPP-00  EB-00 
      EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TRSE-00 
      T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00 
        /007W 
                  ------------------4070AE  191924Z /48 
O 191433Z NOV 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0318 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY OSLO 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 
AMEMBASSY ABUJA 
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 003463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  03463  02 OF 03  191923Z 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/19/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC 
INTENSIFIES 
 
EMOTIONAL STATE.  ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY 
"THE HERALD," DABENGWA DESCRIBED NKALA'S MURDER AS TERRORISM, AND 
CALLED ON THOSE PRESENT TO "CRUSH THIS TERRORISM...IN ITS INFANCY. 
NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THIS COUNTRY WHILE WE ARE ALIVE, 
THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN RULE IT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF WHITES 
SHOULD FORGET IT."  ZANU-PF'S ACTING POLITICAL COMMISSAR 
SIKHANYISO NDLOVU TOLD US HE HAD URGED THE CROWD TO MARCH WITH A 
POLICE ESCORT TO ENSURE THAT CRIMINAL ELEMENTS COULD NOT JOIN AND 
ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WHICH WOULD DISCREDIT THEM.  ASKED WHY THE 
POLICE DID NOT INTERVENE TO PREVENT THE MOB FROM BEATING PEOPLE OR 
DESTROYING PROPERTY, NDLOVU CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED. 
 
UNEASY CALM IN BULAWAYO 
----------------------- 
 
5. (C) SHARI EPPEL SAID THAT AN UNEASY CALM RETURNED TO BULAWAYO 
OVER THE WEEKEND.  SHE WAS GLAD NKALA HAD BEEN DECLARED A NATIONAL 
HERO BY THE RULING PARTY POLITBURO.  THAT DEVELOPMENT ENSURED THAT 
THE "CIRCUS" MOVED TO HARARE FOR THE NOVEMBER 18 BURIAL OF NKALA 
AT HEROES' ACRE AND ALLOWED TENSIONS IN ZIMBABWE'S SECOND-LARGEST 
CITY TO COOL.  EPPEL DESCRIBED BULAWAYO RESIDENTS AS ANXIOUS AND 
IN A "WAIT AND SEE" MODE. 
 
MUGABE PULLS NO PUNCHES 
----------------------- 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03463  02 OF 03  191923Z 
 
6. (C) AT NKALA'S BURIAL, PRESIDENT MUGABE WAS NOT IN A 
CONCILIATORY MOOD.  IN VENOMOUS REMARKS, HE BLAMED THE LATE WAR 
VETERAN'S MURDER ON THE MDC, WHICH HE SAID OPERATES TERRORIST 
TRAINING CAMPS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ZIMBABWE AND REGULARLY TORTURES 
ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS.  HE INSISTED THAT NKALA'S DEATH WAS THE RESULT 
OF AN "ORCHESTRATED, MUCH WIDER AND CAREFULLY PLANNED TERRORIST 
PLOT BY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENEMY FORCES WITH PLENTY OF FUNDING 
FROM...COMMERCIAL FARMERS" AND INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS.  "THE MDC AND THEIR SUPPORTERS," HE VOWED, "SHOULD 
KNOW THAT THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED."  MDC MP DAVID COLTART 
EXPRESSED CONCERN TO US THAT THE PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS COULD SPARK 
MORE VIOLENCE IN BULAWAYO.  MEANWHILE, A REPORTER AND A 
PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE INDEPENDENT "DAILY NEWS" WERE ARRESTED ON 
NOVEMBER 18 PRIOR TO THEIR PUBLISHING AN INTERVIEW WITH SOMEONE 
WHO CLAIMED TO KNOW THE FULL DETAILS OF NKALA'S ABDUCTION AND 
MURDER.  GOVERNMENT MEDIA ALLEGED THAT THE "DAILY NEWS" 
JOURNALISTS HAD TORTURED AN INDIVIDUAL INTO CONFESSING THAT HE WAS 
A CIO AGENT AND THAT THEY HAD MURDERED NKALA.  POLICE SEIZED THE 
REPORTER'S NOTES OF THE INTERVIEW AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S PICTURE 
OF THE INTERVIEWEE, AND THE TWO JOURNALISTS WERE STILL IN 
DETENTION ON NOVEMBER 19. 
 
BAN THE MDC 
----------- 
 
7. (C) MDC NATIONAL COORDINATOR ISAAC MAPOSA TOLD POLITICAL 
SECTION CHIEF ON NOVEMBER 19 THAT 30 MDC OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES 
HAD BEEN DETAINED SO FAR IN CONNECTION WITH THE NKALA MURDER, THE 
MOST SENIOR OF WHOM WAS FLETCHER DULINI-NCUBE, THE PARTY'S 
NATIONAL TREASURER.  MAPOSA DISMISSED GOZ ACCUSATIONS OF MDC 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  03463  02 OF 03  191923Z 
INVOLVEMENT IN NKALA'S MURDER, SAYING A RELIABLE WAR VETERAN BASED 
IN BULAWAYO HAD TOLD THE OPPOSITION PARTY IN CONFIDENCE THAT HE 
HAD BEEN KILLED BY OTHER WAR VETERANS.  MAPOSA ACKNOWLEDGED 
FEELING FRIGHTENED BY THE WEEK'S TURN OF EVENTS, NOTING THAT ONE 
IS NOT DEALING WITH A RATIONAL, REASONABLE GOVERNMENT BUT, RATHER, 
ONE WILLING TO TORTURE AND KILL THOSE WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH IT. 
MAPOSA BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT'S STRATEGY IS TO BUILD A CASE 
AGAINST THE MDC AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION BY TORTURING MDC 
SUPPORTERS INTO MAKING FALSE CONFESSIONS IN THE NKALA CASE AND BY 
IDENTIFYING ANY FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THE PARTY, WHICH 
WOULD PROVIDE A LEGAL BASIS FOR OUTLAWING THE MDC AND PREVENTING 
IT FROM CONTESTING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  ASKED WHETHER THE 
MDC RECEIVES FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING, MAPOSA SAID YES, BUT ONLY 
THREE PEOPLE IN THE PARTY ARE AWARE OF THE DETAILS: HIMSELF, 
PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, AND SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE. 
MAPOSA WAS CLEARLY ANXIOUS THAT HE WOULD BE HAULED IN AND FORCED 
TO REVEAL WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT THIS TOPIC. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
8. (C) TENSIONS HAD BEEN BUILDING IN BULAWAYO FOR TEN DAYS, AS THE 
GOVERNMENT/ZANU-PF ORCHESTRATED A CAMPAIGN BLAMING THE MDC FOR 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7592 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  03463  03 OF 03  191924Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  WHA-00   SRPP-00  EB-00 
      EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TRSE-00 
      T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00 
        /007W 
                  ------------------4070B3  191924Z /48 
O 191433Z NOV 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0319 
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY OSLO 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 
AMEMBASSY ABUJA 
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 003463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  03463  03 OF 03  191924Z 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/19/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC 
INTENSIFIES 
 
NKALA'S MURDER.  ACCORDING TO SHARI EPPEL, MOST LOCAL RESIDENTS 
ARE "100% CONVINCED" THAT IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB.  NO EVIDENCE -- 
OTHER THAN A CONFESSION FROM TWO MDC SUPPORTERS WHICH MAY HAVE 
BEEN ELICITED UNDER DURESS OR THROUGH BRIBERY -- HAS BEEN 
PRESENTED IMPLICATING ANYONE IN THE MURDER.  THE FAILURE OF POLICE 
TO PREVENT THE WAR VETERANS FROM GUTTING THE MDC BUILDING, 
RANSACKING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND BEATING PEOPLE AS THEY WENT -- 
AND THEIR FAILURE EVEN TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT IN THE MAYOR'S 
OFFICE THREE DAYS AFTER THE FACT -- SUGGESTS GOZ SANCTION OR 
COMPLIANCE. IT IS CLEAR THAT IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH FOR THE 
RESIDENTS OF BULAWAYO -- WHO HAVE BORNE THE BRUNT OF GOVERNMENT 
NEGLECT AND THE RULING PARTY'S VIOLENT TACTICS IN THE PAST -- TO 
POUR INTO THE STREETS, A FACT WHICH MIGHT HAVE TAKEN ZANU-PF 
OFFICIALS BY SURPRISE.  THIS MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR THE NOVEMBER 16 
APPEALS FOR RESTRAINT BY HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER JOHN NKOMO AND 
INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO.  BUT MUGABE'S IRRESPONSIBLE 
REMARKS AT THE NKALA FUNERAL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, AND COULD VERY 
WELL FORESHADOW A CRACKDOWN ON THE MDC OF THE KIND DESCRIBED BY 
MAPOSA, ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT THINK THAT MUGABE WISHES TO JETTISON 
HIS LEGITIMACY BY COMPLETELY BANNING THE MDC FROM CONTESTING AN 
ELECTION IN WHICH ALL THE LOGISTICAL AND LEGAL ADVANTAGES ACCRUE 
TO ZANU-PF. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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