US embassy cable - 02HARARE748

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Identifier:	02HARARE748
Wikileaks:	View 02HARARE748 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2002-03-21 13:38:00
Classification:	CONFIDENTIAL
Tags:	PGOV PREL ZI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/12 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT: MDC LEADER TSVANGIRAI FORMALLY CHARGED WITH TREASON 
 
REF:  A) HARARE 731  B) HARARE 572  C) HARARE 501  D) HARARE 411 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.  REASONS: 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (U) MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI WAS CHARGED WITH TREASON ON 
MARCH 20 IN THE ALLEGED PLOT TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT MUGABE. 
TSVANGIRAI PRESENTED HIMSELF AT THE HARARE CENTRAL POLICE STATION 
 
SIPDIS 
FOR FINGERPRINTING, THEN APPEARED AT THE HARARE MAGISTRATE'S 
COURT, WHICH FORMALLY CHARGED HIM WITH THE CAPITAL CRIME.   HE 
WAS RELEASED ON A BAIL OF Z$1.5 MILLION (APPROXIMATELY U.S. 
$5,000), AND WAS ORDERED TO SURRENDER THE TITLE DEED TO HIS 
HOUSE, WORTH Z$3 MILLION (APPROXIMATELY U.S. $10,000). 
TSVANGIRAI WAS ALSO ORDERED TO RELINQUISH HIS PASSPORT AND TO 
 
SIPDIS 
REPORT TO THE POLICE ONCE A WEEK.  THE PARTY'S SHADOW AGRICULTURE 
MINISTER AND MP FOR GWERU RURAL, RENSON GASELA, WAS ALSO CHARGED 
WITH TREASON BY THE SAME COURT.  HE WAS RELEASED ON Z$ 500,000 
BAIL (APPROXIMATELY U.S. $1500) AFTER BEING ORDERED TO COMPLY 
WITH THE SAME CONDITIONS AS TSVANGIRAI. 
 
2.  (U) MDC SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE -- WHO WAS HIMSELF 
RECENTLY CHARGED WITH TREASON IN THE SAME CASE -- PUBLICLY 
DESCRIBED THE FILING OF CHARGES AGAINST TSVANGIRAI AS "AN ATTEMPT 
TO CONTINUE HARASSING THE MDC LEADERSHIP IN ORDER TO STOP US FROM 
RESISTING AN ILLEGITIMATE ELECTION PROCESS."  TSVANGIRAI SPECIAL 
ADVISOR GANDI MUDZINGWA TOLD US THAT TSVANGIRAI, GASELA, AND 
NCUBE WILL APPEAR IN COURT ON APRIL 30 FOR AN INTERIM HEARING ON 
COMPLIANCE WITH BAIL CONDITIONS, BUT THAT NO TRIAL DATE HAS BEEN 
SET. 
 
3.  (C) MEANWHILE, MUDZINGWA TOLD US THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00748  211859Z 
FACILITATOR FOR THE INTER-PARTY DIALOGUE HAD ARRIVED ON MARCH 20 
AND THAT THE NIGERIAN FACILITATOR WAS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE 
NEXT DAY OR TWO.  THE MDC PLANNED TO SHARE WITH THEM THE LIST OF 
NEGOTIATING PRINCIPLES DESCRIBED BY THEIR MP DAVID COLTART IN A 
MARCH 19 CONVERSATION WITH THE AMBASSADOR (REF A).   SEVERAL 
MEMBERS OF THE KEY LEADERSHIP THEN PLAN TO HOLD A ONE-DAY RETREAT 
NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN CITY OF BULAWAYO MARCH 22-23 TO DETERMINE 
NEXT STEPS. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: THE FILING OF TREASON CHARGES AGAINST TSVANGIRAI 
LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER ZIMBABWE'S SUSPENSION FROM THE COUNCILS 
OF THE COMMONWEALTH DOES NOT AUGUR WELL FOR NEAR-TERM POLICY 
CHANGES BY PRESIDENT MUGABE'S GOVERNMENT NOR FOR THE LIKELY 
SUCCESS OF INTER-PARTY TALKS.  WE KNOW THAT PRESIDENTS MBEKI AND 
OBASANJO TRIED TO PERSUADE MUGABE TO DROP THE FLIMSY CHARGES 
AGAINST TSVANGIRAI AND OTHER MDC LEADERS AS A CONFIDENCE-BUILDING 
MEASURE, BUT THE ZIMBABWEAN LEADER RESISTED, APPARENTLY 
EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR THE CASE TO MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE 
COURTS. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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