US embassy cable - 05HARARE713

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DUST-UP AT MDC,S HARVEST HOUSE

Identifier: 05HARARE713
Wikileaks: View 05HARARE713 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2005-05-20 07:01:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI MDC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000713 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR D. MOZENA, B. NEULING 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, ZI, MDC 
SUBJECT: DUST-UP AT MDC,S HARVEST HOUSE 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Eric Schultz under Section 1.4 
b/d 
 
1.  (U) According to local press reports, a gang of youths 
occupied the MDC's Harvest House headquarters May 16-17 and 
demanded the removal of party Secretary-General Welshman 
Ncube, Deputy Secretary-General Gift Chimanikire, Treasurer 
Fletcher Dulini-Ncube and other senior executives.  President 
Morgan Tsvangirai and Chairman Isaac Matongo were not 
included in the list.  The youths reportedly attempted to 
confiscate certain party vehicles, including those belonging 
to Ncube and Chimanikire.  MDC Spokesperson Paul 
Themba-Nyathi publicly attributed the fracas to &ZANU-PF 
infiltrators.8 
 
2.  (C) MDC Secretary General Welshman Ncube on May 18 
confirmed to the Embassy details of the occupation by youths, 
whom Ncube said were in fact party members.  According to 
Ncube, the attackers injured several people, including the 
Party Secretary for Harare, who suffered a broken arm, and 
the Mashonaland East Provincial Spokesperson, who had several 
teeth knocked out.  Ncube alleged that unnamed MDC senior 
officials had orchestrated the disturbance because they 
feared they would lose their positions at the Party Congress 
(still scheduled for January).  He said the party had called 
on police assistance to quell the disturbance, and four 
suspects had been arrested. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: Despite the March 31 parliamentary election 
results, the MDC leadership remains firmly in control of the 
party.  However, internecine competition and debates over 
tactics in the run-up to the Party Congress unfortunately 
appear likely to fuel further tensions and to absorb the 
party,s energies at a time when they would be better served 
connecting with growing public discontent over the country,s 
economic meltdown and especially the collapse of public 
services (septel). 
DELL 

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