US embassy cable - 02HARARE2322

UNCLAS HARARE 002322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: FORMER MDC SPOKESMAN FOUND DEAD IN PRISON 
 
 
1.  Former MDC spokesman and MP Learnmore Jongwe was found 
dead in his prison cell early in the morning of October 22. 
Jongwe was arrested in July for fatally stabbing his wife, 
and he subsequently confessed to the crime.  Jongwe had 
been denied bail by both the High Court and Supreme Court, 
ostensibly for fear that he would abscond.  His trial had 
been scheduled for November.  (Note: In 2000, Jongwe won 
his parliamentary seat in Kuwadzana -- a high-density 
suburb in Harare -- with a convincing margin over his Zanu- 
PF opponent:  15 691 votes to 4 349.  End Note.) 
 
2.  MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai released a strong press 
statement expressing the party's shock and regret, and 
saying the MDC "holds the Mugabe regime accountable for the 
death of Jongwe.deaths in custody are associated with 
tyrannical and oppressive regimes worldwide whose aim is to 
eliminate opponents, silence critics and promote open 
fascism."  The statement ends by vowing that the opposition 
party "will intensify the struggle for the supremacy of the 
people's power and sovereignty." 
 
3.  The MDC's National Youth Chairman -- and a close friend 
of Jongwe -- Nelson Chamisa told us that the MDC had been 
denied access to the prison since Jongwe's death.  He said 
Jongwe's uncle had seen the former MDC parliamentarian at 
approximately 1 pm on October 21 and that he appeared to be 
in reasonable spirits at that time.  MDC MP David Coltart 
told us that the party had heard unconfirmed reports that 
Jongwe had been taken out of his cell yesterday and 
returned last night, a report we also heard from other 
reliable sources.  Coltart did not rule out suicide as a 
possible cause of death but encouraged the international 
community to call for an independent investigation and 
autopsy.   The Director of Zimbabwe Prisons, Paradzayi 
Zimondi, insisted that a "full investigation" would be 
conducted, but the MDC is understandably reluctant to take 
him at his word. 
 
4. Comment: It is unclear at this stage what may have 
caused Jongwe's death or whether the GOZ may have played a 
part in it.  It is interesting that reports in the 
government media have failed to provide any details on the 
manner in which Jongwe might have died, only that he was 
found dead in his cell.  The GOZ had been using his case to 
portray the MDC as a violent party, and planned to try to 
further discredit the opposition party by trying Jongwe at 
the same time as Tsvangirai's treason trial.  It thus is 
not clear that the government would have had any motive for 
ordering his murder.  Although the Government is determined 
to gain as many parliamentary seats as possible, in an 
effort to regain a two-thirds majority, Jongwe likely would 
have been convicted in November and lost his parliamentary 
seat in any case.   The reports -- as yet unconfirmed - 
that Jongwe was taken from his cell for a number of hours 
yesterday is troubling.  Until we learn more details, 
however, it would be premature to speculate, but the 
Department may wish to consider David Coltart's suggestion 
that we call publicly for an independent investigation and 
autopsy. 
 
JSULLIVAN