US embassy cable - 03HARARE77

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR CNEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: MDC MAYOR OF HARARE SPENDS TWO DAYS IN JAIL 
 
REF: A) 1/11/03 BELLAMY-HARRINGTON TELCON B) HARARE 42 
 
Classified By: political section chief Matt Harrington.  Reasons: 1.5 ( 
B) and (D). 
 
1.  (U) Action request -- see para 5. 
 
2.  (C) Mayor of Harare Elias Mudzuri was released from 
detention on January 13 after spending two nights in jail. 
He was arrested on January 11 along with his deputy mayor and 
several city councillors during a meeting with constituents 
in the Harare high density suburb of Mabvuku.  Although no 
formal charges were filed, a police spokesman told 
journalists that Mudzuri had violated the draconian Public 
Order and Security Act (POSA) by not seeking advance 
permission to hold the meeting.  After Mudzuri's attorney -- 
Beatrice Mtetwa -- was denied access to her client most of 
January 12, she was able to obtain a High Court order late 
that day instructing police to produce Mudzuri in court and 
make clear the charges against him.   In the morning of 
January 13, Mudzuri appeared before High Court Judge Benjamin 
Paradza, who ordered Mudzuri's immediate release, saying he 
appeared to have no case to answer.  A police request that 
Mudzuri be kept under detention while investigations 
continued apparently fell on deaf ears. 
 
3.  (U)  As reported ref B, Mudzuri is one of five mayors 
representing the opposition Movement for Democratic Change 
(MDC).  After he began making noticeable improvements to 
Harare's roads and other infrastructure shortly after his 
election in March 2002 by an overwhelming majority, the 
Government of Zimbabwe launched a smear campaign to discredit 
him with unsubstantiated accusations of corruption and 
incompetence.  In addition, the Government appointed a 
special commission to "help" Mudzuri devise a revitalization 
plan for Harare and -- in a move widely seen as an effort to 
hinder the ability of MDC office-holders to govern -- 
recently announced its intention to create governorships for 
Harare and Bulawayo, both of which are controlled by the MDC. 
 
4.  (C) Comment:  Arresting an elected official for meeting 
with his constituents is absurd, but it constitutes only the 
latest move in a comprehensive Government campaign to harass 
and discredit one of the opposition's most visible 
officeholders.  Mudzuri had held a series of recent meetings 
with Harare taxpayers to discuss the range of challenges 
facing the city, including water shortages, and the GOZ 
appears to have grown nervous about allowing him a forum for 
addressing large groups of disgruntled Zimbabweans or for 
correcting GOZ-disseminated attacks on the Mayor in the state 
media.  This latest move suggests that the GOZ is 
increasingly willing to abandon even the pretence of respect 
for genuine democratic norms. 
 
5.  (U) Action requested:  Per ref A, we believe that 
Mudzuri's arrest warrants strong criticism from the 
Department, perhaps in a statement expressing outrage at the 
Government of Zimbabwe's jettisoning of even the appearance 
of democratic governance. 
 
 
SULLIVAN