US embassy cable - 03HARARE322

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ASEC, ZI, MDC, ZANU-PF 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT INTENSIFIES ANTI-MDC VIOLENCE AND 
INTIMIDATION 
 
REF: A. HARARE 214 
     B. HARARE 159 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
1. (C) In the past three weeks police have arrested and 
detained four MDC MPs, arrested 28 other MDC officials, 
beaten three, tortured at least one and denied permission, 
and / or halted at least four planned gatherings.  As the 
opposition attempts to organize for upcoming parliamentary 
by-elections, and to galvanize public frustration with the 
GOZ, the Mugabe regime has stepped-up its intimidation of 
opposition supporters.  End Summary. 
 
MPs Arrested, Detained 
---------------------- 
2. (U) The outspoken MDC MP for Harare North, Trudy 
Stevenson, was arrested and detained along with other MDC 
activists on February 10, for several hours.  The group was 
arrested while attempting to submit a petition to the 
Namibian High Commission protesting the Namibian team's 
participation in a World Cup Cricket match in Zimbabwe. 
Stevenson and the group were released later that day without 
charge.  One police officer did threaten to charge Stevenson 
with murder, accusing her of murdering the Zimbabwean people 
by attempting to keep away tourists and cricketers. 
 
3. (U) On February 8, Gabriel Chaibva, MDC MP for Harare 
South and Shadow Minister for Local Government, seven other 
MDC officials, and several MDC supporters were arrested in 
Hwange while attending a local government strategy workshop 
with local councilors.  The workshop was apparently intended 
to strengthen the capacity of MDC councilors to deliver 
services to their constituents.  The group included Ian 
Makone, a member of the MDC negotiating team to the aborted 
MDC-ZANU PF talks, and Alphinah Ndlovu, MDC Provincial 
chairperson for Matabeleland North.  The group was detained 
for several hours at Hwange Police Station before being 
released without charge. 
 
4. (U) On February 8, MDC MP for Harare East, and Secretary 
for Economic Affairs, Tendai Biti, and MDC MP for Glen View 
(Harare) Paul Madzore and 16 other party supporters were 
arrested as they prepared to hold a rally in Mabvuku (about 
15 kms east of Harare).  The group of 18 was held in a small 
lice-infested cell in which other detainees defecated on the 
floor.  The group was released on February 10 after their 
lawyers argued, and the AG's office conceded, that there was 
nothing for which to charge them.  Biti and Madzore had not 
notified police of the planned rally, as required by the 
draconian Public Order and Security Act (POSA). 
 
Activists Beaten, Tortured 
-------------------------- 
5. (U) On February 3, riot police arrested, detained, denied 
food and beat severely for three days MDC activist Emmanuel 
Toperesu at the Harare Central Police Station.  Police 
accused Toperesu of distributing money to MDC youths who 
would protest the opening of the Tsvangirai trial.  Police 
also demanded a list of MDC supporters attending the trial, 
and plans for other protests with MDC MP Job Sikhala and the 
National Constitutional Assembly.  Police released Toperesu 
after he signed an admission of guilt statement and paid a 
fine of US$2.00 (Z$3,000).  When he was arrested Toperesu was 
still recovering from having been severely beaten in police 
custody in November 2002 (see paragraph 6). 
 
6. (U) Edison Mukwasi, an MDC activist and former MDC youth 
chair for Harare died on February 2 of punctured lung and 
liver injuries sustained during two encounters with police 
torture in January 2001 and November 2002.  In January 2001, 
police arrested Mukwasi in Bikita West with 12 other MDC 
members, tortured them for four days, and dumped them 
overnight in the Gonarezhou National Park--full of wild 
game--in southeastern Zimbabwe.  In November 2002 police 
arrested, beat severely, and released without charge Mukwasi, 
Toperesu (see paragraph 5) and other MDC activists for 
distributing, at a cricket match, documentation of GOZ 
brutalities. 
 
7. (U) On January 24, Police arrested, detained and tortured, 
MDC chairperson for Ward 44 Resias Masunda at the Goromonzi 
Police Station.  During the assault police demanded 
information on the January 13 burning of a commuter bus owned 
by a parastatal, the names of people who attacked the house 
of a ZANU-PF activist in March 2002, and details of the MDC 
campaign strategy for the Kuwadzana by-election scheduled for 
March 29-30.  Police attached electrodes and wet cloths to 
Masunda's mouth and genitals while subjecting him to electric 
shocks.  Police released Masunda on January 29 without charge. 
 
8. (U) On January 21, police arrested, detained and severely 
beat MDC Organizing Secretary for Kuwadzana district Derek 
Madharani at the Goromonzi Police Station.  During the 
assault, police demanded to know who petrol-bombed the 
ZANU-PF offices at the Kuwadzana 5 Shopping Center on January 
20 (see paragraph 10) where several MDC members had recently 
been beaten, and what the MDC,s campaign strategy was for 
the Kuwadzana by-election.  Madharani suffered a punctured 
eardrum before being released without charge on January 24. 
 
Councilor Arrested, Detained 
---------------------------- 
9. (U) On January 29 Police arrested and detained overnight 
MDC Harare City Councilor Michael Laban as he tried to 
convince police officers to admit Harare residents to Town 
House for a meeting with MDC Mayor Elias Mudzuri, (Ref A). 
After spending a night in a lice-infested, overcrowded Harare 
Central Police station cell, Laban was charged under POSA and 
released on bail of US$1.30 (Z$2,000). 
 
ZANU-PF Offices Petrol-Bombed 
----------------------------- 
10. (U) On January 20, suspected MDC youths petrol-bombed 
ZANU-PF offices in the Kuwadzana 5 Shopping Center in 
Kuwadzana.  The MDC had criticized the ruling party for using 
the offices as a base for its youth militia, who have 
conducted violent interrogations and beatings of opposition 
supporters.  Police arrested and beat, some severely, several 
opposition supporters in connection with the bombing, (see 
paragraph 8) however no one has been charged. 
 
Rallies Halted 
-------------- 
11. (SBU) On February 12 police in Bulawayo denied the 
organization Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) permission to 
hold a Valentine's Day "Walk for Love" from the City Hall to 
the High Court in Bulawayo.  Although police have threatened 
to arrest her, activist and WOZA head Sheba Dube, said they 
have publicized the walk widely in the independent press and 
plan to hold it regardless. 
 
12. (SBU) On February 7 High Court judge Susan Mavangira 
upheld police denial of a request by MDC MPs Job Sikhala and 
Ben Tumbare-Mutasa to hold a political rally at the Chibuku 
Stadium in Chitungwiza.  According to Sikhala the rally was 
intended to help publicize his recent torture, and strengthen 
opposition support in the two constituencies.  The MP's 
lawyer argued in court that POSA requires event organizers to 
notify police, but has no provision for police to grant or 
deny permission. 
 
13. (U) During January and February police have, on at least 
two other occasions, stopped meetings between MDC politicians 
and their constituents already in progress, (Ref A, B), in 
one event which turned violent at Harare's Town House, police 
permission had been "granted" in advance. 
 
Judge Decries Violence 
---------------------- 
14. (U) In his remarks at the opening of the High Court in 
Masvingo on February 13 Justice Moses Chinhengo criticized 
police for harassing, detaining, beating and torturing 
suspects without any evidence of crimes having been 
committed.  Chinhengo said that police brutalization of 
suspects was bringing the whole justice system into disrepute. 
 
Comment: 
-------- 
15. (C) Committed to regaining a two-thirds parliamentary 
majority, the GOZ appears worried that the upcoming 
by-elections in Kuwadzana and Highfield are not a sure bet, 
and is relying on its tried-and-true tactics of intimidation. 
 Zimbabweans naturally blame the GOZ for the country's 
economic woes.  But caged in by increasing public discontent, 
a plummeting economy and a determination to survive, the GOZ 
has stepped-up (again) its violent campaign of intimidation 
in order to thwart opposition planning and influence.  End 
Comment. 
SULLIVAN