US embassy cable - 03HARARE557

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000557 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR CNEARY 
NAIROBI FOR TPFLAUMER 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ASEC, ZI 
SUBJECT: MDC-ORGANIZED STAYAWAY SHUTS DOWN URBAN CENTERS 
 
REF: HARARE 546 
 
Classified By: political section chief Matt Harrington.  Reasons: 1.5 ( 
B) and (D). 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
1. (C) A majority of businesses in Harare and other 
Zimbabwean cities complied with the opposition MDC's call for 
a national stayaway on March 18.  It is unclear how many 
employees stayed at home because they agreed with the 
stayaway's political objectives and how many were simply 
unable to find transport.  There were unconfirmed reports of 
trouble in some of Harare's high-density suburbs, including 
stoning and burning of some commuter omnibuses and erection 
of road barricades by MDC youths.  Police have deployed in 
force to Harare's high-density suburbs and are determined to 
quash any protests before they spread.  A military helicopter 
was seen patrolling the skies over Harare.  Many businesses 
have told us they plan to close on March 19 for the second 
day of the called stayaway, primarily to avoid subjecting 
their workers to the potentially risky task of finding public 
transport to and from work.  The success of the second day of 
the announced stayaway -- on March 19 -- will be a key test 
of the MDC's political heft.  The opposition party is pleased 
with the results of the first day and is contemplating an 
attempt to organize street protests on March 19, beginning in 
the capital's high-density areas.  End Summary. 
 
Large-scale participation 
------------------------- 
 
2.  (C)  Significant numbers of Zimbabweans in urban centers 
have complied with the opposition MDC's call for a national 
stayaway on March 18.  In a midday drive around Harare, 
polchief observed that approximately 50-60 percent of retail 
outlets and some banks in the central business district were 
closed, with many of the normally full parking spaces 
available, and pedestrian and vehicular traffic noticeably 
lighter than normal.  The entire industrial area looked like 
a ghost town, with virtually every business shut down. 
Colgate Palmolive, whose experience appeared to be typical of 
that of most large companies in Harare, was barely able to 
function, as 75 percent of its work force did not make it to 
work.  A large insurance company reported that only about 20 
percent of its workers from high-density suburbs made it to 
work, but most of those arrived late because of transport 
problems.  Many companies which remained open told us they 
planned to release their workers by early afternoon, to give 
them plenty of time to find transport home. 
 
3.  (C)  In the second-largest city of Bulawayo, 
approximately half of downtown retail outlets were closed, 
while most businesses in the industrial area were closed. 
Those that were open were reportedly operating at about 50 
percent capacity.  The mayor of the southern city of Masvingo 
-- Alois Chaimiti -- told us that about 80 percent of 
downtown shops and some banks were closed there and that 
virtually no commuter omnibuses were operating.  MDC special 
advisor Gandi Mudzingwa claimed to us that most businesses in 
Hwange were closed, although only about 30 percent of 
companies in the eastern city of Mutare had agreed to close. 
In the central Zimbabwean city of Gweru, ten percent of 
workers at Bata Shoes did not show up for work at the 
company's three plants. 
 
Violence 
-------- 
 
4.  (U) It is impossible to discern how many Zimbabweans 
stayed away from work because they agreed with the stayaway's 
political objectives, and how many had simply been unable to 
find transport.  In many of Harare's high-density suburbs, 
MDC youths successfully prevented commuter omnibuses from 
transporting people to work.  In Hatfield, Glenview, 
Kuwadzana, Tafara, Epworth, and Mabvuku, roads were 
reportedly blocked by improvised barricades of rocks and, in 
some cases, burning tires.  Some public and private vehicles 
that stopped to pick up passengers were stoned.  A private 
bus operator in Glenview dispatched his buses to the area as 
usual the morning of March 18 but pulled them back after 
stoning incidents.  We have heard unconfirmed reports of 
vehicles -- primarily commuter omnibuses -- being burnt in 
the high- and medium-density suburbs for daring to take 
people to work, including Mabvuku, Rugare, Epworth, Zengeza, 
Kambuzuma, and Braeside.  It is unclear whether these are all 
separate incidents or multiple reports of the same event.  In 
Hatfield, a bread delivery truck and a long-distance ZUPCO 
bus were reportedly torched. 
 
5.  (C) Only 28 of USAID's 67 FSN employees made it to work 
today, while 15 percent of State and CDC FSN's were absent. 
In Hatcliff, a custodian at CDC was roughed up by six men who 
demanded to know why he was going to work -- his forearm was 
injured and he narrowly escaped a head injury from a thrown 
rock.  The Embassy has encouraged FSN's who may have trouble 
travelling to their homes in high-density areas to leave 
early. 
 
Government reaction 
------------------- 
 
6.  (C)  Determined to prevent large numbers of demonstrators 
from getting into the city center, police established 
roadblocks on most of the major arteries leading into town. 
Police presence has been heavy in some high-density suburbs 
and, on March 18, armored police vehicles have been observed 
entering some of these areas.  Interestingly, there was 
almost no overt police presence in downtown Harare, 
suggesting that police are focusing on the current trouble 
spots in high-density suburbs.  MDC advisor Mudzingwa claimed 
that police forces are stretched very thin at the moment, and 
that many of them have been deployed since the early morning 
hours and are exhausted.  A military helicopter has been 
patrolling the skies over Harare, with a gunner visibly in 
position.  We have heard unconfirmed reports of armed forces 
being deployed to some trouble spots and are trying to verify 
these. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
7.  (C)  The MDC has to be pleased with the results of day 
one of the stayaway, as they have demonstrated the capacity 
to shut down large sectors of the economy.  The real test of 
the party's political heft, however, will be whether they are 
able to sustain this effort through at least a second day and 
perhaps beyond.  The evening of March 18, the MDC plans to 
assess the success of the mass action so far and determine 
whether to proceed with street protests on March 19, 
beginning in the high-density suburbs.  Police have so far 
been able to contain incidents of violence but we have no 
doubt that any attempts to expand violent confrontation will 
be met with overwhelming force, including deployment of 
military forces. 
 
8.  (C)  The day's events have not affected Embassy 
operations or the low-density residential areas in which our 
American families live. 
SULLIVAN