US embassy cable - 03HARARE1097

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001097 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OPS CENTER PLEASE PASS TO EVIAN 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PLAUMER 
BANGKOK FOR WIN DAYTON 
DS/OP/AF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2008 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, PINR, ASEC, ZI 
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI DETAINED AS WEEK OF MDC PLANNED MASS 
ACTION BEGINS 
 
REF: HARARE 1081 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Peggy Blackford for reasons 1.5 b/d 
 
1.  (C) Summary. MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested 
this morning as his party prepared to kick off a week of mass 
action including demonstrations and stayaways against the 
government of Robert Mugabe.  Though charges have not yet 
been brought against Tsvangirai, it may be that the 
government plans to accuse him of violating a court order 
handed down Saturday declaring the mass action illegal.  Over 
the weekend the Government of Zimbabwe set up road blocks 
within Harare to limit the movement of large groups of 
people.  Today Harare is virtually closed for business with 
most people being unable to obtain transport even if they do 
wish to go to work. It is unclear, however,  whether the MDC 
will have equal success in organizing demonstrations.   End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Welshman Ncube, MDC spokesman, told the BBC in an 
interview this morning that Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the 
opposition MDC party, has been detained by the GOZ.  This 
information was confirmed by several additional MDC sources 
who said that Tsvangirai had been picked up about 8:20 and is 
being held at Harare Central by the Law and Order section of 
the police.  No charges have yet been made. Tsvangirai was 
also due in court this morning at 10 to face the treason 
charges previously brought against him.  Other MDC leaders 
say that they are expecting to be arrested as well.  Several 
MDC officials say that their homes were attacked on Sunday 
evening. 
 
3.  (C)  Over the weekend the GOZ obtained a ruling from the 
High Court declaring this week's announced mass action 
(reftel) illegal.  Gandi Mudzingwa, Tsvangirai's special 
advisor, told PolOff that the MDC did not recognize this 
ruling as valid and planned to go ahead with its activities. 
There were reports of a handful of  arrests and some 
incidents of violence over the weekend in the high density 
areas but no major clashes.  GOZ police and military were out 
in large numbers beginning on Saturday morning.  Roadblocks 
were established on all roads leading into town though most 
private cars were waved through. 
 
4.  (SBU)  As of Monday morning there was little traffic on 
the roads and virtually no transport available from the high 
density areas. The Embassy is open for business but between 
half and a third of the Embassy's locally hired employees 
failed to show up for work.  Factory owners in the light 
industrial area report that almost all their employees are 
absent.  PolOffs driving around the city report that center 
city has a fair number of people on the street and there is 
speculation that they may be planning to gather in protest at 
a later time.  Many police, in groups of 4 or 5 are also on 
the street.  Nearly all shops are closed.  Several EmbOffs on 
their way to work noticed a several hundred people gathered 
near the University of Zimbabwe.  Since then they were 
apparently dispersed by police using tear gas.  The ground 
remains littered with rocks and tree branches and police are 
heavily deployed.  Scattered reports are coming in from FSNs 
and others of groups gathering in the high density areas 
particularly the suburb of Kuwadzana. 
 
SULLIVAN