US embassy cable - 03HARARE1491

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001491 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER 
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY 
PARIS FOR C. NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MDC NOMINEES HARASSED, PREVENTED FROM FORWARDING 
THEIR CANDIDACIES 
 
REF: HARARE 1475 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
1. (C) On July 21, about 20 cities across Zimbabwe opened 
nominations for candidates to stand in mayoral and urban 
council elections to be held on August 30-31, but at least 20 
would-be opposition candidates were prevented from 
registering by ruling party youths.  This occurred before the 
MDC received assurances from ZANU-PF that they would be 
allowed to campaign freely in exchange for Tsvangirai and MDC 
MPs' agreement not to boycott Mugabe's speech at the opening 
of parliament on July 22 (Ref).  ZANU-PF officials have 
reportedly promised to re-open the affected nomination 
courts, and, if that happens and the MDC is allowed to 
campaign freely, this could dramatically change the tenor of 
these elections for the better, as compared to every other 
election in the past two years, which has been tainted by 
intimidation.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) On July 21, nominations were held in about 20 cities 
across Zimbabwe for candidates to stand in mayoral and urban 
council elections to be held August 30-31. 
 
Candidacies Prevented 
--------------------- 
 
3. (U) According to the independent Daily News at least 20 
opposition candidates in Chegutu, Bindura, Marondera, Rusape 
and Karoi were forcefully prevented from registering their 
candidacies.  According to the government-owned The Herald, 
ZANU-PF candidates subsequently won 44 council seats and one 
mayoral seat uncontested.  The ruling party did, however, 
fail to field two council candidates in Bulawayo--those seats 
fell to the opposition MDC. 
 
4. (C) In Chegutu, Amani Trust (a local human rights NGO) 
reported that ruling party youths beat 11 people in the 
vicinity of the nomination court.  The Daily News reported 
that MDC council candidate Albert Ndlovu suffered severe neck 
injuries when he was attacked by ruling party youths who 
manned the gate at Chegutu Town House (where nominations were 
to take place.) The Daily News reported that in Chegutu, 10 
ZANU-PF council candidates subsequently won their seats 
unopposed. 
 
5. (U) The Daily News reported that In Karoi, two MDC 
candidates were taken to hospital for treatment of wounds 
inflicted by ruling party youths. 
 
6. (U) In Bindura and Chegutu ZANU-PF youths set up makeshift 
roadblocks and prevented MDC candidate Fred Chimbiri from 
reaching the nomination court. 
 
7. (C) Amani Trust also reported that ruling party youth 
militia members beat 4 people in Marondera near the 
nomination site on July 21. 
 
8. (U) The MDC reported that they failed to field all their 
candidates in Rusape, Bindura, Karoi, Chegutu, and Marondera 
because of violence. 
 
Campaign of Intimidation 
------------------------ 
 
9. (C) In the weeks leading up to the nominations, the MDC 
reported that ZANU-PF youths harassed and threatened one of 
their council candidates in Marondera, Deliquah Nicholas 
Simon Musiwa, and his family.  According to the MDC, ZANU-PF 
youths abducted Musiwa's wife Sarudzai and their 18-yr old 
son Peter on June 5, held them overnight, and assaulted them 
at the ZANU-PF Mashonaland East Provincial Headquarters.  On 
June 6 Musiwa was detained by police for 2 days and was 
reportedly assaulted by Criminal Investigations Department 
(CID) Inspector Manjengwa and four other police officers. 
Musiwa subsequently sought medical care at Masvingo General 
Hospital. 
 
Some Cities Unaffected 
---------------------- 
 
10. (U) According to the Daily News, both parties fielded a 
full compliment of council candidates in Masvingo, Gweru and 
Redcliff.  In Kwekwe, Redcliff, Gweru, and Mutare, both 
parties also fielded a full compliment of mayoral candidates. 
 
Broken Promise? 
--------------- 
 
11. (C) In a conversation with the Ambassador on July 22, MDC 
President Morgan Tsvangirai said that his party had received 
assurances from ZANU-PF that they would be allowed to 
campaign freely for the upcoming mayoral, urban council, and 
parliamentary by-elections.  This was in exchange for 
Tsvangirai and MDC MPs' agreement not to boycott Mugabe's 
 
SIPDIS 
speech at the opening of parliament on July 22 (Ref).  The 
agreement came too late for ZANU-PF to notify their officials 
in rural areas to stand down, and the intimidation campaign 
went ahead.  Tsvangirai was subsequently told that the 
nomination courts would be re-opened in the affected areas. 
We have not been unable to confirm with either the GOZ or MDC 
officials that this might actually take place. 
 
12. (U) In addition to mayoral and urban council elections, 
parliamentary by-elections will also be held for a Harare 
Central seat vacated by MDC MP Michael Auret who is stepping 
down due to illness, and a Makonde, Mashonaland West, seat 
vacated by the death of ZANU-PF MP and Minister of Higher and 
Tertiary Education, Swithun Mombeshora. 
 
Comment: 
-------- 
 
13. (C) Perceptions are important in the early stages of any 
election.  The ruling party has gained 44 out of 269 council 
seats already, and one mayoral seat - 16% of the total seats 
being contested.  This is a significant headstart, and it 
appears the harassment campaign sent a strong signal early 
that MDC candidates will face an uphill battle against the 
usual intimidation tactics if they try to campaign openly. 
The council terms are for 5-years, so this is the first time 
the MDC has contested these seats.  If the GOZ re-opens the 
affected nomination courts, and allows the MDC to campaign 
openly, they could dramatically change the tenor of these 
elections for the better as compared to every election in the 
past two years, which has been marred by intimidation. 
Whether ZANU-PF is willing to re-open the nomination process 
where it was blocked will be a significant test of ZANU-PF 
goodwill and readiness to pay more than lip-service to calls 
for national dialogue.  End Comment. 
SULLIVAN