Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 251287 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 00HARARE5214, RAID ON MDC PARTY HEADQUARTERS CONTINUES ON

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
00HARARE5214 2000-09-15 11:08 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Harare
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

151108Z Sep 00


                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO3294

PAGE 01        HARARE  05214  151110Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  INL-00   
      DODE-00  DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   VC-00    
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   
      ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   
        /009W
                  ------------------85AD5C  151110Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7119
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 005214 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY 
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/10 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ZI
SUBJECT:  RAID ON MDC PARTY HEADQUARTERS CONTINUES ON 
SEPTEMBER 15 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  05214  151110Z 
REF: HARARE 5187 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MCDONALD.  REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND 
(D). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (U) ACTION REQUEST - PLEASE SEE PARA 7. 
 
2.  (C) AFTER SEARCHING THE MDC HEADQUARTERS ON SEPTEMBER 
14 (REFTEL), HEAVILY ARMED POLICE EXPANDED THEIR SEARCH 
TO TWO OTHER MDC OFFICES, ALSO ON SEPTEMBER 14, 
INCLUDING THE ONE CONTAINING THE OFFICE OF PARTY 
PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI.  MDC LAWYERS PREVENTED THE 
POLICE FROM TAKING AWAY DOCUMENTS,  POINTING OUT THAT 
THEIR SEARCH WARRANT ONLY PERMITTED A SEARCH FOR "ARMS OF 
WAR." 
 
3.  (C) ACCORDING TO MDC ADVISOR CLIVE PUZEY, TWO SENIOR 
MDC OFFICIALS -- GANDI MUDZINGWA, TSVANGIRAI'S RIGHT-HAND 
MAN AND NELSON CHAMISA, CHAIRMAN FOR YOUTH -- WERE 
DETAINED AT HARARE'S CENTRAL POLICE STATION FOR SIX HOURS 
ON SEPTEMBER 14, BUT WERE RELEASED AT 10:00 P.M.  THEY 
WERE NOT BEATEN OR MISTREATED, BUT WERE ASKED REPEATEDLY 
TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS OF MDC WEAPONS CACHES.  PUZEY 
INSISTED THAT THE MDC HAS NO ARMS CACHES  -- IT HAD ONLY 
A PISTOL FOR THE PROTECTION OF TSVANGIRAI, WHICH THE 
POLICE CONFISCATED BEFORE THE JUNE ELECTIONS.  POLICE 
ALSO SEARCHED THE HOME OF THE PARENTS OF AN MDC MEMBER OF 
PARLIAMENT AND THE OFFICES OF THE ZIMBABWE FRANCHISE OF 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  05214  151110Z 
ERICSSON'S TELEPHONE COMPANY, WHOSE OWNERS ARE MDC 
SUPPORTERS.  ACCORDING TO AN MDC PRESS RELEASE, TWO OTHER 
MDC EMPLOYEES WERE ALSO DETAINED AND RELEASED -- THE 
CHIEF OF SECURITY AND A SECURITY OFFICER. 
 
4.  (C) LATE ON SEPTEMBER 14, THE HIGH COURT GRANTED AN 
INJUNCTION STOPPING FURTHER POLICE ACTION.  ACCORDING TO 
PUZEY, HOWEVER, THE POLICE, AGAIN HEAVILY ARMED, RETURNED 
TO MDC HEADQUARTERS AT 7:00 A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 15 WITH A 
NEW WARRANT.  THIS ONE APPARENTLY AUTHORIZES A SEARCH FOR 
DOCUMENTS RELATING TO "WEAPONS OF WAR," AND, AS OF THE 
WRITING OF THIS CABLE, POLICE ARE RIFLING THROUGH THE 
MDC'S FILES. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
5.  (C) THE GOVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY BEING SUBJECTED TO 
SERIOUS AND CRITICAL PUBLIC SCRUTINY AND APPEARS TO BE 
INCREASINGLY FED UP WITH IT.   THE POLICE ACTIONS OF THE 
LAST TWO DAYS, HOWEVER, ARE AN OUTRAGEOUS ATTEMPT TO 
INTIMIDATE A LEGITIMATE, POPULAR OPPOSITION PARTY AND 
HAVE DISTURBING IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POTENTIAL GROWTH OF 
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE HERE.  PUZEY SPECULATED THAT THE 
RECENT EMBARRASSMENT OF ZANU-PF MP -- AND MINISTER OF 
RURAL RESOURCES AND WATER DEVELOPMENT -- JOYCE MUJURU ON 
THE PARLIAMENT FLOOR BY AN MDC MP COULD HAVE SPARKED THE 
POLICE CRACKDOWN.  ACCORDING TO PUZEY, AN MDC MP PUBLICLY 
TOOK MUJURU TO TASK FOR FAILING TO RESPOND TO HER 
CONSTITUENTS' LONGSTANDING REQUEST FOR THE BUILDING OF A 
BRIDGE.  MUJURU'S HUSBAND, "REX" MUJURU, IS A RETIRED 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  05214  151110Z 
GENERAL WHO STILL RETAINS A GREAT DEAL OF INFLUENCE WITH 
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE, 
AND COULD HAVE PRESSED FOR THE POLICE ACTION AS 
RETRIBUTION. 
 
6.  (C) AMBASSADOR MCDONALD HAS REQUESTED A MEETING WITH 
HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER JOHN NKOMO, WHOSE MINISTRY OVERSEES 
THE POLICE.  THE AMBASSADOR IS ASKING LIKE-MINDED 
AMBASSADORS TO JOIN HIM IN THIS MEETING. 
 
7.  (C) ACTION REQUEST:  WE RECOMMEND THAT THE DEPARTMENT 
SPOKESMAN CONSIDER READING A STATEMENT FROM THE PODIUM 
TODAY DEPLORING THIS BALD-FACED ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE THE 
LEGITIMATE POLITICAL OPPOSITION.  A/S RICE WILL ALSO 
WANT, IN HER UPCOMING MEETING WITH FM MUDENGE, 
TO EXPRESS SERIOUS U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT THESE DEVELOPMENTS 
OF THE LAST TWO DAYS. 
 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>