This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

270708Z Nov 01


                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO1979

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INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  WHA-00   DS-00    
      EAP-00   EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00  
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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0381
INFO NSCWASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMNT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY OSLO 
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOL 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMMBASSY OTTAWA 0084
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 003

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003550 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S, AF, AF/PD, NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA 
DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
BRSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FO NEARY 
NAROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 1/23/11 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO PHUM ZI
SUBJECT:  BULAWAYO AFTER NOVEMBER 16 - A CHANGED CITY 
 
 
LASSIFIED BY PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER BRUCE WHARTON. 
REASON: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  ( C ) SUMMARY:  MBOFF VISITED ZIMBABWE'S SECOND 
CITY ON NOVEMBER21 TO GAUGE THE SITUATION IN THE WAKE 
OF THE NOVEBER 16 VIOLENCE AND TO MEET WITH AMERICAN 
CITIZES TO DISCUSS THEIR SAFETY.  ON THE SURFACE, THE 
ITY APPEARS TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, BUT THERE S A 
NEW AND WIDESPREAD SENSE OF TENSION AND FEAR  THE 
CONSENSUS AMONG THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM EMBOFFMET WAS THAT 
THE 11/16 VIOLENCE WAS ORGANIZED AN INSTIGATED BY THE 
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) ND THE RULING ZANU-PF 
PARTY.  CONSENSUS ALSO HEL THAT THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC 
POLICE (ZRP) KNOWINGY PERMITTED VIOLENT ACTS BY GOZ 
SUPPORTERS, AND OLY INTERVENED WHEN OPPOSITION PARTY 
SUPPORTERS BGAN TO FIGHT BACK.  AMERICAN CITIZENS IN 
THE CIT, SOME OF WHO HAVE BEEN IN ZIMBABWE FOR NEARLY 
2 YEARS, SAID THAT THE NOVEMBER 16 VIOLENCE IN BULAAYO 
CHANGED THE CITY.  THEY ALL REMARKED THAT THEVIOLENCE 
WAS ANOMALOUS FOR THE NORMALLY LAID-BAC PEOPLC OF 
BULAWAYO, AND THAT THEIR OWN SENSE OFSAFETY IN THE CITY 
HAD BEEN DEEPLY SHAKEN BY THEEVENTS OF 11/16.  TWO 
AMCITS WERE IN THE CENTER F TOWN DURING THC VIOLENCE 
AND PROVIDED FIRST-HAN ACCOUNTS OF VIOLENCC AND 
INTIMIDATION CARRIED OT BY GOZ SUPPORTERS IN FRONT OF 
PASSIVE POLICE OFICERS.  NO AMERICANS WERE HURT IN THE 
VIOLENCE,BUT ONE ENDURED FRIGHTENING, RACIALLY 
MOTIVATED ERBAL ABUSE BY MEN ATTEMPTING TO ENTER HER 
CAR.  ND SUMMARY. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
 
¶2.  ( C ) THE EMBASSY'S PUBLIC AFFARS OFFICER SPENT 
11/21 IN BULAWAYO MEETING WITH  WIDE RANGE OF CITY 
RESIDENTS.  THE PURPOSE OF TE VISIT WAS TO GAIN FIRST- 
HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THEVIOLENCE THAT OCCURRED IN THE CITY 
ON NOVEMBER 16AND TO ASSESS THE SITUATION IN BULAWAYO 
IN TERMSOF THE SAFETY OF AMERICAN CITIZENS RESIDENT IN 
TE CITY. 
 
¶3.  ( C ) THE TROUBLE ON NOVEMBER 16 BEAN WITH A 
"MEETING" HELD IN A CITY PARK ABOUT ON MILE NORTHEAST 
OF DOWNTOWN BULAWAYO.  A GROUP OFBETWEEN 600 AND 1,000 
SO- CALLED "WAR VETS" AND OZ SUPPORTCRS HEARD SPEECHES 
FROM ZANU PF OFFICIALS INCLUDING FORMER MINISTER OF HOME 
AFFAJRS AND ZANU-PP POLITBURO MEMBER DUMISO DABENGWA, 
ACTING ZANU-PF POLITICAL COMMISSAR SIKHANYISO NDLOVU, 
AND THE HEAD OF THE ZIMBABWE WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION IN 
MATEBELELAND MR. JABULANI SIBANDA.  THE SPEECHES ENDED 
AT ABOUT NOON AND THE CROWD, LED BY DABENGWA, NDLOVU AND 
SIBANDA, MARCHED INTO DOWNTOWN BULAWAYO.  UNIFORMED 
POLICE ESCORTED THE CROWD.  UPON ARRIVING IN THE 
DOWNTOWN AREA, SOME OF THE MARCHERS BEGAN UNPROVOKED 
ATTACKS ON OFFICES, PROPERTY AND INDIVIDUALS.  ALTHOUGH 
THERE WERE CLEARLY A NUMBER OF RACIALLY MOTIVATED 
ATTACKS ON PEOPLE OF EUROPEAN ANCESTRY, BLACK 
ZIMBABWEANS WERE ALSO ASSAULTED.  AN ICE CREAM VENDOR, 
PEOPLE SELLING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN A SIDEWALK 
MARKET, AND NEWSPAPER VENDORS WERE ATTACKED, BEATEN AND 
ROBBED.  OFFICES OF ORGANIZATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 
OPPOSITION WERE RANSACKED.  OPPOSITION-ORIENTED 
NEWSPAPERS WERE BURNED AND SHREDDED.  CARS BCLONGING TO 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
WHITES WERE VANDALIZED.  THE CROWD MARCHED TO THE 
OFFICES OF THE OPPOSITION MDC PARTY AND, USING GASOLINE, 
SET THE BUILDING ON FIRE.  FORTUNATELY, MDC STAFF HAD 
BEN WARNED OF THE APPROACHING MOB AND ESCAPED THE 
BUILDING UNHARMED BEFORE IT WAS ATTACKED.  THE CROD 
BROKE UP INTO SMALLER GROUPS THAT RAGED THROUGHDOWNTOWN 
BULAWAYO FOR ANOTHER 30 TO 45 MINUTES 
 ASSAULTING ANYONE 
OR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE PERCEIVED AS LESS THAN 100 
PERCENT LOYAL TO THE RULING PARTY.  THROUGHOUT ALL OF 
THESE ACTIVITIES, THE POLICE WERE PASSIVE.  AT ABOUT 
1330, A GROUP OF MDC SUPPORTERS COALESCED AND ATTEMPTED 
TO MARCH TO ZANU-PP HEADQUARTERS.  UPON BEING BLOCKED BY 
POLICE, THE MDC CROWD WENT TO THE PRIVATE COLLEGE OWNED 
BY SIKHANYISO NDLOVU AND SET IT ON FIRE.  AT ABOUT 1500 
ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS TRIED TO MARCH TO THE HIGH DENSITY 
NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE WEST SIDE OF BULAWAYO.  MDC 
SUPPORTERS MET THE ZANU-PF CROWD AT THE EDGE OF THE 
WESTERN SUBURBS AND CHASED THEM AWAY, EFFECTIVELY ENDING 
THE DAY'S VIOLENCE.+ 
 
¶4.  ( C ) MAYOR JAPHET NDABENI-NCUBE, AN MDC ACTIVIST 
ELECTED IN SEPTEMBER 2001, RELATED BEING CHASED FROM HIS 
OFFICE BY A GROUP OF 8 ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS.  THE MAYOR 
WAS TIPPED BY JUNIOR STAFF ONLY A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE 
ATTACK AND WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE, BUT HIS OFFICE WAS 
RANSACKED AND GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT 
CITY HALL AND THE BUILDING'S GROUNDS.  THE MAYOR 
REPORTED THE INCIDENT, AND THE THEFT OF PERSONAL ITEMS, 
TO THE POLICE ON 11/16.  AS OF 11/21, NO POLICE HAD COME 
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PAGE 05        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
TO INVESTIGATE.  THE MAYOR HAS NO POLICE PROTECTION, BUT 
SAID THAT HE WAS WORKING WITH MDC OFFICIALS TO ARRANGE 
PERSONAL SECURITY.  MAYOR  NDABENI-NCUBE SAID THAT THE 
VIOLENCE ENDED ON NOV. 16 AFTER MDC SUPPORTERS MOBILIZED 
AND RESISTED THE ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS. 
 
¶5.  ( C ) THE MAYOR WENT ON TO SAY THAT ZANU-PP WAS 
INSTIGATING THE VIOLENCE AND PROMOTING ANTI-WHITE 
SENTIMENT.  HE EXPECTS VIOLCNCE TO CONTINUE AS ELECTIONS 
APPROACH.  HE WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE 
POSSIBILITY THAT ZANU-PP WOULD ABDUCT AND KILL ITS OWN 
PEOPLE AND THEN BLAME MDC FOR  THE CRIMES.  HE 
SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED FORMER MINISTCR OF HOME AFFAIRS 
DUMISO DABENGWA AS SOME ONE WHO WAS "EXPENDABLE" TO 
ZANU-PF. 
 
¶6.   ( C ) BULAWAYO PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR ROBIN DOUST, 
WHO WAS ATTACKED DURING THE VIOLENCE, TOLD EMBOFF HE 
BELIEVES MANY OF THE ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS WHO TOOK PART IN 
THE VIOLENCE ON NOV 16 WERE BROUGHT INTO THE CITY BY BUS 
OR TRAIN.  HE SAID THAT A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN 
BULAWAYO BELIEVE THE EVENTS OF 11/16 WERE ORCHESTRATED 
BY THE GOVERNMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO PUNISH THE CITY FOR 
ITS SUPPORT OF MDC IN THE SEPTEMBER CITY COUNCIL AND 
MAYORAL  LECTIONS AND TO INTIMIDATE THE CITIZENS AWAY 
FROM FURTHER SUPPORT OF THE OPPOSITION.  DOUST BELIEVES 
THE SITUATION IN BULAWAYO WILL GET WORSE IN THE RUN-UP 
TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. 
 
¶7.  ( C ) TAMSANQA MLILO, DIRECTOR OF THE ZIMRIGHTS 
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN BULAWAYO, SAID THAT THE 
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PAGE 06        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
POLICE DELIBERATELY IGNORED THE VIOLENT ACTS OF ZANU-PF 
SUPPORTERS ON 11/16.  HE ALSO ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENT- 
OWNED MEDIA OF DISTORTED COVERAGE OF THE EVENTS SUCH AS 
EMPHASIZING MDC SUPPORTERS' ATTACK ON NDLOVU'S PROPERTY, 
BUT COMPLETELY IGNORING ZANU-PP ATTACKS ON THE MAYOR'S 
OFFICE.  MLILO ALSO BELIEVED THAT ZANU-PP WAS TRYING TO 
PROMOTE VIOLENCE AGAINST WHITES AND THAT THE PARTY WAS 
LIKELY TO USE MORE VIOLENCE IN THE FUTURE AS IT HAS LOST 
MOST POPULAR SUPPORT IN MATEBELELAND.  HE SAID THAT THE 
BIGGEST LOSER IN THE EVENTS OF 11/16 WAS DUMISO 
DABENGWA.  DABENGWA, AN ETHNIC NDEBELE, WAS AN ALLY OF 
JOSHUA NKOMO AND EXPECTED TO DEFEND MATEBELELAND'S 
INTERESTS.  HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE EVENTS OF 11/16, IN 
ESSENCE A ZANU-PF ASSAULT ON BULAWAYO, ENDED ANY RESPECT 
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY MAY HAVE HAD FOR HIM.  MLILO SAID 
THAT ZANU-PP WAS TORN BETWEEN WANTING TO STAY IN POWER 
AND WANTING LEGITIMACY AND RESPECT.  THIS CAUSED THE 
PARTY TO "DO TERRIBLE THINGS HALF-HEARTEDLY." 
 
¶8.  ( C ) BUSANI BAFANA, THE BULAWAYO BUREAU CHIEF FOR 
THE ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT, WAS CLEARLY TRAUMATIZED BY THE 
EVENTS OF 11/16.  AS A RESULT OF THE VIOLENCE AND 
THREATS AGAINST HIM, HE IS ACTIVELY CONSIDERING LEAVING 
JOURNALISM AND  ZIMBABWE.  HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT THE 
POLICE SIMPLY STOOD AND WATCHED AS ZANU-PP SUPPORTERS 
RAN AMOK AND SAID HE HAD LOST ALL FAITH IN THE ZRP.S 
COMMITMENT TO NON 
-PARTISAN LAW ENFORCEMENT.  HE 
DESCRIBED VISITING THE POLICE STATION ON THE AFTERNOON 
OF 11/16 TO REPORT THE THEFT OF HIS CELLPHONE AND SAID 
"IT WAS LIKE GIVING MY ADDRESS TO THE WAR VETS."  BAFANA 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 07        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
ALSO REPORTED SEEING POLICE VEHICLES USED TO TRANSPORT 
ZANU-PP SUPPORTERS, AND REPEATED THE ASSERTION THAT MANY 
OF THE RIOTERS WERE "IMPORTED" FROM OUTSIDE OF BULAWAYO. 
HE SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY ANTI-AMERICAN 
SENTIMENT AT PLAY ON 11/16, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE 
WAS A GREAT DEAL OF ANTI-WHITE VIOLENCE THAT COULD 
EASILY AFFECT SOME AMCITS.  BAFANA LIKENED THE 
GOVERNMENT-OWNED NEWSPAPERS IN BULAWAYO TO "HATE RADIO" 
 
IN RWANDA.  HE SAID THERE WAS "SO MUCH HATRED, YOU CAN 
FEEL IT."  BAFANA ANTICIPATES MORE POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 
BULAWAYO IN THE COMING MONTHS. 
 
¶9.  ( C ) PAUL DAMASANI, BULAWAYO HEAD OF THE 
EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP OF ZIMBABWE, SAID THAT THE 
VIOLENCE OF 11/16 WAS NO SURPRISE.  DAMASANI SAID THAT 
EVERYTHING WAS FINE IN BULAWAYO UNTIL THE EARLY NOVEMBER 
ABDUCTION AND MURDER OF WAR VETERAN CAIN NKALA. 
DAMASANI WAS LESS CATEGORICAL THAN OTHERS ABOUT WHETHER 
ZANU-PP SUPPORTERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VIOLENCE. 
HE RAISED THE POSSIBILITY THAT MDC SUPPORTERS MAY HAVE 
BURNED THEIR OWN BUILDING IN ORDER TO DESTROY EVIDENCE 
OF THEIR COMPLICITY IN THE NKALA MURDER., A CLAIM ALSO 
MADE IN THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED MEDIA.  DAMASANI ALSO 
DEFENDED ZRP ACTIONS ON NOVEMBER 16, SAYING THAT THEY 
WERE UNDERMANNED AND COULD NOT HAVE SEEN SPECIFIC 
INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE.  HE ALSO SAID THAT THE VIOLENCE 
STOPPED WHEN THE PROVINCIAL LEADER OF ZANU-PP, MR. 
NDLOVU, TOLD MARCHERS TO GO HOME.  ASKED ABOUT THE 
SAFETY OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN BULAWAYO, DAMASANI SAID 
THAT THERE WAS NO ANTI-AMERICAN SENTIMENT IN THE CITY, 
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PAGE 08        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
BUT THAT AMERICANS SHOULD REFRAIN FROM DISCUSSING 
POLITICS OR ECONOMICS IN PUBLIC TO AVOID GIVING THE 
IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNMENT. 
DAMASANI SAID THAT THERE WAS A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR 
FURTHER VIOLENCE AND THAT THE TRIALS OF MDC SUPPORTERS 
ACCUSED IN THE NKALA CASE COULD BE THE TRIGGER FOR MORE 
VIOLENCE.  MAYOR NDABENI-NCUBE TOLD EMBOFF THAT DAMASANI 
WAS AN AGENT FOR ZIMBABWE'S CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE 
ORGANIZATION. 
 
¶10.   (SBU) ALTHOUGH THEY HAD AGREED TO MEET EMBOFF, THE 
EDITORS OF THE TWO STATE-OWNED NEWSPAPERS IN BULAWAYO 
WERE EITHER "NOT AVAILABLE" OR  NON-COMMUNICATIVE.  "IF 
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE THINK," SAID THE EDITOR  OF THE 
SUNDAY WEEKLY, "READ OUR NEWSPAPERS." 
 
¶11.  (SBU) EMBOFF ALSO MET WITH ASSISTANT INSPECTOR 
MACHINGURA AT PROVINCIAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS. 
MACHINGURA, WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE PROVINCIAL 
INTELLIGENCE COORDINATOR, WAS FRIENDLY AND PLAYED DOWN 
THE PROBLEM OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN BULAWAYO.  HE SAID 
THAT MEDIA REPORTS OF THE VIOLENCE WERE "GREATLY 
EXAGGERATED" AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS NOW CALM.  HE SAID 
HE DID NOT EXPECT ANY MORE VIOLENCE IN THE CITY.  WHEN 
ASKED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF AMCITS, MACHINGURA SAID THERE 
WAS NO DANGER TO AMERICANS IN BULAWAYO, AND SAID THAT HE 
AND HIS OFFICE WOULD RESPOND QUICKLY TO ANY PROBLEMS OR 
CONCERNS THE EMBASSY HAD ABOUT AMERICANS' SAFETY. 
 
¶12.  ( C ) LAWRENCE CHIKUVIRA, CHIEF OF THE INDEPENDENT 
"DAILY NEWS" BUREAU IN BULAWAYO, WAS CATEGORICAL ABOUT 
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GOZ INSTIGATION OF THE VIOLENCE ON 11/16.  HE SUPPORTED 
THE VIEW THAT SOME OF THE SO-CALLED WAR VETS HAD BEEN 
BROUGHT INTO THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VIOLENCE. 
CHIKUVIRA DESCRIBED A SPLIT BETWEEN WAR VETS IN 
MATEBELELAND (PRIMARILY FORMER ZIPRA/ZAPU COMBATANTS) 
AND WAR VETS IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY (PRIMARILY 
ZANLA/ZANU COMBATANTS).  CHIKUVIRA SAID THAT WEAKENING 
SUPPORT FOR THE RULING PARTY AMONG WAR VETS IN BULAWAYO 
CREATED THE NEED TO BRING IN "TRUE BELIEVERS" FROM 
HARARE.  CHIKUVIRA ACCUSED THE POLICE OF ALLOWING 
VIOLENCE TO TAKE PLACE "UNDER THEIR NOSES," AND CREDITED 
MDC SUPPORTERS' WILLINGNESS TO FIGHT BACK FOR ENDING THE 
VIOLENCE ON 11/16.  HE SAID THAT THERE WERE "NO LIMITS 
ON THE GOVERNMENT'S SHAME AND WILLINGNESS TO 
 DO WHATEVER 
IS NECESSARY TO REMAIN IN POWER."  CHIKUVIRA BELIEVES 
THAT ZANU-PP WILL ONLY INCREASE ITS USE OF VIOLENCE IN 
THE COMING MONTHS. 
 
¶13.  (C) EMBOFF ALSO MET WITH ABOUT 10 AMERICAN CITIZENS 
RESIDENT IN BULAWAYO, MOST OF WHOM ARE MISSIONARIES WITH 
NEARLY 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN ZIMBABWE.  THE AMCITS 
CONFIRMED THE GENERAL SENSE THAT THE RULING PARTY 
DELIBERATELY ORGANIZED THE VIOLENCE, THAT WHITES WERE 
TARGETED, AND THAT THE SITUATION IS LIKELY TO GET WORSE 
AS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS APPROACH.  THE AMCITS WERE 
SHOCKED BY THE VIOLENCE, SAYING THAT IT WAS VERY MUCH 
 
OUT OF CHARACTER FOR BULAWAYO.  THEY ALL BELIEVED THAT 
OUTSIDERS HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE CITY TO PROMOTE AND 
EXECUTE THE VIOLENCE.  TWO AMCITS WITNESSED SOME OF THE 
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PAGE 10        HARARE  03550  271142Z 
VIOLENCE AND CONFIRMED POLICE PASSIVITY AS LONG AS THE 
VIOLENCE WAS AGAINST OPPOSITION TARGETS.  ONE AMCIT SAID 
THAT AFTER 11/16, "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE," CLEARLY 
INDICATING THAT THE SENSE OF SAFETY HE ENJOYED IN 
BULAWAYO HAD BEEN SHATTERED.  ALL OF THE AMERICANS 
INDICATED THAT THEY EITHER HAD PLANS, OR WERE 
CONSIDERING OPTIONS, FOR DEPARTURE FROM ZIMBABWE. 
 
¶14.  ( C ) COMMENT:  BENEATH A FACADE OF NORMALCY, 
BULAWAYO IS TRAUMATIZED.  PEOPLE SPOKE WITH SHOCK, AND 
SOME DEGREE OF EMBARRASSMENT, ABOUT THE EVENTS OF 11/16. 
IT IS CLEAR THAT ONLY PEOPLE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE 
GOVERNMENT (CIO, POLICE AND GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYED 
JOURNALISTS) BELIEVE WHAT GOZ LEADERS OR MEDIA SAY ABOUT 
THE CAIN NKALA CASE OR THE VIOLENCE OF 11/16.  WE 
BELIEVE THAT THE EVIDENCE POINTS COMPELLINGLY TO 
GOVERNMENT AND RULING PARTY SPONSORSHIP AND ORGANIZATION 
OF THE VIOLENCE IN BULAWAYO ON NOVEMBER 16.  FURTHER, WE 
BELIEVE IS CLEAR THAT THE ZRP SIMPLY STOOD AND WATCHED 
AS PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS PERCEIVED TO SUPPORT THE 
OPPOSITION WERE ATTACKED.  THE POLICE ONLY BEGAN TO ACT 
WHEN MDC SUPPORTERS RESPONDED TO THE VIOLENCE INSTIGATED 
BY THE RULING PARTY.  WHILE WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT 
AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE TARGETS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE, 
WHITE AMERICANS COULD EASILY BECOME VICTIMIZED BY THE 
ANTI-WHITE SENTIMENT BEING PROMOTED BY THE GOZ.  WE TAKE 
SERIOUSLY THE CONSENSUS THAT MORE VIOLENCE IS LIKELY AND 
THE GOVERNMENT/RULING PARTY WILL TAKE ANY STEPS 
NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN POWER.  PINALLY, THE POSSIBILITY 
OF ZANU-PP ABDUCTING OR KILLING ONE OF ITS OWN 
SUPPORTERS IN ORDER TO BLAME THE MDC FOR "TERRORISM" 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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CANNOT BE DISMISSED.  END COMMENT. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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