VZCZCXRO8721
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0008 0041016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041016Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1009
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1430
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1285
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1434
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0152
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0695
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1060
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1488
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3884
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1257
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1913
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUFGNOA/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1650

UNCLAS HARARE 000008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S. HILL 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: GOZ CRITIC SURVIVES APPARENT ARSON ATTACK 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Chairman 
Lovemore Madhuku and his family survived an apparent arson 
attack at his suburban arare home at about 12:30 AM on 
January 1.  Madhku told us that unknown assailants had 
sprinkled  trail of gasoline from his front gate to the 
gaage in the apparent hope that the fire would causehis car 
to explode and set fire to the house.  Te family, alerted by 
the flames, was able to escpe the house uninjured and 
successfully put out te flames.  Madhuku told us there was 
relatively little damage to the house, but that his family, 
including three young children, was traumatized by the event. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Madhuku said he thought state security officers 
were to blame for the attack, based on past GOZ attacks on 
democracy advocates and the NCA's outspoken demands for 
reform.  Madhuku, however, said he did not know if the GOZ 
actually wanted to kill him or if the state merely intended 
the attack as a warning.  A sole police officer arrived 
shortly after the flames were extinguished, but stayed only a 
few minutes, according to Madhuku.  The evening of January 1, 
the police returned to take a statement from the family.  The 
statement, essentially what Madhuku told us above, promptly 
appeared in the state-controlled Herald newspaper the next 
morning. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The USG-funded Amani Trust has stepped in to 
provide support to the Madhuku family with counseling and a 
guard to provide security at the residence.  Amani Trust 
program manager Fidelis Mudimu told us on January 4 that the 
family was doing well, but that the children were still 
having nightmares from the attack. 
 
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Comment 
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¶4.  (SBU) The attack on Madhuku's home is a worrying signal 
that the ruling party, faced with a crumbling economy and 
internal dissension over Mugabe's plans to remain in office, 
may be prepared to ratchet up its repression in 2007 in an 
effort to mute domestic criticism and tighten its hold on 
power. 
DELL