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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
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RUEPGBA/CDR USEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ23-CH/ECJ5M//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S. HILL 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN 
USAID FOR M. COPSON AND E. LOKEN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ZI
SUBJECT: POLICE ARREST SCORES OF WOMEN AND STUDENTS TO 
THWART PROTESTS 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. Police in Harare and Bulawayo on February 13 
arrested more than 250 participants in peaceful 
demonstrations staged by Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) to 
protest the country's worsening political and economic 
crisis.  An estimated 2,000 WOZA supporters participated in 
the group's annual Valentine's Day Campaign in the two 
cities; WOZA reported that it was their largest 
demonstrations to date.  Police used tear gas to disperse 
marchers in Harare and reportedly assaulted several marchers 
while breaking up the demonstration in Bulawayo.  On the same 
day, Harare police also arrested 50 students participating in 
a Zimbabwe National Student's Union (ZINASU) meeting to 
discuss skyrocketing tuition fees.  The strong response by 
police comes in the wake of ongoing and looming labor actions 
across key sectors. End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
WOZA Delivers Valentine's Message A Day Early 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In Harare, the WOZA march with about 1,000 
participants started in front of the United Nations 
Development Programme's (UNDP) offices where earlier that 
morning WOZA leaders had delivered a copy of its "People's 
Charter" to UN representatives asking for support in 
pressuring the government for social justice.  The march 
continued to Parliament where police in riot gear met the 
group with tear gas. 
 
¶3. (SBU) WOZA National Coordinator Jenni Williams told poloff 
that despite 15 minutes of singing slogans and dancing, the 
group dispersed on its own.  A small number of WOZA 
supporters continued on toward ZANU-PF headquarters, but 
decided to stop when approached by police with dogs.  During 
the course of the march, police arrested eight women. 
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) lawyer Otto Saki 
told us they were released the following day after paying 
admission of guilt fines. 
 
¶4. (U) The WOZA demonstration in Bulawayo also involved 
roughly 1,000 marchers.  However, it met with a much harsher 
response.  Williams told us police arrested 274 marchers and 
heavily assaulted several individuals while breaking up the 
demonstration.  The authorities appeared more prepared in 
Bulawayo.  A large number of police were present from the 
start of the march and toward its conclusion riot police 
swooped in and brutally beat up a number of the marchers. 
Saki told us that ZLHR lawyers had managed to contact 83 
persons in police custody and that charges were still pending 
against those detained. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Students Protest Hike In Tuition Fees 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) On the same day as the WOZA marches, Harare police 
also arrested 50 students at Harare Polytehnical College for 
participating in a meeting to discuss tuition fees that were 
increased in some instances by 2,000 percent to Z$560,000 
(about US$110 using the parallel exchange rate) at State 
universities for the 2007 first semester. 
 
¶6. (SBU) According to press reports, ZINASU representatives 
claimed that approximately 80,000 of the 250,000 university 
and college students throughout the country have dropped-out 
 
HARARE 00000123  002 OF 002 
 
 
over the past year as a result of the unaffordable fees. 
Saki told poloff that police had released all but 12 of the 
ZINASU leaders, who had been charged under the Crimes against 
Public Order Act for unlawful assembly and disorderly 
conduct.  He added that police intelligence officials were 
interviewing the student leaders. 
 
-------- 
Comment 
-------- 
 
¶7. (U) The strong response by police occurs in a charged 
atmosphere of ongoing and looming labor actions in key 
sectors.  Junior doctors have been out on strike over poor 
wages since December and medical care at State hospitals has 
suffered immensely.  Additionally, some teachers at secondary 
schools are participating in a "go-slow" action, university 
lecturers are threatening to strike and university students 
are planning protests.  There also are widespread rumors that 
other civil servants may call for a stay-away and that junior 
police and military officers are grumbling about walking off 
the job rather than accept paupers' wages. 
 
¶8. (U) In a move to take advantage of this building momentum, 
the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has announced 
February 23 as the deadline for the government to improve 
working and living conditions or risk more industrial 
actions.  ZCTU has been relatively inactive of late, however, 
and it remains unclear if labor and civil society can pull 
off effective and coordinated labor actions and keep the 
momentum going.  But the harsh police response in Harare and 
Bulawayo demonstrates how concerned the government is by the 
demonstrations*and by the increasing number of participants. 
SCHULTZ