VZCZCXRO6981
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0585/01 1951519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141519Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4719
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2947
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3064
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1493
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2327
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2694
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3112
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5555
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2242
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000585 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR B. WALCH 
DRL FOR N. WILETT 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS 
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED PROSECUTIONS OF MDC-T 
OFFICIALS CONTINUE 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Three MDC parliamentarians have recently been 
convicted of criminal charges and sentenced, while two others 
await trial.  The MDC believes this is an orchestrated effort 
by ZANU-PF to disrupt the MDC party and reduce its strength 
in Parliament.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
ZANU-PF Targeting MDC-T Parliamentarians 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Zimbabwean courts recently convicted three MDC MPs 
who won election in March 2008 in Manicaland Province in 
Eastern Zimbabwe.  Historically, Manicaland had been 
dominated by ZANU-PF, but in the 2008 elections only 7 of 26 
total seats in the province went to ZANU-PF.  Shua Mudiwa 
(Mutare West) was convicted in June on kidnapping charges and 
was sentenced to seven years.  Mudiwa had defeated the 
incumbent MP Chris Mushohwe who was subsequently appointed as 
governor in Manicaland.  Mathias Mlambo (Chipinge East) was 
convicted in May of public violence charges and received a 
ten month sentence, and Meki Makuyana (Chipinge South) was 
sentenced in July to 12 months on kidnapping charges.  Both 
Makuyana and Mlambo were sentenced by the same magistrate, 
Samuel Zuze.  Two other MPs in the party are facing charges 
in which a life sentence is applicable: Blessing Chebundo 
(Kwekwe in Midlands Province) is charged with rape and Trevor 
Saruwaka (Mutasa Central in Manicaland Province) is charged 
with rape and political violence. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The MDC-T is suspicious that these prosecutions are 
part of a plot to reverse its slim lead in Zimbabwe's House 
of Assembly through arrests and convictions.  However, 
parliamentary advisor Israel Chilimanzi explained that MPs 
retain all their official authorities and functions 
--including the capacity to vote-- while a conviction is 
under appeal.  These MPs would only have to vacate their 
seats if they received sentences of greater than six months 
and subsequently lost their appeals. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The three convicted MPs are all appealing their 
sentences.   According to the Global Political Agreement 
signed last September, in the event of a by-election to fill 
a vacant seat within one year of the GPA signing (i.e. before 
September 15 2009), candidates from the other two political 
parties that are signatory to the agreement (ZANU-PF and 
MDC-M) would not contest.  After September 15, any party can 
field a candidate for a vacated seat.  Therefore, if the 
convicted MPs win their appeals, they will retain their 
seats, but if they lose the appeals ZANU-PF will be able to 
field candidates in by-elections. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Other MDC-T Officials Facing Charges 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Other high profile MDC-T officials who still face 
charges include Deputy Minister of Agriculture-designate Roy 
Bennett, and Director General Toendepi Shonhe.  The State 
lost a High Court ruling dismissing terrorism and banditry 
Qlost a High Court ruling dismissing terrorism and banditry 
charges against Bennett, but has refused to drop the case. 
Shonhe was charged with perjury after he stated that three 
MDC activists had been re-abducted by State agents.  Also, 
there are inactive cases against Minister of Finance Tendai 
Biti and Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs 
Eric Matinenga.  Numerous other senior MDC-T officials have 
 
HARARE 00000585  002 OF 002 
 
 
been acquitted of spurious charges in the past several years. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The MDC believes the prosecution and conviction of 
its MPs is part of an orchestrated ZANU-PF campaign to 
overturn the combined (MDC-T and MDC-M) majority in the House 
of Assembly.  To achieve this goal, however, ZANU-PF will 
have to continue prosecuting MDC members.  After the March 
elections, MDC-T had 100 parliamentarians, MDC-M had 10, and 
ZANU-PF had 99.  (There is one independent).  Three ZANU-PF 
parliamentarians have died.  Even with the loss of the three 
convicted parliamentarians, the MDC would still have a 
majority since 8 of the 10 MDC-M parliamentarians are solidly 
with MDC-T. 
 
DHANANI