There was confusion as to how many people died because of the violence in the run-up to the presidential election run-off with the Counselling Services Unit saying 154 people died between 29 March and 19 July 2008.
The Movement for Democratic Change said 162 people died between29 March and 29 July.
MDC Welfare Secretary Kerry Kay had her own figure. She told diplomats on 22 July that police had told the MDC that between 350 and 400 people had been killed but they were quickly buried without witnesses.
The MDC also reported on 29 July that at least five women had been raped since June 27, including one who was raped 18 different times.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE652, VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN AREAS; ACCESS TO MEDICAL
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|
Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO1187
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0652/01 2141129
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 011129Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3242
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2190
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2309
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0841
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1586
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1944
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2365
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4796
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1455
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000652
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR G. GARLAND
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN AREAS; ACCESS TO MEDICAL
CARE DENIED
REF: HARARE 606
Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4(d).
——-
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) While the prevalence of violence in Zimbabwe has
fallen since the June 27 one-man runoff election, violence
against MDC members and leaders continues, particularly in
some rural areas, and victims continue to experience
significant and growing delays accessing medical treatment.
Because of this delay – an average of 19 days in July for
victims living outside Harare – and the ongoing ban on NGOs’
field activities, it is difficult to assess the real-time
occurrence of violence. An independent NGO, Counseling
Services Unit (CSU), has confirmed 154 deaths ince the March
29 election. The Movement for Deocratic Change (MDC)
believes hundreds more have ied but are not included in
these confirmed numbrs because local authorities have not
been allowd to conduct autopsies or write the true cause of
death on death certificates. In recent weeks, prss reports
of rape have grabbed headlines and there are verified cases,
including gang rape by soliers, but Zimbabweans who track
violence believerape has not been widespread and systematic,
Whle a cessation of violence was one of the MDC’s
pre-conditions for talks between the MDC and ZANU-PF, we
believe violence, albeit at a reduced level, is ongoing.
This may be in part because of absence of effective central
government control in rural areas. END SUMMARY.
—————————–
Ongoing violence violates MOU
—————————–
¶2. (U) On July 21, Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF and the leaders
of both MDC factions, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara,
signed a Memorandum of Understand (MOU) laying out guidelines
for talks to resolve the ongoing political crisis in
Zimbabwe. In the MOU, “security of persons and prevention of
violence” is one of the main topics. In addition, they
agreed that, as an interim measure, “(a) Each Party will
issue a statement condemning the promotion and use of
violence and call for peace in the country and shall take all
measures necessary to ensure that the structures and
institutions it controls are not engaged in the perpetration
of violence. (b) The Parties are committed to ensuring that
the law is fairly and justly applied to all persons
irrespective of political affiliation. (c) The parties will
take all necessary measures to eliminate all forms of
political violence, including by non-state actors, and to
ensure the security of persons and property. (d) The Parties
agree that, in the interim, they will work together to ensure
the safety of any displaced persons and their safe return
home and that humanitarian and social welfare organizations
are enabled to render such assistance as might be required.”
——————————————— ——–
Violence reduced, but still above pre-election levels
——————————————— ——–
¶3. (SBU) CSU is a local NGO that treats victims and tracks
statistics according to strict verification criteria. Before
the March 29 elections, CSU medical staff saw an average of
60 violence victims per week. At the peak of violence in May
and June, they saw 100 per day. Since June 27, they continue
to see about 60 per day — thirty times the number before the
elections. As of July 19, they had treated 675 new cases in
July, but only 54 were actually injured in July. In June,
the severity of injury decreased from May. However, in July
HARARE 00000652 002 OF 003
the prevalence of severe and life threatening cases rose —
possibly because of the increased delay in accessing medical
care. In June, for injuries occurring outside Harare, the
average delay was 14 days; the delay grew to 19 days in July.
(NOTE: A delay for victims who are beaten on the buttocks,
a common occurrence, is significant; the wounds often close
and become infected. If the infection spreads, it can lead
to serious kidney damage. END NOTE.)
¶4. (C) CSU reported a total of 154 deaths between March 29
and July 19, and MDC data claims a confirmed total of 162
deaths between March 29 and July 29. They report that while
31 have died since the June 27 election, most of these were
from injuries inflicted before June 27. In some areas,
hospital officials have reportedly been threatened if they
report the true cause of death on the death certificate.
Because these deaths and their cause cannot be confirmed,
they are not included in statistics published by either CSU
or MDC. (NOTE: CSU’s and MDC’s confirmed numbers differ
because CSU’s standards of confirmation are more stringent
than those of the MDC. CSU requires first-hand medical
verification. END NOTE.) Additionally, MDC Welfare
Secretary Kerry Kay, in a briefing with diplomats on July 22,
said police had told the MDC that at least 350-400 had been
killed during this approximate time period, but they were
buried quickly and without witnesses.
¶5. (SBU) MDC also reported on July 29 that at least five
women had been raped since June 27, including one who was
raped 18 different times. Some rapes have occurred at
militia bases by both youth militia and Zimbabwean military.
CSU has treated some, but very few, rape victims. (NOTE:
Rape is a highly sensitive subject culturally, and is
severely under-reported. END NOTE.) While some of these
incidents have received extensive coverage, Zimbabweans who
track violence have told us that rape is neither systematic
nor widespread.
—————————————-
Paying goats to atone for political sins
—————————————-
¶6. (C) While violence appears to have subsided there are
still pockets of ongoing violence directed at the MDC. In
her July 22 briefing, Kay reported that MDC believed 55
ZANU-PF bases were still operational in Manicaland and
Masvingo provinces. These bases are being used by military
officials and/or ZANU-PF youths to interrogate and punish
returning MDC supporters. In some villages, victims have
been forced to pay fines in cash or livestock before they are
allowed to return home. One civil society leader’s parents
were forced to give one of their best cows to ZANU-PF
militias who said their son was “causing a lot of trouble.”
¶7. (SBU) Buhera in Manicaland province and Gokwe in Midlands
province continue to be two of the “hottest” areas in
Zimbabwe for violence and are “no go” areas for the MDC.
Several villages in Buhera and Gokwe have reportedly held
ZANU-PF “celebration” rallies where MDC supporters have been
beaten and subsequently denied access to medical care. Two
MDC activists were reportedly abducted at gunpoint in Buhera
on July 24 by Colonel Morgan Muzilikazi. The activists were
attempting to transport 17 victims – who had been beaten by
ZANU-PF thugs on July 17 – to Mutare for medical attention.
The vehicle was taken by force and the 17 injured people are
still in Buhera and have not received medical attention. In
Gokwe, at least a dozen MDC members were beaten and then
denied treatment at the local hospital. MDC spent days
organizing vehicles to retrieve the victims and bring them to
Harare for attention.
HARARE 00000652 003 OF 003
¶8. (SBU) On Saturday, July 19, two days before the MOU was
signed, ZANU-PF militia seriously beat two MDC youths with
sticks at Chikoko militia base in Mudzi in Mashonaland East
province. The youths were held overnight, beaten again and
then released. The youths were only able to receive
treatment in Harare on July 29. Also in Mudzi, a policeman,
Kingsley Muteta, was beaten by twelve ZANU-PF youths on July
17; he died in Harare on July 27 from his injuries. Muteta
was in Mudzi to visit his mother. He confronted the militia
after learning that she had been beaten while attending his
MDC-affiliated brother-in-law’s funeral. His brother-in-law
had died from injuries sustained by the militia.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶9. (C) The ongoing violence could be seen as demonstrating
that Mugabe and ZANU-PF are deliberately continuing the
campaign of violence and intimidation in rural areas, that
they cannot control the violence in rural areas, or, most
likely, a combination of both. With cessation of violence an
agreed-upon condition for ZANU-PF-MDC negotiations
continuation of talks, it is unclear how much the MDC will be
willing to tolerate. We will continue to monitor and gather
information on violence. However, with little international
presence in rural areas, and the significant delays accessing
medical care, it is difficult to know what is happening in
real time across the country. END COMMENT.
MCGEE
(269 VIEWS)
