After witnessing thousands of its supporters being barred from voting in the 2002 presidential poll, the Movement for Democratic Change decided that some of its leaders must leave the country to carry on the struggle but secretary-general Welshman Ncube was arrested near the border with Botswana.
Ncube was implicated along with party leader Morgan Tsvangirai in an alleged plot to assassinate President Robert Mugabe.
According to Tsvangirai’s special advisor Gandi Mudzingwa Ncube had been advised by the party’s national executive to leave the country.
The party had decided that several key leaders should remain outside the country to carry on the struggle if the government arrested top party officials after the election.
Deputy secretary-general Gift Chimanikire was already out of the country.
Gandi said he and Tsvangirai and his wife were staying for the next several days in the North Wing of the 12th floor of Meikles Hotel because many international observer delegations and foreign journalists were staying there during the election period and would witness any post-election abuse of the MDC leader.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 02HARARE657, ZIMBABWE ELECTION: VOTE COUNTING UNDERWAY ON MARCH 12
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
121538Z Mar 02
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6008
PAGE 01 HARARE 00657 01 OF 02 121603Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EUR-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01
NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /005W
——————733B97 121603Z /45
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1183
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000657
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER
PARIS FOR NEARY
LONDON FOR GURNEY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/12
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE ELECTION: VOTE COUNTING UNDERWAY ON MARCH 12
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS:
1.5 (B) AND (D).
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) POLLING STATIONS IN HARARE AND CHITUNGWIZA CLOSED AT 7:00
P.M. ON MARCH 11, LEAVING LONG LINES OF VOTERS IN SOME AREAS UNABLE
TO CAST BALLOTS. THE VERIFICATION OF BALLOT BOXES BEGAN THE
MORNING OF MARCH 12 AND VOTE-COUNTING AT MOST BALLOT CENTERS DID
NOT BEGIN UNTIL EARLY AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE LATE START, WE DO NOT
EXPECT COMPLETE RESULTS TO BE ANNOUNCED UNTIL SOMETIME ON MARCH 13.
MEANWHILE, THE MDC SECRETARY-GENERAL WAS ARRESTED — AND LATER RELEASED
AFTER
AN OVERNIGHT DETENTION — AND FORMALLY
CHARGED WITH TREASON, WHILE AT LEAST FIVE MDC ELECTION AGENTS
ASSIGNED TO MONITOR THE COUNTING OF VOTES WERE ARRESTED. A SECOND
AMERICAN CITIZEN HAS BEEN ARRESTED, BUT WE HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL
IN GAINING ACCESS TO HIM TO LEARN ADDITIONAL DETAILS. END SUMMARY.
DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF HARARE AND CHITUNGWIZA VOTERS
——————————————— ——
¶2. (C) ALL POLLING STATIONS IN HARARE AND CHITUNGWIZA CLOSED ON
MARCH 11 AT 7:00 P.M. OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER (EVEN THOUGH MOST HAD
NOT EVEN OPENED UNTIL 12:00 P.M. IN DEFIANCE OF A HIGH COURT
ORDER). VOTERS STANDING IN LINE AT THAT POINT WERE NOT ALLOWED TO
CAST BALLOTS, DESPITE EARLIER ASSURANCES TO THE CONTRARY FROM
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00657 01 OF 02 121603Z
SENIOR GOZ OFFICIALS, AND WERE FORCED TO DISPERSE BY HEAVILY-ARMED
POLICE. THE MDC INFORMED US THAT 1500 PEOPLE WERE STANDING IN LINE
AT BOTH ZUVARABUDA SCHOOL IN GLEN NORAH HIGH DENSITY SUBURB AND AT
DZIVARASEKWA COMMUNITY CENTER WHEN THE POLLING STATIONS CLOSED. A
NORWEGIAN DIPLOMAT TOLD US HE HAD PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE CLOSING
OF A STATION IN GLENVIEW TOWNSHIP WITH 700 WOULD-BE VOTERS STILL IN
LINE. THEY WERE ANGRY BUT LEFT PEACEFULLY AFTER BEING TOLD BY
POLICE TO DISPERSE. IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL
DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF VOTERS IN THESE TWO URBAN AREAS WHICH IS
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY. OUR NORWEGIAN COLLEAGUE ESTIMATES
THAT A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 10-15,000 VOTERS WERE STANDING IN LINE IN
GREATER HARARE AND CHITUNGWIZA WHEN THE STATIONS CLOSED. THAT
FIGURE, OF COURSE, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE POTENTIALLY LARGE NUMBERS
OF PEOPLE WHO DID NOT VOTE BECAUSE THEY WERE SCARED AWAY BY THE
ABSURDLY LONG LINES. WE NOTE THAT IN HARARE AND ENVIRONS, THE
CONSTITUENCY LISTS AVERAGE 5,000 VOTERS PER POLLING PLACE, WITH
SOME AS HIGH AS 7,000. THE AVERAGE FOR BULAWAYO WAS 3,000.
ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, THE CONSTITUENCY AVERAGE WAS 1,000
REGISTERED VOTERS PER STATION.
COUNTING
——–
¶3. (U) THE VERIFICATION OF BALLOT BOXES AND THEIR CONTENTS
CONSUMED MUCH OF THE MORNING OF MARCH 12, ACCORDING TO THE STATE-
CONTROLLED ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION (ZBC). COUNTING AT
MOST CENTERS THEN BEGAN IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON. INFORMATION
MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO ANNOUNCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT RESULTS
WOULD LIKELY BE ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 13 AND HE EXPRESSED SATISFACTION
AT HOW THE ELECTION PROCESS HAD BEEN CONDUCTED.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 00657 01 OF 02 121603Z
¶4. (C) COMMENT: THERE IS ONE COUNTING CENTER FOR EACH OF
ZIMBABWE’S 120 CONSTITUENCIES. WHEN THE COUNTING AT EACH CENTER IS
FINISHED, THE RESULTS WILL BE COMMUNICATED VIA PROVINCIAL COMMAND
CENTERS TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL’S OFFICE IN HARARE, WHICH WILL
ANNOUNCE RESULTS. DURING THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS,
THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL ANNOUNCED RESULTS CONSTITUENCY BY
CONSTITUENCY ON THE GOZ-CONTROLLED TELEVISION AND RADIO. THIS
TIME, IF THE CONSTITUENCY RESULTS BEGIN TO LOOK BAD FOR THE RULING
PARTY, THE R.G. COULD WAIT TO RELEASE THE NUMBERS. AN EU CONTACT
WAS TOLD BY A GOZ OFFICIAL THAT THE RG WOULD WAIT TO RELEASE
FIGURES UNTIL HE HAS A “CRITICAL MASS” OF NUMBERS.
ARRESTS OF KEY MDC OFFICIALS
—————————-
¶5. (C) MEANWHILE, MDC SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE WAS
ARRESTED BY POLICE ON MARCH 11 NEAR THE BORDER WITH BOTSWANA. HE
WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS FAMILY, WHICH WAS ALLOWED TO PROCEED INTO
BOTSWANA. NCUBE, MEANWHILE, WAS TAKEN TO BULAWAYO POLICE
HEADQUARTERS, THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE CENTRAL POLICE STATION IN
HARARE, WHERE HE ARRIVED AT 3:00 A.M. ON MARCH 12. NCUBE HAS BEEN
IMPLICATED — ALONG WITH MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI AND TWO
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6010
PAGE 01 HARARE 00657 02 OF 02 121604Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EUR-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01
NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /005W
——————733BB0 121604Z /45
O 121538Z MAR 02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1184
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000657
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER
PARIS FOR NEARY
LONDON FOR GURNEY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/12
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 00657 02 OF 02 121604Z
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE ELECTION: VOTE COUNTING UNDERWAY ON MARCH 12
JUNIOR MPS — IN THE ALLEGED PLOT TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT MUGABE.
POLICE SAID THEY SUSPECTED THAT NCUBE WAS TRYING TO FLEE
POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CRIMINAL CHARGES AND PROCEEDED FORMALLY TO
CHARGE HIM WITH TREASON ON MARCH 12. HE WAS RELEASED LATER THE
SAME DAY ON A BAIL OF 500,000 ZIMBABWEAN DOLLARS (APPROXIMATELY
U.S.$ 1500).
¶6. (C) TSVANGIRAI’S SPECIAL ADVISOR GANDI MUDZINGWA TOLD POLITICAL
SECTION CHIEF THAT NCUBE — AT THE INSTRUCTION OF THE MDC’S
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE — WAS PLANNING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY THE DAY HE
WAS ARRESTED. HE HAD INTENDED TO ESCORT HIS FAMILY TO THE BOTSWANA
BORDER, THEN JOIN THEM IN JOHANNESBURG VIA A FLIGHT FROM BULAWAYO
LATER THAT DAY. THE PARTY’S NATIONAL EXECUTIVE HAD DETERMINED THAT
SEVERAL KEY LEADERS SHOULD REMAIN OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY TO
CARRY ON THE STRUGGLE IF THE GOZ/ZANU-PF ARREST TOP PARTY OFFICIALS
AFTER THE ELECTION. AS PART OF THIS CONTINGENCY PLANNING, DEPUTY
SECRETARY-GENERAL GIFT CHIMANIKIRE IS CURRENTLY IN JOHANNESBURG,
SIPDIS
WHERE HE ARRIVED ON MARCH 11. MUDZINGWA NOTED THAT HE, TSVANGIRAI,
AND TSVANGIRAI’S WIFE ARE STAYING FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS IN THE
NORTH WING OF THE 12TH FLOOR OF HARARE’S MEIKLES HOTEL, BECAUSE
MANY INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER DELEGATIONS AND FOREIGN JOURNALISTS ARE
STAYING THERE DURING THE ELECTION PERIOD, AND WOULD WITNESS ANY
POST-ELECTION ABUSE OF THE MDC LEADER. MUDZINGWA THOUGHT THAT
NCUBE WOULD PROBABLY REMAIN IN HARARE AFTER HIS RELEASE,
AND WOULD LIKELY STAY WITH TSVANGIRAI IN THE MEIKLES.
¶7. (C) MUDZINGWA TOLD US THAT FIVE OF THE MDC’S ELECTION AGENTS
(THOSE OFFICIALS ACCREDITED TO OBSERVE THE COUNTING PROCESS AT THE
DESIGNATED CENTERS) WERE ARRESTED TODAY. ONE WAS LATER RELEASED
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00657 02 OF 02 121604Z
AND THE PARTY WAS NEGOTIATING FOR THE RELEASE OF THE OTHER FOUR.
PLANNED CIVIL UNREST
——————–
¶8. (C) MUDZINGWA TOLD US THAT DEMONSTRATIONS ORGANIZED BY THE MDC
AND ZIMBABWE CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU) COULD BEGIN AS EARLY
AS THE EVENING OF MARCH 12. ASKED WHY THE OPPOSITION PARTY WAS
CONTEMPLATING LAUNCHING SUCH ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE POLL RESULTS ARE
ANNOUNCED, MUDZINGWA SAID THE ANGER AT ZANU-PF IN URBAN AREAS WAS
AT ITS PEAK — AFTER THE LONG QUEUES AND DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF SO
MANY VOTERS — AND THE MDC WANTED TO BUILD ON THAT MOMENTUM. NOW
WAS THE TIME TO CAPITALIZE ON THIS SENTIMENT WITH ACTIONS INTENDED
TO PRESSURE ZANU-PF TO ACCEPT AN MDC VICTORY.
SECOND AMERICAN ARRESTED
————————
¶9. (C) A SECOND NON-OFFICIAL AMERICAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED — THIS
TIME IN THE MASHONALAND CENTRAL TOWN OF MVURWI ON MARCH 11. WE
WERE INFORMED OF HIS ARREST BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN. SINCE THE
GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED SO FAR TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO HIM, WE HAVE
BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE DETAILS OF HIS CASE, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE
LEARNED HE IS A FREE-LANCE JOURNALIST WHO REPORTEDLY ENTERED ON A
TOURIST VISA. WE ARE LODGING A STRONG PROTEST VIA DIPLOMATIC NOTE
WITH THE MFA CONCERNING THE GOZ’S REFUSAL BOTH TO NOTIFY US OF THE
ARREST AND TO PROVIDE ACCESS. MEANWHILE, THE AMERICAN CITIZEN
ARRESTED IN MUTARE ON MARCH 8 REMAINS IN DETENTION ON CHARGES OF
“POSSESSING DANGEROUS WEAPONS.” (COMMENT: HE REPORTEDLY HAD A
HUNTING KNIFE AND A CAN OF PEPPER SPRAY IN HIS POSSESSION, BUT WE
SUSPECT THAT THE POLICE WERE ANNOYED BY HIS EFFORTS TO HELP
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 00657 02 OF 02 121604Z
TRANSPORT MDC MONITORS TO POLLING STATIONS PRIOR TO ELECTION DAYS.
END COMMENT.) THE GOZ CONTINUES TO DENY ACCESS TO HIM. THE U.S.
WARDEN IN MUTARE WITNESSED HIS COURT APPEARANCE TODAY AND REPORTED
THAT HE APPEARED TO BE IN SEVERE PHYSICAL PAIN AND TO HAVE BEEN
PSYCHOLOGICALLY TRAUMATIZED. THE MFA TOLD US TODAY THAT IT IS
NEGOTIATING WITH THE POLICE TO SECURE US CONSULAR ACCESS TO THE
AMCIT.
EMBASSY OBSERVATION EFFORT
————————–
¶10. (U) TWENTY-FIVE EMBASSY OBSERVERS WERE DEPLOYED AROUND THE
COUNTRY ON THE TWO ELECTION DAYS PLUS THE EXTRA DAY OF VOTING IN
HARARE AND CHITUNGWIZA. DURING THAT THREE-DAY PERIOD, OUR TEAMS
COVERED 15,140 KILOMETERS AND VISITED 470 POLLING STATIONS
(APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STATIONS). THE
EMBASSY ELECTION OBSERVATION EFFORT HAS NOW FULLY COME TO ITS END.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
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