Archbishop Pius Ncube was allegedly sleeping in different safe houses every night because the Central Intelligence Organisation was after him, but he was more worried about his elderly mother because the CIO had also threatened her.
The Catholic cleric held a prayer service at the St Mary’s Cathedral in Bulawayo on 27 February 2003 for victims of torture.
Deborah Moyo, one of the victims, is said to have given a heart-wrenching account of how she had been gang-raped by fellow recruits and superiors at the Border Gezi youth training camp.
CIO officers are said to have attempted to arrest the bishop after the service but he was protected by fellow ministers and bishops.
The officers came back the following day but found Ncube with supporting clergy. They then warned him that the previous day’s meeting was too political.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 03HARARE540, RECENT CHURCH ACTIVISM INCLUDING MEDIATION OFFER
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000540
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY
PARIS FOR C. NEARY
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2013
SUBJECT: RECENT CHURCH ACTIVISM INCLUDING MEDIATION OFFER
BY CAPETOWN ARCHBISHOP
REF: A. HARARE 323
¶B. HARARE 159
Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d
Summary:
——–
¶1. (C) In recent weeks church leaders, including some from
South Africa, have shown an increased willingness to speak
out, and to organize events or meetings that draw attention
to the political crisis in Zimbabwe. We would welcome
Pretoria’s and Capetown’s assessment of a serious mediation
initiative by the Archbishop of Capetown. The GOZ has
responded in force to increased assertiveness by Zimbabwean
clergy arresting, detaining, threatening and in one case
beating a clergy member. Though threatened, so far their
activism has been a winning strategy. It is unclear how long
the GOZ will allow clergy members that little extra room to
express dissent and mobilize parishioners, but their
increased activism certainly poses a dilemma for the GOZ.
End Summary.
South African Archbishop Intervenes
———————————–
¶2. (C) On March 12 the Anglican Archbishop of Capetown
Njongonkulu Ndungane made his second visit to Zimbabwe in
recent weeks and met separately with President Mugabe, MDC
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, church leaders, and an range of
prominent civic organizations. Although the GOZ press
insists that Ndungane is mediating between the GOZ and the
UK, the Archbishop has made clear in both his public remarks
and private meetings that Zimbabwe is facing a number of
internal crises that must be resolved. Both civil society
leaders and the MDC were impressed by the Archbishop’s
understanding of events on the ground and the seriousness and
objectivity he seemed to bring to his offer to mediate a
sustainable resolution of Zimbabwe’s political and economic
crises. In response to Ndungane’s request, the MDC tapped
Secretary General Welshman Ncube to be the point person for
SIPDIS
this mediation effort. We were unable to meet with Ndungane
and would welcome Pretoria’s and Capetown’s assessment of his
initiative.
19 Clergy Arrested While Delivering Petition
——————————————–
¶4. (U) Meanwhile, Zimbabwean church leaders are becoming more
outspoken in their criticisms of political violence. On
February 28 nineteen clergy members from the Zimbabwe
National Pastors’ Conference (ZNPC) were arrested and
detained for five hours in Harare when they tried to deliver
a petition to Assistant Police Commissioner Mandeya (who had
agreed beforehand to accept the petition) which urged the
police force to respect the rights of all Zimbabweans. As
they approached the police station carrying wooden crosses
they were surrounded by police in riot gear who banged batons
on their trucks and sang, “It’s been a long time since you
were beaten” in Shona. In a public statement, the Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition, of which ZNPC is one of 350 member
organizations, condemned the arrest and called for an
immediate return to the rule of law.
Prayer Meeting Highlights Victims of Torture
——————————————–
¶5. (U) On February 27 Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo
Pius Ncube led a prayer service that featured victims of
torture at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Bulawayo. Deborah Moyo
gave a heart wrenching account, before collapsing with
emotion, of her repeated gang rape by fellow recruits and
superiors at a GOZ-sponsored Border Gezi youth training camp.
MDC MP Job Sikhala described his January 14 torture in which
suspected CIO members administered on him electric shocks and
urinated on him (Ref B). After the meeting, CIO officers
approached and attempted to arrest Archbishop Ncube, but
fellow ministers and bishops remained with him, offering some
protection as witnesses. CIO officers left, but returned the
following day, as did Ncube’s supporting clergy; the officers
warned Ncube that the previous day’s meeting was too
political. Ncube sleeps in different safe houses every
night, but is worried about his elderly mother, whom CIO
officers have also threatened.
¶6. (U) On February 24 Archbishop Ncube led a protest at the
Bulawayo cricket grounds just prior to the Cricket World Cup
match between Australia and Zimbabwe. In a statement Ncube
criticized the Australian team for being unsympathetic to the
plight of ordinary Zimbabweans by playing the match.
Bishop Speaks Out Against POSA
——————————
¶7. (U) In a late February statement entitled “POSA, an
Unnecessary Evil Instrument and Totally Undemocratic”, Dr.
Sebastian Bakare, the Anglican Bishop of Manicaland and
President of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, said he felt
horrified to live in a community where people cannot engage
in development programs for fear of being arrested. He said
that as long as the draconian Public Order and Security Act
(POSA) is in force there is no chance for desperately needed
political dialogue to address the polarized environment in
Zimbabwe.
“Walk for Love” Ends With One Clergy Beaten
——————————————-
¶8. (U) On February 14 police arrested 14 people in Bulawayo,
and about 50 in Harare during Valentine’s Day “walks for
love” organized by Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) that drew
hundreds of participants in each city. Most of the arrestees
were women, but one clergyman, Fr. Nigel Johnson of the Roman
Catholic Church in Bulawayo, was also arrested. Witnesses
reported that police handcuffed and then applied a chokehold
on Johnson until he passed out and fell to the pavement.
Later, at Bulawayo police station he was reportedly okay,
albeit bruised and shaken up; the Bulawayo women, some
elderly, spent the night in police cells. The Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition condemned the arrests and beating and
called for a repeal of POSA, under which the arrests were
made.
ZRP Stymies Church Meeting – Emboff Detained
——————————————–
¶9. (U) On February 13 Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition organized
a public meeting at the Northside Community Church in
Borrowdale, Harare under the theme, “Is the Church Resolving
or Deepening the Crisis” to have been addressed by Bishop
Trevor Manhanga of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe.
Police broke up the meeting before it started, chasing away
30 or so people who had gathered. Police punched in the face
a well-known political scientist Dr. John Makumbe while he
was handcuffed, and arrested 6 people including Bishop
Manhanga, Makumbe and an Emboff (Ref A).
Comment:
——–
¶11. (C) Some church leaders are becoming more active, and
more outspoken and the GOZ is matching their activism with an
equivalent show of force. So far their activism is a winning
game. But it is unclear how long the GOZ will allow clergy
members that little extra room to express dissent and
mobilize parishioners, and their increased activism certainly
poses a dilemma for the GOZ. We are encouraged by the
seriousness of Archbishop Ndungane’s mediation efforts; what
they are able to accomplish will depend in large measure on
Mugabe’s willingness to discuss internal issues, as opposed
to his usual bogeyman; the GOZ-UK relationship. End Comment.
SULLIVAN
(31 VIEWS)
