Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested on the first day of the proposed week-long protest aimed at forcing President Robert Mugabe to step down.
The High Court said the protest was illegally but Tsvangirai’s special advisor Gandi Mudzingwa said the MDC did not recognise the ruling and would go ahead with its planned activities.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 03HARARE1097, TSVANGIRAI DETAINED AS WEEK OF MDC PLANNED MASS
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001097
SIPDIS
OPS CENTER PLEASE PASS TO EVIAN
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY
NAIROBI FOR T. PLAUMER
BANGKOK FOR WIN DAYTON
DS/OP/AF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2008
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI DETAINED AS WEEK OF MDC PLANNED MASS
ACTION BEGINS
REF: HARARE 1081
Classified By: Political Officer Peggy Blackford for reasons 1.5 b/d
¶1. (C) Summary. MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested
this morning as his party prepared to kick off a week of mass
action including demonstrations and stayaways against the
government of Robert Mugabe. Though charges have not yet
been brought against Tsvangirai, it may be that the
government plans to accuse him of violating a court order
handed down Saturday declaring the mass action illegal. Over
the weekend the Government of Zimbabwe set up road blocks
within Harare to limit the movement of large groups of
people. Today Harare is virtually closed for business with
most people being unable to obtain transport even if they do
wish to go to work. It is unclear, however, whether the MDC
will have equal success in organizing demonstrations. End
Summary.
¶2. (C) Welshman Ncube, MDC spokesman, told the BBC in an
interview this morning that Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the
opposition MDC party, has been detained by the GOZ. This
information was confirmed by several additional MDC sources
who said that Tsvangirai had been picked up about 8:20 and is
being held at Harare Central by the Law and Order section of
the police. No charges have yet been made. Tsvangirai was
also due in court this morning at 10 to face the treason
charges previously brought against him. Other MDC leaders
say that they are expecting to be arrested as well. Several
MDC officials say that their homes were attacked on Sunday
evening.
¶3. (C) Over the weekend the GOZ obtained a ruling from the
High Court declaring this week’s announced mass action
(reftel) illegal. Gandi Mudzingwa, Tsvangirai’s special
advisor, told PolOff that the MDC did not recognize this
ruling as valid and planned to go ahead with its activities.
There were reports of a handful of arrests and some
incidents of violence over the weekend in the high density
areas but no major clashes. GOZ police and military were out
in large numbers beginning on Saturday morning. Roadblocks
were established on all roads leading into town though most
private cars were waved through.
¶4. (SBU) As of Monday morning there was little traffic on
the roads and virtually no transport available from the high
density areas. The Embassy is open for business but between
half and a third of the Embassy’s locally hired employees
failed to show up for work. Factory owners in the light
industrial area report that almost all their employees are
absent. PolOffs driving around the city report that center
city has a fair number of people on the street and there is
speculation that they may be planning to gather in protest at
a later time. Many police, in groups of 4 or 5 are also on
the street. Nearly all shops are closed. Several EmbOffs on
their way to work noticed a several hundred people gathered
near the University of Zimbabwe. Since then they were
apparently dispersed by police using tear gas. The ground
remains littered with rocks and tree branches and police are
heavily deployed. Scattered reports are coming in from FSNs
and others of groups gathering in the high density areas
particularly the suburb of Kuwadzana.
SULLIVAN
(22 VIEWS)
