Dust up at Harvest House

A gang of youths occupied the Movement for Democratic Change’s headquarters at Harvest House and demanded the removal of then secretary general Welshman Ncube, his deputy Gift Chimanikire and treasurer Fletcher Dulini-Ncube.

Spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi attributed the fracas to Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic front infiltrators but Ncube said the youths were known party members.

All three later broke away from the party after disagreeing with party leader Morgan Tsvangirai but Chimanikire who failed to make party president of the splinter group returned to the Tsvangirai faction.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 05HARARE713, DUST-UP AT MDC,S HARVEST HOUSE

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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 000713

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR D. MOZENA, B. NEULING

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2010

TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ZI MDC

SUBJECT: DUST-UP AT MDC,S HARVEST HOUSE

Classified By: Charge d’Affaires, a.i., Eric Schultz under Section 1.4

b/d

¶1. (U) According to local press reports, a gang of youths

occupied the MDC’s Harvest House headquarters May 16-17 and

demanded the removal of party Secretary-General Welshman

Ncube, Deputy Secretary-General Gift Chimanikire, Treasurer

Fletcher Dulini-Ncube and other senior executives. President

Morgan Tsvangirai and Chairman Isaac Matongo were not

included in the list. The youths reportedly attempted to

confiscate certain party vehicles, including those belonging

to Ncube and Chimanikire. MDC Spokesperson Paul

Themba-Nyathi publicly attributed the fracas to &ZANU-PF

infiltrators.8

¶2. (C) MDC Secretary General Welshman Ncube on May 18

confirmed to the Embassy details of the occupation by youths,

whom Ncube said were in fact party members. According to

Ncube, the attackers injured several people, including the

Party Secretary for Harare, who suffered a broken arm, and

the Mashonaland East Provincial Spokesperson, who had several

teeth knocked out. Ncube alleged that unnamed MDC senior

officials had orchestrated the disturbance because they

feared they would lose their positions at the Party Congress

(still scheduled for January). He said the party had called

on police assistance to quell the disturbance, and four

suspects had been arrested.

¶3. (C) COMMENT: Despite the March 31 parliamentary election

results, the MDC leadership remains firmly in control of the

party. However, internecine competition and debates over

tactics in the run-up to the Party Congress unfortunately

appear likely to fuel further tensions and to absorb the

party,s energies at a time when they would be better served

connecting with growing public discontent over the country,s

economic meltdown and especially the collapse of public

services (septel).

DELL

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