There was a government crackdown on the Movement for Democratic Change in Bulawayo following the murder of war veterans leader Cain Nkala. The government accused the party of being responsible for the murder.
MDC secretary-general Welshman Ncube rejected the allegations as “utter rubbish,” while MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai expressed sympathy to the war veteran’s family and urged the police to arrest the real perpetrators.
The body of Cain Nkala, chairman of the Bulawayo War Veterans Association, was found in a shallow grave 40 km southwest of Bulawayo.
Nkala was abducted from his home by ten men reportedly armed with AK-47’s after a struggle in which he and his wife were injured.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE3400, WAR VETERAN MURDER SPARKS GOZ CRACKDOWN ON MDC AND UNREST
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
141455Z Nov 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5448
PAGE 01 HARARE 03400 01 OF 03 141547Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————3E2249 141547Z /02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0273
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 003400
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/14/11
SUBJECT: WAR VETERAN MURDER SPARKS GOZ CRACKDOWN ON MDC AND UNREST
IN BULAWAYO
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS:
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03400 01 OF 03 141547Z
1.5 (B) AND (D).
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE BLAMED THE MURDER OF A SENIOR WAR
VETERAN IN BULAWAYO ON THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC)
AND HAS MOVED TO ARREST A NUMBER OF PARTY OFFICIALS. MDC
SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE REJECTED THE ALLEGATIONS AS
SIPDIS
“UTTER RUBBISH,” WHILE MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI EXPRESSED
SYMPATHY TO THE WAR VETERAN’S FAMILY AND URGED THE POLICE TO
ARREST THE REAL PERPETRATORS. MDC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT DAVID
COLTART IS CONVINCED THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO FRAME HIM FOR THE
MURDER, FEARS THAT HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER, AND ASKED THE USG TO
TELL THE GOZ THAT WE WILL HOLD IT RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS
TO COLTART OR OTHER MDC OFFICIALS. (WE ARE MAKING THIS POINT TO
THE GOVERNMENT TODAY.) WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE GOVERNMENT’S
INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC AND WIDESPREAD ARRESTS OF MDC OFFICIALS
COULD SPARK UNREST IN BULAWAYO. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) THE BODY OF CAIN NKALA, CHAIRMAN OF THE BULAWAYO WAR
VETERANS ASSOCIATION, WAS FOUND IN A SHALLOW GRAVE 40 KM SOUTHWEST
OF BULAWAYO ON NOVEMBER 13. NKALA HAD BEEN ABDUCTED FROM HIS HOME
ON NOVEMBER 5 BY TEN MEN REPORTEDLY ARMED WITH AK-47’S AFTER A
STRUGGLE IN WHICH HE AND HIS WIFE WERE INJURED. AT THE TIME OF
HIS ABDUCTION, NKALA WAS FACING CHARGES IN THE JUNE 2000
DISAPPEARANCE OF PATRICK NABANYAMA, THE POLLING AGENT FOR MDC
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT DAVID COLTART, WHOSE BODY HAS NEVER BEEN
FOUND. COLTART TOLD US, HOWEVER, THAT NKALA SEEMED TO HAVE
EXPERIENCED A CHANGE OF HEART IN RECENT WEEKS, AS HE WAS ASSISTING
WHITE COMMERCIAL FARMERS IN MEDIATING DISPUTES ON THEIR PROPERTIES
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03400 01 OF 03 141547Z
AND MAY HAVE REVEALED TO A JOURNALIST THE WHEREABOUTS OF
NABANYAMA’S BODY.
OMINOUS GOVERNMENT RHETORIC
—————————
¶3. (U) THE WEEK-AND-A-HALF BETWEEN NKALA’S ABDUCTION AND THE
DISCOVERY OF HIS BODY WAS MARKED BY OMINOUS STATEMENTS FROM
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. IN INFLAMMATORY REMARKS ON A NATIONAL NEWS
BROADCAST ON NOVEMBER 13, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS JOHN NKOMO
BLAMED THE MDC’S LEADERSHIP FOR THE MURDER. PRIOR TO THE
DISCOVERY OF THE BODY, HARARE WAR VETERAN LEADER JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA
CALLED THE ABDUCTION A “DECLARATION OF WAR.” VICE-PRESIDENT MSIKA
THREATENED VIOLENCE AGAINST THOSE RESPONSIBLE, VOWING THAT “IF
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A BLOODBATH THEY WILL CERTAINLY GET IT.”
OBERT MPOFU, GOVERNOR OF MATABELELAND NORTH PROVINCE, IN WHICH
BULAWAYO IS LOCATED, BLAMED A “THIRD FORCE” OF FORMER RHODESIAN
TROOPS, WHICH HE SAID WAS WORKING TO DESTABILIZE THE GOVERNMENT.
A SENIOR ZANU-PF PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL URGED THAT WAR VETERANS BE
ARMED SO THAT THEY COULD PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST FURTHER
ABDUCTIONS. SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL WAR
VETERANS ASSOCIATION ANDY MHLANGA CLAIMED THAT NKALA WAS KIDNAPPED
BY MDC SUPPORTERS AND SAID, SINCE WAR VETERANS ARE “GOOD” AT WAR,
THE OPPOSITION PARTY “SHOULD NOT BLAME US FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.”
CRACKDOWN ON MDC
—————-
¶4. (C) THE THREATENING STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY
WIDESPREAD ARRESTS OF MDC OFFICIALS, POLICE RAIDS OF THE PARTY’S
OFFICES IN HARARE AND BULAWAYO AND OF THE HOUSES OF MDC LEADERS,
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03400 01 OF 03 141547Z
AND VIOLENT ANTI-MDC DEMONSTRATIONS BY WAR VETERANS. TWO DAYS
AFTER NKALA’S ABDUCTION, MORE THAN 75 HEAVILY-ARMED POLICE SPENT
SEVERAL HOURS COMBING THE MDC’S HEADQUARTERS IN BULAWAYO IN WHAT
THEY SAID WAS A SEARCH FOR NKALA. ON NOVEMBER 10, A GROUP OF 100
WAR VETERANS TRIED TO GAIN ENTRY TO THE MDC’S HARARE HEADQUARTERS.
PREVENTED FROM DOING SO, THEY SPENT AN HOUR OUTSIDE ASSAULTING
PEOPLE ENTERING AND LEAVING THE BUILDING, AND DAMAGING THE VEHICLE
OF THE PARTY’S NATIONAL SPOKESMAN LEARNMORE JONGWE. SIX POLICE
OFFICERS WHO WERE STATIONED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING, ACCORDING TO A
SENIOR MDC OFFICIAL, DID NOTHING TO CONTROL THE CROWD UNTIL IT
DISPERSED ON ITS OWN. ON NOVEMBER 12, POLICE ATTEMPTED TO SEARCH
THE HARARE OFFICES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE AND
NATIONAL COORDINATOR ISAAC MAPOSA, BUT THEY LEFT WHEN NCUBE, A
PROFESSOR OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, INSISTED THAT THEY PRODUCE A
SEARCH WARRANT.
¶5. (C) ACCORDING TO MDC INFORMATION OFFICER NKANYISO MAQEVA, AT
LEAST TEN MDC OFFICIALS OF VARYING RANKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE
BEEN ARRESTED DURING THE PAST WEEK. IT IS DIFFICULT, MAQEVA SAID,
TO GET DETAILS ON ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, AS POLICE ARE
REFUSING TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AND, IN MOST CASES, HAVE
BLOCKED ACCESS TO LEGAL COUNSEL. THE POLICE SEEM TO BE TARGETTING
MDC LEADERS IN BULAWAYO, ALTHOUGH TWO PARTY OFFICIALS FROM THE
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5453
PAGE 01 HARARE 03400 02 OF 03 141547Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————3E225A 141547Z /02
O 141455Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0274
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 003400
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/14/11
SUBJECT: WAR VETERAN MURDER SPARKS GOZ CRACKDOWN ON MDC AND UNREST
IN BULAWAYO
HARARE AREA WERE ARRESTED EARLY IN THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 14 — A
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03400 02 OF 03 141547Z
DISTRICT SECRETARY FROM THE NEARBY TOWN OF CHITUNGWIZA AND A YOUTH
LEADER FROM THE HIGH-DENSITY SUBURB OF ST. MARY’S. NOMA
NABANYAMA, THE DAUGHTER OF PATRICK, WAS REPORTEDLY DETAINED ON
NOVEMBER 12 AND HELD OVERNIGHT BY POLICE, WHO SEIZED HER PASSPORT
AND ACCUSED HER OF LYING ABOUT HER FATHER’S DISAPPEARANCE. IN THE
LAST TWO DAYS, THE HOUSES OF MDC NATIONAL TREASURER, FLETCHER
DULINI, AND THE PARTY’S BULAWAYO ADMINSTRATOR, ZWELITHINI
MSIMANGA, WERE SEARCHED WITHOUT WARRANTS.
MDC REACTION
————
¶6. (C) SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE REJECTED ALLEGATIONS THAT
THE MDC WAS BEHIND NKALA’S MURDER AS “UTTER RUBBISH.” IN A
CONVERSATION WITH US, HE SAID THE PARTY’S ENTIRE PROVINCIAL
EXECUTIVE IN BULAWAYO HAS GONE INTO HIDING, AS HAVE TWO MDC CITY
COUNCILLORS WHOSE HOUSES WERE DAMAGED BY WAR VETERANS WHO WENT ON
A RAMPAGE THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 13. HE CONDEMNED WHAT HE CALLED
THE GOVERNMENT’S SELECTIVE APPLICATION OF THE LAW, AND POINTED OUT
THAT AT LEAST SEVEN DETAINED MDC MEMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO
COURT WITHIN THE 48-HOUR TIME PERIOD REQUIRED BY ZIMBABWEAN LAW.
MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI ISSUED A STATEMENT EXPRESSING
SYMPATHY FOR THE NKALA FAMILY, CALLING ON THE POLICE TO FIND THE
“REAL PERPETRATORS OF THIS CALLOUS CRIMINAL OFFENSE,” AND
CONDEMNING MINISTER NKOMO’S NOVEMBER 13 REMARKS AS INTENDED “TO
WHIP UP EMOTIONS AND EXPLOIT POLITICALLY” NKALA’S DEATH. THE MDC
HAS URGED THAT THE DETAINEES BE PLACED IN A LINEUP FOR
IDENTIFICATION BY MRS. NKALA, SINCE SHE WITNESSED THE ABDUCTION,
BUT MDC INFORMATION OFFICER NKANYISO MAQEVA TOLD US THAT THE
POLICE HAVE DECLINED TO DO SO.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03400 02 OF 03 141547Z
THREATS TO COLTART
——————
¶7. (C) IN A NOVEMBER 14 MEETING WITH POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF
REQUESTED URGENTLY BY DAVID COLTART, THE MDC MP SAID ZANU-PF IS
TRYING TO FRAME HIM FOR NKALA’S MURDER AND EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN
FOR HIS OWN SAFETY. COLTART RECALLED HIS TWENTY YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE AS A HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER AND SAID HE HAD ALWAYS HAD AND
CONTINUED TO REJECT VIOLENCE. HE DID NOT EVEN OWN A GUN, HE SAID.
COLTART WENT ON TO REPORT THAT HE HAD HEARD FROM THREE UNRELATED
SOURCES THAT VICE-PRESIDENT MSIKA, JOHN NKOMO, GOVERNOR OBERT
MPOFU, AND FORMER MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CURRENT MEMBER OF
THE ZANU-PF POLITBURO DUMISO DABENGWA, HAD AGREED IN A RECENT
MEEETING THAT COLTART’S “ELIMINATION” IS A NECESSARY PIECE OF THE
RULING PARTY’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN STRATEGY. THE MDC MP SAID HE
TOOK THIS THREAT SERIOUSLY AND FELT “EXTREMELY VULNERABLE.” HE
HAD EVEN BRIEFLY CONSIDERED WALKING INTO AN EMBASSY THAT MORNING
AND REQUESTING POLITICAL ASYLUM. HE ASKED THAT THE USG CONVEY ITS
CONCERN TO THE GOZ ABOUT THE INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC OF ITS SENIOR
OFFICIALS AND TO EMPHASIZE THAT IT WOULD HOLD THE GOVERNMENT
RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO HIM OR ANY OTHER MDC OFFICIAL.
(COMMENT: WE HAD NEVER BEFORE SEEN COLTART IN SUCH AN AGITATED
STATE. NORMALLY A CALM AND OPTIMISTIC MAN, EVEN WHEN UNDER
SIGNIFICANT STRESS, HE WAS VERY BADLY SHAKEN IN THIS MEETING AND
SEEMED UNSURE OF WHAT HIS NEXT STEPS SHOULD BE. HE WAS
PARTICULARLY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF HIS BULAWAYO-BASED
FAMILY, INCLUDING HIS TWO-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER. END COMMENT.)
UNREST IN BULAWAYO
——————
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03400 02 OF 03 141547Z
¶8. (U) LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OF NOVEMBER 14, WE RECEIVED AN
UNCONFIRMED BUT CREDIBLE REPORT FROM A JOURNALIST IN BULAWAYO OF
ANTI-MDC VIOLENCE IN THAT CITY’S HIGH- AND MEDIUM-DENSITY SUBURBS.
ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCE, WAR VETERANS HAVE BURNED HOUSES AND
DESTROYED PROPERTY BELONGING TO MDC SUPPORTERS. THE SITUATION IN
THE CITY IS REPORTED TO BE VERY TENSE, AND THE JOURNALIST TOLD US
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS FRIGHTENED FOR MY LIFE.”
COMMENT
——-
¶9. (C) NKALA’S CASE HAS GENERATED INTENSE INTEREST NATIONWIDE.
IT IS NOT CLEAR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS MURDER, AND WE DO NOT
WANT TO SPECULATE UNTIL FURTHER INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. IN
THE MEANTIME, IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT AK-47 RIFLES ARE NOT EASY TO
OBTAIN — ONLY MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY FORCES HAVE REGULAR ACCESS
TO THEM — AND THE ONES ALLEGEDLY USED DURING THE ABDUCTION HAVE
APPARENTLY NOT BEEN FOUND, EVEN THOUGH THE ACCUSED ARE IN CUSTODY.
WE ALSO FIND IT INTERESTING THAT MRS. NKALA HAS NOT SPOKEN
PUBLICLY ABOUT HER HUSBAND’S CASE, AND THAT THE POLICE HAVE BEEN
RELUCTANT TO SUBMIT THE SUSPECTS TO AN IDENTIFICATION LINEUP. IT
IS CLEAR THAT, WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE, THE GOZ SEEMS INTENT ON
USING THIS CASE TO INTENSIFY ITS CRACKDOWN ON THE MDC AND ITS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5455
PAGE 01 HARARE 03400 03 OF 03 141548Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /007W
——————3E226C 141548Z /02
O 141455Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0275
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 003400
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/14/11
SUBJECT: WAR VETERAN MURDER SPARKS GOZ CRACKDOWN ON MDC AND UNREST
IN BULAWAYO
LEADERSHIP. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03400 03 OF 03 141548Z
OF GOZ OFFICIALS AND THE WIDESPREAD ARRESTS IN BULAWAYO COULD
SPARK DEMONSTRATIONS BY LOCAL RESIDENTS, ELICITING A HEAVY-HANDED
RESPONSE FROM SECURITY FORCES.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
>
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