Rugare Gumbo, who was deputy Minister of Home Affairs at the time, said the government was there to govern and had been given the mandate to do so by the people.
He was responding to concerns by the United States embassy about the use of excessive force during a recent unrest in which two of the embassy employees were affected, one being severely beaten.
Gumbo said the government had merely exercised its responsibility to protect life and property, and it would not take chances when there were “criminal tendencies” in a society beset by economic hardship.
He said the army was brought in to assist the police because they were overstretched and could not handle the situation alone.
The embassy said Gumbo’s somewhat accusatory manner was not altogether surprising given his reputation for ruthlessness.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 00HARARE5943, CHARGE REGISTERS U.S. CONCERN OVER ZIMBABWE
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
201201Z Oct 00
CONFIDENTIAL PTO5744
PAGE 01 HARARE 05943 201157Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00
DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00
FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00
LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00
PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /011W
——————94873D 201158Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7418
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 005943
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/10
SUBJECT: CHARGE REGISTERS U.S. CONCERN OVER ZIMBABWE
UNREST TO DEPUTY HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 05943 201157Z
REFS: A) HARARE 5925, B) HARARE 5902, C) HARARE 5871
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D’AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING.
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) ON OCTOBER 20, CHARGE MET DEPUTY HOME AFFAIRS
MINISTER RUGARE GUMBO, IN THE ABSENCE OF MINISTER JOHN
NKOMO, TO REGISTER U.S. CONCERN OVER THIS WEEK’S UNREST
AND THE GOZ’S RESPONSE. CHARGE MADE THE POINTS THAT WE
BELIEVE THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE (ZRP) RESPONDED
WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE, AND THAT TWO OF OUR FSN EMPLOYEES
WERE DIRECTLY AFFECTED, INCLUDING ONE BEING SEVERELY
BEATEN. ALTHOUGH WE ACCEPT THAT THE GOZ HAS THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER,
INDISCRIMINATE, DOOR-TO-DOOR BEATINGS HAVE NO PLACE IN A
MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY.
¶2. (C) GUMBO RESPONDED THAT HE WILL CONVEY OUR CONCERN
TO HIS SUPERIORS. HE SAID THAT HE APPRECIATES THE
DIFFICULTY THE USG MUST HAVE IN ASSESSING THE SITUATION
FROM SO FAR AWAY. THE GOZ IS HERE TO GOVERN, AND HAS
BEEN GIVEN A MANDATE FROM THE PEOPLE TO DO SO. THE GOZ
HAS EXERCISED ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT LIFE AND
PROPERTY, AND IT WILL NOT TAKE CHANCES WHEN THERE ARE
“CRIMINAL TENDENCIES” IN A SOCIETY BESET BY ECONOMIC
HARDSHIP, GUMBO EXPLAINED. THE ARMY WAS BROUGHT IN TO
ASSIST THE POLICE BECAUSE THEY WERE OVERSTRETCHED AND
COULD NOT HANDLE THE SITUATION ALONE. GUMBO ACTED
DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DID NOT COMMEND THE GOZ ON
PREVENTING THE LOSS OF LIFE WHEN IT IS SUCH A PROBLEM IN
OTHER AREAS LIKE NIGERIA. THE DEPUTY MINISTER CLAIMED
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 05943 201157Z
TO HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THE MDC ENGINEERED THE UNREST TO
TRY TO FORCE MUGABE FROM POWER. “HOW CAN WE BELIEVE
THAT THEIR DEMOCRATIC INTENTIONS ARE GENUINE WHEN THEIR
LEADER ESPOUSES VIOLENCE?” HE ASKED. GUMBO ALSO ACTED
HURT THAT THE USG WOULD ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS ON
ZIMBABWE THROUGH THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY ACT. “HOW DO
YOU THINK WE FEEL WHEN THE USG DOES THIS WHILE FUNDING
THE OPPOSITION?” WE BELIEVE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
AND WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT THE USG MAKES
IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO SO, GUMBO PROFESSED.
¶3. (C) THE CHARGE REPLIED THAT THE ZDA IS DEAD AND THAT
IT IS SOMETHING TO PUT BEHIND US. IN TERMS OF THE ARMY
INVOLVEMENT IN QUELLING THE UNREST, WE WORRY THAT IT
COULD BE A HARBINGER OF MORE UNREST OR MARTIAL LAW.
GUMBO ASSURED THE CHARGE THAT THE SITUATION IS STABLE,
DESPITE THE MDC’S ATTEMPTS TO MAKE IT WORSE. THE DEPUTY
MINISTER SAID THE MDC WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DISTURBANCES
BREAKING OUT EARLIER THIS WEEK IN THE RATCLIFFE TOWNSHIP
OF KWEKWE, SOME 200 KM DISTANT FROM HARARE. (COMMENT:
WE HAVE SEEN NO OTHER CREDIBLE REPORTS OF UNREST IN
URBAN CENTERS OUTSIDE HARARE. END COMMENT.) IN ANY
CASE, “THE MDC HAS LEARNED ITS LESSON,” GUMBO CONTINUED.
HE TAKES OUR CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES
SERIOUSLY AND WILL NOTIFY US IF THERE ARE ANY SIGNS OF
NEW TROUBLE. GUMBO EVEN OFFERED TO INVESTIGATE THE
INCIDENTS WHERE OUR FSN AND ANOTHER’S FAMILY WERE BEATEN
BY THE POLICE (REFS B AND C). HE SAID HIS MINISTRY HAS
NOT YET FULLY INVESTIGATED THE REPORTS OF POLICE
VIOLENCE, BUT IT WILL CONDUCT A POST MORTEM ON THE
EVENTS OF THIS WEEK.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 05943 201157Z
¶4. (C) COMMENT: GUMBO’S SOMEWHAT ACCUSATORY MANNER IS
NOT ALTOGETHER SUPRISING GIVEN HIS REPUTATION FOR
RUTHLESSNESS. HIS MBERENGWA EAST DISTRICT SAW SOME OF
THE WORST POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION PRIOR TO
THIS YEAR’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. NONETHELESS, THE
DEPUTY MINISTER APPEARED TO TAKE OUR CONCERNS ON BOARD
AND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY REPORT THEM TO MINISTER NKOMO. HIS
STEADFAST BELIEF THAT THE MDC WAS BEHIND THE UNREST IS
WORRISOME AND COULD INDICATE THAT HE HAD A HAND IN
ORDERING THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BEATINGS. IT COULD ALSO
PRESAGE A MORE INTENSE CRACKDOWN ON THE MDC SHOULD THE
OPPOSITION RESORT TO MASS ACTION. END COMMENT.
IRVING
CONFIDENTIAL
>
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