Movement for Democratic Change polling agents were harassed by youths and war veterans sympathetic to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front who tampered with ballot boxes to give President Robert Mugabe a wider margin of victory in the 2002 presidential elections.
Mugabe beat MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai by more than 400 000 votes when he polled 1 681 212 votes against Tsvangirai’s 1 262 403 votes.
The poll results are still being disputed today.
The South African weekly newspaper, the Mail and Guardian, which is owned by Zimbabwean publisher Trevor Ncube, went to court to force President Jacob Zuma to release a report on the elections by two South African judges.
It won the case two weeks ago but Zuma has not released the report up to now though he was given 10 days to do so.
The poll rigging was demonstrated by the wide discrepancy between the figures released by the Electoral Supervisory Commission and those announced by the registrar-general Tobaiwa Mudede.
The ESC said a total of 3.17 million people cast their votes in the presidential election. Mudede’s figures added up to only 3.03 million, leaving a discrepancy of 140 000 votes.
Two MDC polling agents Phainos Jasi and Jack Kankuni told United States embassy officials that youths and war veterans had been used to inflate the figures by tampering with ballot boxes.
Topper Whitehead, an activist for the MDC, said that the state of the voters roll left ZANU-PF with “enormous scope for stuffing ballot boxes and multiple voting in areas where we had no polling agents”.
The MDC also claimed that in some cases police officers and central intelligence organisation officials had acted as MDC polling agents.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 02HARARE713, ZIMBABWE: HOW MUGABE STOLE THE ELECTION;
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
|
Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4871
PAGE 01 HARARE 00713 01 OF 04 191203Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
SWCI-00 /010W
——————774BB5 191203Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1247
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
OAU COLLECTIVE
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 000713
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/12
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: HOW MUGABE STOLE THE ELECTION;
WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION UNDERWAY
REF: A) HARARE 661, B) HARARE 644
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL OFFICER TODD FAULK FOR REASONS:
1.5 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A WIDE VARIETY OF REPORTS OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL DAYS INDICATE THAT PRESIDENT MUGABE’S RULING
PARTY ENGAGED IN MASSIVE FRAUD DURING THE MARCH 9-11
PRESIDENTIAL POLL, ENABLING HIM TO CLAIM VICTORY. MANY
OF THE NUMBERS DO NOT ADD UP, AND INFLATED RESULTS IN
THE MASHONALAND PROVINCES AND OTHER AREAS CORRELATE WITH
REPORTS OF POLICE AND ZANU-PF MILITIA DETAINING MDC
POLLING AGENTS. SINCE THE ELECTION, RULING PARTY
MILITIA, WAR VETERANS, AND FARM SQUATTERS HAVE ENGAGED
IN WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION AGAINST MDC POLLING AGENTS AND
OTHER OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS; AT LEAST FIVE MDC
SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE ELECTION RESULTS
WERE ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 13. END SUMMARY.
————————
THE NUMBERS DON’T ADD UP
————————
¶2. (C) SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF THE
ELECTION RESULTS HAVE ARISEN SINCE REGISTRAR-GENERAL
TOBAIWA MUDEDE ANNOUNCED THEM ON MARCH 13. HIS FIGURES
ARE AT ODDS WITH THOSE RELEASED BY THE ELECTORAL
SUPERVISORY COMMISSION (ESC). ON MARCH 12, THE ESC
RELEASED PROVINCE-BY-PROVINCE FIGURES FOR THE NUMBER OF
VOTES CAST, TOTALING 3.17 MILLION VOTES. ON MARCH 13,
MUDEDE’S FIGURES FOR VALID VOTES, RELEASED ON A
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00713 01 OF 04 191203Z
CONSTITUENCY-BY-CONSTITUENCY BASIS, ADD UP TO ONLY 3.03
MILLION, A DIFFERENCE OF 140,000 VOTES. THE NUMBER OF
SPOILED BALLOTS ADDS UP TO ABOUT 48,000. THE QUESTION
BECOMES: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER 92,000 VOTES
BETWEEN THE TIME THE ESC RELEASED ITS FIGURES AND THE RG
ANNOUNCED ITS RESULTS?
¶3. (C) IN A MARCH 18 “DAILY NEWS” ARTICLE, THE MDC’S
DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS, PAUL THEMBA-NYATHI, CLAIMED THAT
CONSTITUENCY FIGURES GIVEN TO THE MDC BY THE ESC ARE
STARKLY AT ODDS WITH THE OFFICIAL RESULTS. FOR EXAMPLE,
IN BUBI-UMGUZA DISTRICT IN MATABELELAND NORTH, THE ESC
SAID 46,993 PEOPLE VOTED, BUT THE RG SAID ONLY 29,340
VOTED, A DIFFERENCE OF 17,653. MOREOVER, MUGABE
OBTAINED NEARLY 10,000 MORE VOTES THAN ZANU-PF DID IN
THE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION, GIVING HIM A
COMFORTABLE LEAD OF 4,500 VOTES OVER TSVANGIRAI. BUBI-
UMGUZA VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR THE MDC IN 2000 (BY A 2-
TO-1 MARGIN). IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THAT AN
NDEBELE DISTRICT OF SUCH PRO-MDC SYMPATHIES WOULD MAKE
SUCH AN ABOUT-FACE IN THE FACE OF STARVATION AND GREATER
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP. NEARBY TSHOLOTSHO DISTRICT
EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR REVERSAL OF FORTUNE BY GIVING
MUGABE 700 MORE VOTES THAN TSVANGIRAI.
¶4. (C) THE NUMBERS IN MANY DISTRICTS OF MASHONALAND AND
MASVINGO EQUALLY DEFY BELIEF. IN 24 CONSTITUENCIES IN
MASHONALAND EAST, CENTRAL, WEST AND MASVINGO, ZANU-PF’S
TOTALS INCREASED BY 5,000 TO 10,000 VOTES PER
CONSTITUENCY OVER 2000, WHEREAS THE MDC’S NUMBERS
REMAINED MOSTLY UNCHANGED OR DECLINED. SOME OF THE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 00713 01 OF 04 191203Z
INCREASES MAY BE “NATURAL,” DUE TO GREATER NAME
RECOGNITION FOR MUGABE, ZANU-PF VOTER MOBILIZATION
DRIVES, AND MORE MOBILE POLLING STATIONS FOR RESETTLED
FARMERS. IN FACT, GREATER VOTER MOBILIZATION PLAYED A
ROLE IN THE INCREASES OF SEVERAL THOUSAND ZANU-PF VOTES
IN THE BINDURA, CHIKOMBA, AND BIKITA WEST BY-ELECTIONS
LAST YEAR. EACH OF THESE BY-ELECTIONS OCCURRED
INDIVIDUALLY AND ZANU-PF WAS ABLE TO FOCUS ITS RESOURCES
ON THEM. HOWEVER, THIS YEAR, WHEN CHIKOMBA SEES 10,000
MORE ZANU-PF VOTES AND FEWER THAN 250 MORE FOR THE MDC,
FOR EXAMPLE, VOTER MOBILIZATION IS NOT A LIKELY
EXPLANATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS FEAT IS REPEATED IN AT
LEAST 40 OTHER CONSTITUENCIES NATIONWIDE AT THE SAME
TIME. IN REALITY, IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO SWITCH OR
ADD ADDITIONAL BALLOT BOXES THAN TO GET AN ADDITIONAL
200,000 PEOPLE TO THE POLLS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT
NOWHERE IN THE COUNTRY DID TSVANGIRAI SEE SUCH A WILD
INCREASE IN SUPPORT, EXCEPT IN CHIPINGE SOUTH WHERE THE
ZANU-NDONGA VOTERS THREW THEIR SUPPORT TO TSVANGIRAI
WHEN THEIR PARTY BOWED OUT OF THE RACE.
———————————
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE THE ELECTION
———————————
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4873
PAGE 01 HARARE 00713 02 OF 04 191203Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
SWCI-00 /010W
——————774BC8 191203Z /38
O 191149Z MAR 02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1248
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
OAU COLLECTIVE
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 04 HARARE 000713
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/12
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: HOW MUGABE STOLE THE ELECTION;
WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION UNDERWAY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 00713 02 OF 04 191203Z
¶5. (C) WHEN INFLATED NUMBERS IN THE MASHONALAND AND
MASVINGO CONSTITUENCIES ARE CORRELATED WITH REPORTS OF
MDC POLLING AGENTS BEING FORCED TO FLEE DURING THE POLL,
IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT ZANU-PF HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO
STUFF THE BALLOT BOXES IN THOSE PROVINCES, AND SOME
DISTRICTS IN OTHER PROVINCES. IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED
THAT THE RG WAS VERY LATE IN ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS FOR
MASHONALAND CENTRAL, THE PROVINCE WITH THE HIGHEST
NUMBER OF MUGABE VOTES OF ALL (REF A). ON MARCH 15, TWO
MDC POLLING AGENTS, PHAINOS JASI AND JACK KANKUNI
(PROTECT), APPROACHED US TO RELAY WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM
AS THEY OBSERVED THE ELECTION IN MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH AND
MUZARABANI CONSTITUENCIES, RESPECTIVELY (BOTH ARE IN
MASHONALAND CENTRAL). THE POLLING DAYS WENT SMOOTHLY,
BOTH SAID, BUT JUST AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO ACCOMPANY THE
BALLOT BOXES TO THE COUNTING CENTER ON THE MORNING OF
MARCH 11, A TRUCKLOAD OF WAR VETS AND YOUTH MILITIA
ARRIVED. IN MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH, ABOUT 20 YOUTHS CHASED
JASI TO A POLICE STATION, WHERE HE HID FOR SEVERAL HOURS
WHILE THE YOUTHS OUTSIDE DEMANDED “HIS HEAD.” HE NEVER
SAW THE BALLOT BOX AGAIN AND EVENTUALLY ESCAPED TO
HARARE. JASI SAID ALL OF THE 24 OTHER MDC POLLING
AGENTS IN MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH WERE CHASED OFF AS WELL;
ONE OF THEM IS STILL MISSING. MOUNT DARWIN SOUTH SAW AN
INCREASE OF 8,500 VOTES FOR MUGABE AND A DROP OF 800 FOR
TSVANGIRAI.
SIPDIS
¶6. (C) IN MUZARABANI, KANKUNI WAS NOT SO LUCKY. WHEN
HE WAS ABOUT TO ACCOMPANY THE BALLOT BOX FROM CHOBOMBO
VILLAGE TO THE COUNTING CENTER IN CENTENARY, A GROUP OF
WAR VETS INTERCEPTED HIM AND TOLD HIM TO GO TO THE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00713 02 OF 04 191203Z
POLICE STATION IN CENTENARY. ABOUT 30 OTHER POLLING
AGENTS WERE SIMILARLY DIVERTED TO THE POLICE. SHORTLY
AFTER THEY ARRIVED, ABOUT 300 YOUTH AND WAR VETS
ATTACKED THEM WITH STONES AND AX HANDLES, KANKUNI SAID
(MUCH OF THE SKIN ON KANKUNI’S FACE HAD BEEN SCRAPED
AWAY BY STONES). THE POLICE REFUSED TO INTERVENE, AND
ALL OF THE POLLING AGENTS FLED INTO THE BUSH. KANKUNI
SPENT A NIGHT IN A LOCAL SHELTER BEFORE MAKING HIS WAY
BACK TO HARARE. MUZURABANI SAW AN INCREASE OF 5,800
VOTES FOR MUGABE AND AN INCREASE OF 250 FOR TSVANGIRAI.
¶7. (C) THE DETENTION OR KIDNAPPING OF MANY OPPOSITION
POLLING AGENTS AND THE REFUSAL TO ACCREDIT MOST DOMESTIC
ELECTION OBSERVERS PREVENTED ADEQUATE COVERAGE OF MANY
RURAL AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN ZANU-PF STRONGHOLDS. AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL REPORTED ON MARCH 14 THAT A TOTAL OF 1,400
PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED OR DETAINED OVER THE POLLING
WEEKEND; MANY WERE ELECTION OBSERVERS OR POLLING AGENTS.
THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE CLAIMED THAT 570 WERE
ARRESTED IN THE SAME PERIOD FOR VIOLATING THE PUBLIC
ORDER AND SECURITY ACT (ALL BUT TWO OF THEM FROM THE
MDC). LINDSAY CAMPBELL, A COMMERCIAL FARMER AND MDC
ACTIVIST NEAR MARONDERA IN MASHONALAND EAST, TOLD POLOFF
THAT TWO POLLING AGENTS AND FIVE OTHER ELECTION
OFFICIALS WERE DETAINED OR KIDNAPPED IN HER AREA OVER
THE POLLING WEEKEND; FOUR ARE STILL MISSING.
¶8. (U) THE MDC ALSO CLAIMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT LEFT THE
VOTERS ROLL IN A DELIBERATE SHAMBLES TO FACILITATE
ELECTORAL FRAUD. THE MDC COMMISSIONED AN INDEPENDENT
AUDIT OF THE INTERIM VOTERS ROLL THAT MUDEDE PROVIDED
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 00713 02 OF 04 191203Z
THEM IN JANUARY (THE MDC WAS NEVER PROVIDED THE FINAL
ROLL). THE AUDIT FOUND THAT BETWEEN 30 AND 40 PERCENT
ON THE ROLL HAD MOVED OUT OF THEIR CONSTITUENCY OR DIED.
IN FACT, IN A RANDOM CHECK OF 500 VOTERS WHOSE DEATHS
HAD BEEN REGISTERED SINCE 1980, 80 PERCENT WERE STILL ON
THE VOTERS ROLL. TOPPER WHITEHEAD, AN ACTIVIST FOR THE
MDC, SAID THAT THE STATE OF THE VOTERS ROLL LEFT ZANU-PF
WITH “ENORMOUS SCOPE FOR STUFFING BALLOT BOXES AND
MULTIPLE VOTING IN AREAS WHERE WE HAD NO POLLING
AGENTS.”
¶9. (C) THE MDC CLAIMS THAT MEMBERS OF THE POLICE AND
CIO POSED AS MDC POLLING AGENTS OR OTHER ELECTION
OFFICIALS IN MANY AREAS. WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THIS
INDEED OCCURRED. OUR TEAM THAT WAS DETAINED BY THE
CHINHOYI POLICE (REF B) REPORTED BEING QUESTIONED
AGGRESSIVELY BY THREE MEN IN THE POLICE STATION WEARING
ESC VESTS. WHEN ASKED WHY THE ESC REQUIRED THEIR
IDENTIFICATION AND WHAT THE ESC’S ROLE WAS IN A POLICE
MATTER, THE THREE INITIALLY ADMITTED TO BEING POLICE
OFFICERS, BUT LATER DENIED IT. ALSO, WHEN ASKED WHO
THEIR SUPERIORS WERE, THE THREE INDICATED THE COMMANDING
OFFICER OF THE POLICE STATION.
¶10. (C) OTHER REPORTS OF ELECTORAL MALFEASANCE HAVE
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4874
PAGE 01 HARARE 00713 03 OF 04 191204Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
SWCI-00 /010W
——————774BD3 191204Z /38
O 191149Z MAR 02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1249
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
OAU COLLECTIVE
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 04 HARARE 000713
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/12
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: HOW MUGABE STOLE THE ELECTION;
WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION UNDERWAY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 00713 03 OF 04 191204Z
BEEN PILING UP SINCE THE RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED:
— IN BUBI-UMGUZA CONSTITUENCY IN MATABELELAND NORTH,
THE BALLOT BOX FOR THE MOBILE 19 POLLING STATION
CONTAINED 137 VOTES WHEN IT WENT MISSING; WHEN IT TURNED
UP AGAIN, IT HAD MORE THAN 1,000 ADDITIONAL BALLOT
PAPERS IN IT, ACCORDING TO A PRESS REPORT. (BUBI-UMGUZA
VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR MUGABE; SEE PARAGRAPH 3.)
— OPPOSITION POLLING AGENTS REPORTEDLY COUNTED ABOUT
12,000 VOTERS OVER TWO DAYS IN TSHOLOTSHO CONSTITUENCY.
HOWEVER, THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL ANNOUNCED THAT 21,000 HAD
CAST BALLOTS. (TSHOLOTSHO WENT TO MUGABE; SEE PARAGRAPH
3.)
— SEVERAL FULL BALLOT BOXES WERE REPORTEDLY FOUND AT A
MORTUARY IN CHITUNGWIZA (AN AREA OF OVERWHELMING MDC
STRENGTH) OVER THE MARCH 16 WEEKEND, ACCORDING TO A
LOCAL EMBASSY EMPLOYEE.
— SOUTH AFRICAN OBSERVERS CAUGHT A GROUP OF BULAWAYO
WOMEN HANDING OUT MONEY BEFORE THE ELECTION TO ANYONE
PROMISING TO VOTE FOR MUGABE, ACCORDING TO THE “ZIMBABWE
INDEPENDENT.” THE WOMEN WERE SEEN TAKING DOWN THE NAMES
AND ID NUMBERS OF THE RECIPIENTS. SIMILAR OPERATIONS
WERE UNCOVERED IN OTHER PARTS OF BULAWAYO. MUGABE
RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL 7,500 VOTES, A 25 PERCENT
INCREASE OVER 2000, IN BULAWAYO.
— THE CONSTITUENCY REGISTRAR IN MUTARE CENTRAL THREW
OUT THE COUNT OF 155 POSTAL BALLOTS AFTER 25 POSTAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00713 03 OF 04 191204Z
VOTES DISAPPEARED. THE DECISION CAME ONLY AFTER
INNOCENT GONESE, THE MDC POLLING AGENT, STRENUOUSLY
OBJECTED TO INCLUDING THE POSTAL BALLOTS WHEN THE
DISAPPEARANCE OF SOME COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED.
——————————-
WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION UNDERWAY
——————————-
¶11. (C) WAR VETERANS, ZANU-PF MILITIA, AND FARM
SQUATTERS ARE ENACTING WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION AGAINST
COMMERCIAL FARMERS, THEIR WORKERS, POLLING AGENTS AND
OTHER MDC SUPPORTERS. SINCE MARCH 13, AT LEAST FIVE
OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN KILLED. FRANCES
LOVEMORE, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE AMANI TRUST, A
WELL-RESPECTED HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN ZIMBABWE,
REPORTED TO POLOFF THAT HER OFFICE WAS OVERWHELMED OVER
THE WEEKEND WITH VICTIMS OF TORTURE AND DISPLACEMENT.
AT LEAST 84 FARM WORKERS AND 22 POLLING AGENTS SOUGHT
REFUGE WITH AMANI TRUST OVER THE WEEKEND. LOVEMORE ALSO
REPORTED A LARGE UPSWING IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING
DETAINED BY ZANU-PF MILITIA, WHO APPARENTLY HAVE
REOPENED “RE-EDUCATION” CAMPS FOR WAYWARD MDC MEMBERS.
LOVEMORE STATED THAT AMANI TRUST PLANS TO ASK THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) IN
ZIMBABWE TO SET UP A REFUGEE CAMP; AMANI CAN NO LONGER
COPE WITH THE NUMBER THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED.
¶12. (C) BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE REPORTS OF
RETRIBUTION THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED:
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 00713 03 OF 04 191204Z
— JASI AND KANKUNI (SEE PARAGRAPH 5) REPORTED THAT
ZANU-PF MEMBERS TRACKED THEM DOWN TO THEIR HOMES IN
HARARE AND CAME LOOKING FOR THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT ON MARCH 15; THEY BOTH ESCAPED BUT ARE AFRAID TO
RETURN TO THEIR HOMES. JASI REPORTED THAT TWO OTHER MDC
POLLING AGENTS WHO WERE ASSIGNED TO MASHONALAND CENTRAL,
BUT WERE RESIDING IN THE HARARE HIGH-DENSITY SUBURBS OF
MBARE AND DVIVARESKWA, WERE TRACKED DOWN AND STABBED TO
DEATH ON MARCH 14. ALL OTHER MDC POLLING AGENTS WHO
WORKED IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL ARE ALSO BEING HUNTED,
JASI SAID.
— LOVEMORE REPORTED MARCH 19 THAT IN UZUMBA-MARAMBA-
PFUNGWE DISTRICT IN MASHONALAND EAST, ZANU-PF MILITIA
ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING TO PUNISH THE 3,000 PEOPLE WHO
VOTED FOR THE MDC.
— THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION (CFU) REPORTED THAT
FARMER TERRY FORD WAS BLUDGEONED TO DEATH BY ABOUT 20
WAR VETS AND SETTLERS EARLY ON MARCH 18 ON HIS FARM NEAR
NORTON. THE CFU REPORTED THAT ANOTHER FARM IN THE AREA
WAS LOOTED LAST WEEK.
— AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN WAS BEATEN TO DEATH NEAR KWEKWE
LAST WEEK AFTER HE WAS TAKEN TO A ZANU-PF “RE-EDUCATION”
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4875
PAGE 01 HARARE 00713 04 OF 04 191204Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
SWCI-00 /010W
——————774BD9 191204Z /38
O 191149Z MAR 02
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1250
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
OAU COLLECTIVE
ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 04 OF 04 HARARE 000713
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/12
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: HOW MUGABE STOLE THE ELECTION;
WIDESPREAD RETRIBUTION UNDERWAY
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 00713 04 OF 04 191204Z
CAMP, ACCORDING TO THE AMANI TRUST.
— A SECURITY GUARD WORKING FOR FARMER JON RUTHERFORD
NEAR MARONDERA DIED MARCH 15 FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN
A BEATING BY ZANU-PF YOUTHS. RUTHERFORD WAS ALSO
SEVERELY BEATEN AND HOSPITALIZED FOR FOUR DAYS.
— THE CHIPESA FARM HOUSE, OWNED BY MDC ACTIVISTS IAIN
AND KERRY KAY, WAS LOOTED BY ZANU-PF MILITANTS ON MARCH
¶15. SOME OF THE LOOTERS SPORTED AK-47S AND POLICE
RESERVIST UNIFORMS, AND BEAT SEVERAL FARM WORKERS. THE
HOUSE’S FURNISHINGS WERE TAKEN AND THE FARM’S DIESEL AND
FERTILIZER WERE ALSO STOLEN. THE CHIPESA FARM WAS
VISITED BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY LORNE CRANER IN JANUARY.
— FIFTEEN FARMERS HAVE BEEN FORCED OFF THEIR PROPERTY
SINCE THE ELECTION ENDED, ACCORDING TO THE CFU.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶13. (C) IT IS NOT CERTAIN THAT THE ELECTION WOULD HAVE
TURNED ENTIRELY ON THE BALLOT-STUFFING TRICKS DESCRIBED
ABOVE, BUT BY OUR CAUTIOUS ESTIMATION IT MIGHT HAVE
ADDED UP TO MORE THAN 300,000 ADDITIONAL VOTES FOR
MUGABE — THREE QUARTERS OF THE 427,000 MARGIN OF
VICTORY. WHEN COUPLED WITH THE SLASHING OF URBAN
POLLING STATIONS AND TWO YEARS OF INTENSE INTIMIDATION
AND VIOLENCE, FACTORS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY BUT
EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN VOTE RIGGING, IT BECOMES
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00713 04 OF 04 191204Z
CLEAR MUGABE WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD PUT TO WIN A FREE AND
FAIR ELECTION. END COMMENT.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
>
(94 VIEWS)
The Zimbabwe Gold fell against the United States dollar for five consecutive days from Monday…
An Indian think tank has described Starlink, a satellite internet service provider which recently entered…
Zimbabwe’s new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), firmed against the United States dollars for 10…
Zimbabwe is among the top 30 countries in the world with the widest gap between…
Zimbabwe’s battered currency, the Zimbabwe Gold, which was under attack until the central bank devalued…
Plans by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to…