War veterans leader Chenjerai Hunzvi died in hospital on 3 June 2001 but the announcement of his death was only made on State radio the following day.
He was reported to have died from cerebral malaria bit it had been an open secret that he had been suffering from HIV/Aids.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE1784, ZIMBABWE WAR VETERANS LEADER HUNZVI IS DEAD
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
041307Z Jun 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTO6274
PAGE 01 HARARE 01784 041306Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 EVG-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 IRM-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/011W
——————F405F9 041306Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9019
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001784
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/11
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE WAR VETERANS LEADER HUNZVI IS DEAD
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 01784 041306Z
REF: HARARE 1695
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D’AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR
REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) ACCORDING TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT AND RELIABLE
SOURCES, ZIMBABWE NATIONAL LIBERATION WAR VETERANS’
ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN AND ZANU-PF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
CHENJERAI “HITLER” HUNZVI DIED IN HOSPITAL ON THE
AFTERNOON OF JUNE 3. AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON OFFICIAL
BROADCAST MEDIA EARLY ON THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 4
CONFIRMED HIS DEATH. HUNZVI HAD BEEN READMITTED TO A
HARARE HOSPITAL LATE LAST WEEK SHORTLY AFTER BEING
RELEASED FROM A BULAWAYO HOSPITAL (REFTEL). HOSPITAL
SOURCES CONTINUED TO TELL THE INDEPENDENT “DAILY NEWS”
LATE ON JUNE 3 THAT HUNZVI WAS STILL ON LIFE SUPPORT.
ALTHOUGH PRESS REPORTS SPECULATED THAT HUNZVI WAS ILL
WITH CEREBRAL MALARIA, IT HAD BEEN AN OPEN SECRET THAT
HE LONG SUFFERED FROM HIV/AIDS.
¶2. (C) COMMENT: WITH A 24-HOUR DELAY IN THE
ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS DEATH, GOZ OFFICIALS APPEARED TO BE
TRYING TO BUY TIME IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE
RAMIFICATIONS OF HUNZVI’S PASSING. THE GOZ LIKELY
WANTED TO WAIT FOR PRESIDENT MUGABE TO RETURN FROM ASIA
ON JUNE 3 BEFORE MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT. SPEAKER OF
PARLIAMENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA CANCELLED WITH LITTLE
PRIOR NOTICE A JUNE 4 MEETING WITH CHARGE. WE SUSPECT
THAT HE AND OTHER ZANU-PF POLITBURO MEMBERS ARE HUDDLED
TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF HUNZVI’S DEATH ON THE RULING
PARTY’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND TO COME UP WITH A
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 01784 041306Z
SUCCESSOR FOR THE GOZ’S CHIEF TERRORIZER.
¶3. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: HUNZVI’S DEPARTURE FROM THE
SCENE IS NOT LIKELY TO END THE BITTER DIVISIONS THAT
HAVE WRACKED THE WAR VETERANS’ ASSOCIATION. ZANU-PF’S
RISING STAR AND HARARE WAR VETERANS LEADER JOSEPH
CHINOTIMBA WILL EVENTUALLY COME INTO CONFLICT WITH
HUNZVI’S OLD RIVAL ENDY MHLANGA, THE ASSOCIATION’S
SECRETARY-GENERAL. ALTHOUGH MUGABE HAS DONE LITTLE IN
SIPDIS
THE PAST TO CURB THE ASSOCIATION’S INTERNAL STRIFE AS A
WAY TO KEEP HUNZVI IN CHECK, HE WILL WANT TO MINIMIZE
RIVALRIES NOW TO ENSURE THAT THE WAR VETERANS DO NOT
LOSE THEIR WAY AND CEASE TO FUNCTION AS THE RULING
PARTY’S SHOCK TROOPS. MUGABE WILL WANT TO REASSURE
HUNZVI’S ERSTWHILE PROTEGES THAT THEY WILL BE WELL
LOOKED AFTER AND THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN
INTEGRAL PART OF THE PRESIDENT’S RE-ELECTION STRATEGY.
THE LAST THING MUGABE WANTS TO SEE NOW IS SO-CALLED WAR
VETERANS MELTING AWAY FROM THE OCCUPIED FARMS. END
COMMENT.
IRVING
CONFIDENTIAL
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