John Nkomo says MDC bombed its own headquarters

Former Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo said a grenade attack on the Movement for Democratic Change headquarters in Harare was an inside job.

Nkomo said during a raid on the headquarters police had confiscated several hand grenades, a loaded pistol, and a box of 500 rounds of ammunition, all of which were still being held by the police.

He said the weapons were traced to Malaysia and were imported through South Africa.

Nkomo did not, however, explain why the MDC would choose to bomb itself.

MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube described the government accusations as rubbish but admitted that police had confiscated a pellet gun and a radio of some kind in addition to documents and computer files.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 00HARARE5302, ZIMBABWE MINISTER’S STATEMENT PRELUDE TO MORE

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

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

191541Z Sep 00

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ3260

PAGE 01       HARARE 05302 191539Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   AMAD-00 CIAE-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   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     /010W

——————8714B8 191540Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7139

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 005302

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/05

TAGS: PGOV PHUM ZI MDC ZANU PF

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE MINISTER’S STATEMENT PRELUDE TO MORE

INTIMIDATION AGAINST MDC

REFS: A) HARARE 5075, B) HARARE 5187, C) HARARE 5214,

D) HARARE 5270

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02       HARARE 05302 191539Z

CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND

(D).

¶1. (C) IN A PARLIAMENTARY SESSION ATTENDED BY POLOFF,

HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER JOHN NKOMO READ A BRIEF GOVERNMENT

STATEMENT ON THE POLICE RAIDS AGAINST THE MDC LAST WEEK

(REFS B AND C). AFTER READING WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A

POLICE REPORT ON THE BOMBING OF THE MDC HEADQUARTERS TWO

DAYS BEFORE THE RAIDS (REF A), NKOMO SAID THE POLICE

FOUND ENOUGH EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE TO INDICATE THAT THE

GRENADE ATTACK WAS “AN INSIDE JOB.” NKOMO DID NOT

ELABORATE ON WHY THE MDC MIGHT CHOOSE TO BOMB ITS OWN

HEADQUARTERS. HE DID SAY THAT IN THE RAIDS, THE POLICE

CONFISCATED SEVERAL HAND GRENADES, A LOADED PISTOL, AND

A BOX OF 500 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION, ALL OF WHICH ARE

STILL BEING HELD BY THE POLICE. HE STATED THE WEAPONS

HAD BEEN TRACED TO MALAYSIA AND HAD BEEN IMPORTED

THROUGH SOUTH AFRICA. HE WENT FURTHER TO SAY OBLIQUELY

THAT THE POLICE HAD UNCOVERED ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE TODAY

THAT WOULD WARRANT CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST UNNAMED

MEMBERS OF THE MDC.

¶2. (C) IMMEDIATELY AFTER NKOMO READ THE STATEMENT, MDC

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE TOLD A NORWEGIAN

SIPDIS

EMBASSY DIPLOMAT THAT THE GOVERNMENT’S ACCUSATION OF

FINDING WEAPONS WAS “RUBBISH,” BUT DID ADMIT THAT THE

POLICE CONFISCATED A “PELLET GUN” AND A RADIO OF SOME

KIND IN ADDITION TO THE DOCUMENTS AND COMPUTER FILES.

¶3. (C) COMMENT: NKOMO’S STATEMENT IS A CLEAR SIGN THAT

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 05302 191539Z

THE GOZ HAS MORE HARASSMENT IN STORE FOR THE MDC. THE

GOVERNMENT SUFFERED A SETBACK WHEN THE HIGH COURT

ORDERED THE RETURN OF THE SEIZED DOCUMENTS AND COMPUTER

FILES, AND THE POLICE WERE REQUIRED TO OBLIGE (REF D).

THE CHARGES LAID OUT BY NKOMO SMACK OF A FABRICATION OF

EVIDENCE AND A GOZ ATTEMPT TO SAVE FACE BY STICKING TO

ITS STORY THAT THE MDC IS IMPORTING “ARMS OF WAR.” ALL

OF OUR OPPOSITION INTERLOCUTORS HAVE REPEATEDLY AND

CREDIBLY DENIED THAT THE MDC IS IMPORTING OR STOCKPILING

WEAPONS. IF THE POLICE IN FACT FOUND A PELLET GUN,

HOWEVER, THIS COULD PROVIDE A LOT OF GRIST FOR THE GOZ

PARANOIA MILL. NKOMO’S STATEMENT, IN ANY CASE,

DEMONSTRATES THAT THE GOZ (ZANU-PF) INTENDS TO RATCHET

UP ITS ATTACKS ON THE MDC.

MCDONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

>

(37 VIEWS)