National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku survived an arson attack six years ago when unknown people sprinkled gasoline from his front gate to the garage and set it on fire around 12.30 in the morning.
The family was, however, alerted by the flames and escaped from the house and put out the flames.
Madhuku said there was little damage to the house but his family, including his three children, was traumatised by the event.
He suspected that the attack had been carried out by intelligence officials, but he did not know whether they wanted to kill him or just send a warning.
The United States government-funded Amani Trust stepped in to provide support to the Madhuku family with counselling and a guard to provide security at the residence.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 07HARARE8, GOZ CRITIC SURVIVES APPARENT ARSON ATTACK
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Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO8721
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0008 0041016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041016Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1009
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1430
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1285
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1434
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0152
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0695
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1060
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1488
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3884
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1257
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1913
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUFGNOA/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1650
UNCLAS HARARE 000008
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: GOZ CRITIC SURVIVES APPARENT ARSON ATTACK
¶1. (SBU) National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Chairman
Lovemore Madhuku and his family survived an apparent arson
attack at his suburban arare home at about 12:30 AM on
January 1. Madhku told us that unknown assailants had
sprinkled trail of gasoline from his front gate to the
gaage in the apparent hope that the fire would causehis car
to explode and set fire to the house. Te family, alerted by
the flames, was able to escpe the house uninjured and
successfully put out te flames. Madhuku told us there was
relatively little damage to the house, but that his family,
including three young children, was traumatized by the event.
¶2. (SBU) Madhuku said he thought state security officers
were to blame for the attack, based on past GOZ attacks on
democracy advocates and the NCA’s outspoken demands for
reform. Madhuku, however, said he did not know if the GOZ
actually wanted to kill him or if the state merely intended
the attack as a warning. A sole police officer arrived
shortly after the flames were extinguished, but stayed only a
few minutes, according to Madhuku. The evening of January 1,
the police returned to take a statement from the family. The
statement, essentially what Madhuku told us above, promptly
appeared in the state-controlled Herald newspaper the next
morning.
¶3. (SBU) The USG-funded Amani Trust has stepped in to
provide support to the Madhuku family with counseling and a
guard to provide security at the residence. Amani Trust
program manager Fidelis Mudimu told us on January 4 that the
family was doing well, but that the children were still
having nightmares from the attack.
——-
Comment
——-
¶4. (SBU) The attack on Madhuku’s home is a worrying signal
that the ruling party, faced with a crumbling economy and
internal dissension over Mugabe’s plans to remain in office,
may be prepared to ratchet up its repression in 2007 in an
effort to mute domestic criticism and tighten its hold on
power.
DELL
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