The director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, Jestina Mukoko, told United States embassy officials that the military and war veterans were targeting local election observers in rural areas that were previously controlled by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front but had voted for the Movement for Democratic Change in the March 2008 elections.
She said a provincial coordinator in the Midlands reported that soldiers were beating up citizens at a shopping centre in Mkoba for “not voting correctly”.
Violence erupted in the country following ZANU-PF’s defeat by the MDC in the parliamentary elections.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had not released the results of the presidential elections but there were widespread reports that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had defeated ZANU-PF’s Robert Mugabe.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE314, SITUATION REPORT: POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE SURGES
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VZCZCXRO8551
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0314/01 1011152
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 101152Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2757
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1912
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1907
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2030
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0598
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1307
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1664
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2086
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4517
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1162
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC//DHO-7//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK//DOOC/ECMO/CC/DAO/DOB/DOI//
RUZEHAA/CDR USEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ23-CH/ECJ5M//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000314
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SES-O
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND E. LOKEN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2018
TAGS: ASEC PHUM PGOV CASC KDEM ZI
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT: POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE SURGES
REF: HARARE 00296
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES D. MCGEE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B & D)
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In the past week, ZANU-PF has stepped-up a
post-election campaign of retaliatory violence and
intimidation throughout the country. Security forces and
ardent ZANU-PF supporters, mainly war veterans and youth
militia — some armed with weapons — have targeted
opposition party organizers, polling agents and supporters as
well as election officials and local election observers in
their homes and on the streets. In a sign that this is a
systematic campaign, many victims reported that these mobs
had lists of names of targets. There also has been a new
wave of commercial farm invasions resulting in evictions and
violence in recent days. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) Fidelis Mudimu, program director at Counseling
Services Unit (CSU), a local NGO that provides medical
services to victims of state-sponsored violence, told us on
April 9 that CSU had recorded more than 60 cases of violence
since March 29 — with 38 new cases since April 7. All cases
were perpetrated by ZANU-PF supporters (war veterans and
youth) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Most cases involved
physical assaults resulting in minor injuries. There were
four victims that required hospitalization. Many victims
reported their assailants said they were being punished for
“voting incorrectly” and that in the next round of voting
there would be no mistakes. CSU also was attempting to
confirm reports that two opposition supporters had been
killed in an attack by ZANU-PF supporters in Mashonaland East
province.
¶3. (C) In the past three days, the following were among the
cases CSU recorded:
— Four MDC polling agents were treated by a CSU doctor in
Nyanga in the Manicaland province after being attacked by a
group of ZANU-PF supporters;
— Five MDC supporters attacked by ZANU-PF supporters were
treated by a CSU doctor in Chinoyi in the Mashonaland West
province;
— Eleven victims from commercial farm invasions in Beatrice
in the Mashonaland East province were treated at CSU Harare;
— Several opposition supporters were summoned by a village
headman to his homestead in Mutoko in the Mashonaland East
province were they were attacked by suspected state security
agents.
¶4. (C) Jestina Mukoko, director of Zimbabwe Peace Project
(ZPP), a local NGO that monitors political violence and human
rights abuses, told us that the military and war veterans
were targeting local election observers for violence in rural
areas that were previously ZANU-PF controlled but that had
voted for the opposition is this election. For instance, a
ZPP provincial coordinator in Midlands province reported that
soldiers were beating up citizens in a shopping center in
Mkoba for “not voting correctly.”
¶5. (C) In addition to the 45 white-owned commercial farms
placed under siege in Mashonaland and Masvingo provinces
since April 5 (reftel), Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU)
Trevor Gifford reported to us on April 10 that new farm
invasions had begun in Manicaland (including his own farm),
Matabeleland, and Midlands provinces in the past two days.
Police were reacting to disburse the mobs gathered on the
property, but after the police leave the farms get re-invaded
within five to six hours. Gifford estimated that 30 farmers
HARARE 00000314 002 OF 002
had now abandoned their farms completely, with the rest in
various stages of holding out or packing up. There have been
reports of violence and altercations. Additionally, numerous
farm houses have been looted and vandalized.
——–
COMMENT
——–
¶6. (C) The situation remains tense as the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (ZEC) continues to stall in releasing results from
the presidential election. In the meantime, reports that
security forces, war veterans, and youth militia are moving
around the country punishing vocal opposition supporters, ZEC
election officials, local election observers, and lax ZANU-PF
supporters is intensifying a climate of fear and instability.
END COMMENT.
MCGEE
(15 VIEWS)
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