Ncube says judge is a staunch ZANU-PF supporter

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Welshman Ncube said High Court judge George Chiweshe was not likely to release MDC members including national treasurer Fletcher Dulini- Ncube because he was a former military judge and a staunch Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front supporter.

Dulini-Ncube was one of the 30 MDC members who were arrested following the death of war veteran leader Cain Nkala in Bulawayo. Only eight remained in custody.

His lawyer said he had not been allowed to confer with his client since Dulini-Ncube’s arrest November 19.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE3643, MUGABE’S CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE AND REPRESSION IS

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

061312Z Dec 01

CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1796

PAGE 01       HARARE 03643 01 OF 04 061427Z

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/007W

——————47DCEA 061427Z /48

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0479

INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 003643

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY

PARIS FOR CHARLES NEARY

NAIROBI TERRY PFLAUMER

ADDIS ABABA FOR A/S WALTER KANSTEINER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/11

TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINS ZI

SUBJECT: MUGABE’S CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE AND REPRESSION IS

UNABATED BY GROWING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

REF: A) HARARE 3631, B) HARARE 3602, C) HARARE 3539

D) HARARE 3463, E) HARARE 3286

CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL OFFICER TODD C. FAULK FOR

REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).

¶1. (C) SUMMARY: PRESIDENT MUGABE’S CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE

AND REPRESSION AGAINST OPPONENTS OF ALL STRIPES

CONTINUES AMID GROWING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE — MOST

NOTABLY FROM SOUTH AFRICA — TO HALT THE SLIDE INTO

CIVIL STRIFE. JUST IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, DOZENS OF MDC

SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, A WHITE FARMER HAS BEEN

SHOT, ARMY SOLDIERS HAVE MURDERED A UNIVERSITY OF

ZIMBABWE STUDENT, ZANU-PF MILITANTS HAVE BEATEN AND

BURNED DOWN THE HOMES OF MORE THAN 100 FARM WORKERS, AND

POLICE HAVE BROKEN UP SEVERAL PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS IN

HARARE. WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AROUND THE

CORNER, MUGABE HAS RAMPED UP HIS LEGAL EFFORT TO STYMIE

THE OPPOSITION AND SKEW THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IN HIS

FAVOR. MUGABE HAS DECREED CHANGES TO THE LAND

ACQUISITION ACT, AND A SERIES OF REPRESSIVE MEASURES ARE

BEING LINED UP FOR PASSAGE IN PARLIAMENT BEFORE ITS

HOLIDAY ADJOURNMENT. THE NUMBER OF MUGABE’S

INTERNATIONAL DETRACTORS SEEMS TO GROW DAILY, AND THEY

ARE APPLYING NEW PRESSURE TO THE BELEAGUERED PRESIDENT

TO MEND HIS ERRANT WAYS. MUGABE IS DESPERATELY TRYING

TO FEND OFF THEIR RECRIMINATIONS, BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT

TO BUY TIME TO COMPLETE HIS MULTI-FACETED ELECTION

CAMPAIGN. END SUMMARY.

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03       HARARE 03643 01 OF 04 061427Z

INCREASING INTIMIDATION

———————–

¶2. (C) IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, DOZENS OF MDC MEMBERS AND

SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING AN MDC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, HAVE

BEEN ARRESTED AND DETAINED ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES OF

VIOLENCE. OF THE 30 MDC MEMBERS ARRESTED IN BULAWAYO

FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF BULAWAYO WAR VETERANS LEADER

CAIN NKALA (REF D), EIGHT REMAIN IN CUSTODY, INCLUDING

THE MDC’S NATIONAL TREASURER AND MP FLETCHER DULINI-

NCUBE, WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY AND

ACCESSORY TO MURDER. A JUDGMENT IN DULINI-NCUBE’S BAIL

HEARING IS DUE DECEMBER 7; THE JUDGE IS AWAITING THE

RESULTS OF AN EXAMINATION BY A COURT-APPOINTED DOCTOR.

EVEN THOUGH DULINI-NCUBE SUFFERS FROM DIABETES AND

HYPERTENSION, MDC SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE TOLD

US HE IS UNLIKELY TO BE RELEASED BECAUSE HIGH COURT

JUDGE CHIWESHE IS A FORMER MILITARY JUDGE AND STAUNCH

ZANU-PF SUPPORTER. DULINI-NCUBE’S ATTORNEY TOLD US THAT

HE HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO CONFER WITH HIS CLIENT SINCE

HIS ARREST NOVEMBER 19.

¶3. (C) ON DECEMBER 3, EIGHT MDC YOUTHS, ALONG WITH TWO

“DAILY NEWS” REPORTERS, WERE ARRESTED IN BULAWAYO,

SUPPOSEDLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE CAIN NKALA CASE,

ACCORDING TO THE MDC PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER. WELSHMAN

NCUBE TOLD US THAT POLICE ARE PICKING UP MDC SUPPORTERS

AND MEMBERS EVERY DAY IN BULAWAYO FOR QUESTIONING AND

THEN RELEASING THEM WHEN NO CHARGES CAN BE BROUGHT

AGAINST THEM. IT IS PURE HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION,

HE SAID. ON NOVEMBER 29, 12 MDC MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04       HARARE 03643 01 OF 04 061427Z

MIDLANDS PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN, WERE ARRESTED FOR

ALLEGEDLY KIDNAPPING A ZANU-PF TOWN COUNCILLOR IN

KADOMA. THE COUNCILLOR WAS LATER FOUND WALKING BESIDE

THE ROAD WITH A BRUISED FACE, ACCORDING TO THE

GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED “THE HERALD.”

¶4. (U) EVEN THOUGH THE MID-NOVEMBER UPHEAVAL OF

VIOLENCE IN BULAWAYO HAS ENDED, INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE AT

THE HANDS OF RULING PARTY SUPPORTERS CONTINUE UNABATED

AROUND THE COUNTRY. AMONG THE MORE PROMINENT CASES ARE:

— ON NOVEMBER 20, HARARE POLICE QUASHED A SMALL

DEMONSTRATION BY FEWER THEN 50 YOUTHS BELONGING TO THE

NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY

(56 VIEWS)