United States ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGhee did not find any new information on the violence that was endemic in Zimbabwe in the run-up to the presidential elections runoff when he visited Mashonaland East two weeks before the polls.
He, however, said the trip confirmed heightened tension and police presence as well as police concern with outsiders.
The administrator of a mission church hospital that he visited even told him that they had not treated any victims of violence though security guards at the hospital told him a different story.
The ambassador was travelling alone with his delegation and refused police escort.
Full report:
Viewing cable 08HARARE510, AMBASSADOR’S VISIT TO MASHONALAND EAST
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VZCZCXRO8835
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0510/01 1651431
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 131431Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3022
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2044
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2165
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0707
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1442
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1800
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2221
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4652
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1311
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000510
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S VISIT TO MASHONALAND EAST
REF: A. HARARE 503
¶B. HARARE 474
Classified By: Ambassador James McGee for reason 1.4(d).
——
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (SBU) On June 12, 2008, Ambassador McGee, the Dutch
Charge d’Affaires, two poloffs, RSO, DATT, and three FSNs
visited two locations in Mashonaland East Province: a Church
of Christ mission hospital in Nhowe and the town of Mutoko,
about 120km east of Harare. The trip confirmed significantly
increased police presence and widespread distribution of
ZANU-PF campaign materials, as well as a fearful population.
While Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) allowed Mission staff to
travel, ZRP and/or intelligence vehicles followed the convoy
after the delegation made their presence known at the Mutoko
police station, as requested by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA). END SUMMARY.
——————————————— ——–
Doctors deny presence of violence victims in hospital
——————————————— ——–
¶2. (SBU) The Embassy contingent first visited the Church of
Christ’s Mission hospital in Nhowe, a rural area in
Mashonaland East. The Church is supported by religious
groups in the U.S., NGOs, and the Government of Zimbabwe.
The hospital administrator said the 54-bed hospital, which
has a staff of two doctors and 14 nurses, treats mainly
HIV/AIDS patients. The hospital has a caseload of about
2,000-3,000 patients per month; most patients have
HIV/AIDS-related illnesses. The hospital also dispenses
Anti-Retro Virals, although it has an insufficient supply.
Because the hospital is relatively well-staffed for a
Zimbabwean hospital, and because its funding allows it to
source drugs, it receives patients from as far away as Harare
(over 100 kilometers).
¶3. (C) Ambassador McGee asked whether the hospital had seen
many victims of violence. The hospital administrator claimed
uneasily that they did not currently have any victims of
violence in the hospital. He also denied there had been much
violence in the surrounding area. The Ambassador asked if we
could tour the hospital. The hospital administrator
indicated he would prefer that we did not.
¶4. (C) After our conversation with the administrator, we
spoke with hospital security guards on the grounds outside
the hospital. They indicated there had been significant
violence in the rural areas of Mashonaland East near the
hospital and that a number of victims had been and were
currently being treated in the hospital. One guard, who was
also affiliated with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, noted
there was a general climate of fear in the area. He said his
commanding police officer had instructed all police to vote
by postal ballot (the equivalent of an absentee ballot); the
ballots would be filled out under a supervisor’s direction
and voters would be instructed to vote for ZANU-PF.
—————–
Rural ghost towns
—————–
¶5. (U) Departing the hospital, the convoy drove north on a
dirt road through several very small towns. We noted empty
fields, stunted cotton plants, sick cattle, shuttered shops,
and a surprising paucity of men. Not coincidentally,
President Mugabe was preparing to hold a rally in nearby
Murewa, about 20km away. Emboffs encountered several groups
HARARE 00000510 002 OF 003
of Zimbabweans, perhaps 200 throughout the morning, walking
towards Murewa wearing t-shirts emblazoned with Robert
Mugabe’s image. This region voted heavily for Mugabe’s
ZANU-PF party in the March 29 election. We did not see any
posters or t-shirts for the Movement for Democratic Change’s
(MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai.
——————————-
“The Geneva Convention says…”
——————————-
¶6. (C) In Mutoko, scene of some of the worst recent violence
in Zimbabwe, we announced our presence at the local police
station; in a recent meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Permanent Secretary Joey Bimha, the Ambassador had indicated
that on our next fact-finding trip we would check in with
police stations upon arriving at a new area. We noted a
gathering on police grounds of approximately 80 people seated
under a tree, some in uniform, listening to a uniformed
officer. The group repeatedly raised their fists, in
apparent allegiance with ZANU-PF. Although police officers
in the station said it was a “monthly staff meeting,” we
learned afterward it was a “pep rally” to build support for
ZANU-PF. Attendees included regular police officers as well
as “village police,” the equivalent of neighborhood watch
officers.
¶7. (C) A uniformed officer emerged from the gathering and
greeted the party cordially, introducing himself as the
Officer-in-Charge. The Ambassador explained that we were
announcing our presence in Mutoko and declined the ZRP’s
offer to escort or assist us. During the discussion, a man
in plainclothes took over the discussion. He averred that,
according to the Geneva Convention, we needed permission to
travel more than 40 kilometers from Harare. Showing a
diplomatic note from the MFA stating that notification to the
MFA of diplomatic travel was a formality, the Ambassador said
he had received assurances from Permanent Secretary Bimha
that diplomatic travel was unrestricted. After personally
speaking with the MFA by phone, the official relented and
declared we were free to proceed. (NOTE: Our interlocutor
refused to identify himself. We later established his
identity as Colonel Douglas Nyikayaramba of the Zimbabwean
army. He is ZANU-PF’s point person in the Mutoko area and is
presumably responsible for the campaign of violence in Mutoko
and the surrounding area. END NOTE.)
¶8. (C) Shortly after departing the police station, en route
to another mission hospital just east of Mutoko, RSO noted a
vehicle following the convoy. To avoid putting the hospital
in danger, Ambassador McGee decided to turn around, at which
point the tailing vehicle stopped as well. Driving through
side streets in and after departing Mutoko, the convoy was
followed by at least three different vehicles.
———————–
Food deliveries stopped
———————–
¶9. (SBU) Back in Mutoko, the Ambassador briefly visited a
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) warehouse where USG food aid
continues to be stored. Pursuant to the edict of Nicholas
Goche, Minister of Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare,
CRS has ceased food deliveries in Mutoko (Ref A). A lone
security guard greeted the Ambassador and told him existing
food stocks are being protected.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶10. (C) While this trip did not yield any new information on
HARARE 00000510 003 OF 003
the violence that is now endemic in Zimbabwe, it did confirm
heightened tension and police presence as well as police
concern with outsiders. A local MDC official told us that
before the March 29 elections, MDC president Morgan
Tsvangirai had held several rallies in Mashonaland East,
including Mutoko. Such rallies, the official told us, would
be impossible to hold now. In fact, the MDC has indicated it
may not campaign in Mashonaland East, despite the significant
inroads it made in the March elections.
¶11. (C) The roadblocks are more heavily manned than just two
weeks ago (Ref B), and it appears vehicles are under more
scrutiny. In addition, it is clear that despite our having
notified the MFA of the trip, word had not traveled down to
the local authorities. Security is a highly localized issue
in Zimbabwe, and travelers are at the mercy of local
officials whose knowledge of regulations and diplomatic
privileges is flimsy at best. Local officers are unaware of
MFA diplomatic notes or verbal assurances that notifications
to the MFA or MFA permission are unnecessary for diplomatic
travel – and the MFA has shown no inclination to inform them.
END COMMENT.
McGee
(46 VIEWS)
