Zimbabwe’s security forces were not taking any chances in Chitungwiza because it had become the largest potential hotbed for anti-government demonstrations in the country, the United States embassy said.
Heavily armed police were reported to have raided homes, beat up residents and broken up gatherings in the area.
One police officer was reported to have told a local daily that they were under instructions not to allow Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to address any gathering in the dormitory town.
“The police attacks against MDC youth indicates that the government is not waiting for the MDC to organize in Chitungwiza, and is doing everything in its power to prevent any kind of anti-government unrest from spinning out of control,” the embassy said.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE917, ZIMBABWE POLICE INTENSIFY ATTACKS ON HIGH-
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
051501Z Mar 01
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2293
PAGE 01 HARARE 00917 051503Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00
DINT-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00
UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 JUSE-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 SCT-00
SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/010W
——————CDC0E0 051503Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8351
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
UNCLAS HARARE 000917
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: N/A
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HARARE 00917 051503Z
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE POLICE INTENSIFY ATTACKS ON HIGH-
DENSITY SUBURB RESIDENTS
SENSITVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR
INTERNET POSTING.
¶1. (U) SINCE MID-FEBRUARY, HEAVILY ARMED POLICE HAVE
RAIDED HOMES, BEAT RESIDENTS, AND BROKEN UP LARGE
GATHERINGS IN ST. MARY’S DISTRICT OF CHITUNGWIZA, THE
SPRAWLING TOWNSHIP 30 KM SOUTH OF HARARE, ACCORDING TO
PRESS REPORTS. THE MARCH 5 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT
“THE DAILY NEWS” REPORTED THAT HUNDREDS OF POLICE
DESCENDED ON A GATHERING OF 3,000 ASSEMBLED TO HEAR MDC
PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI COMMEMORATE THE OPENING OF A
NEW MARKETPLACE ON MARCH 3. TSVANGIRAI CANCELLED HIS
SPEECH AFTER HEAVILY ARMED POLICE TORE INTO THE PEACEFUL
CROWD UNPROVOKED AND BEAT THEM WITH BATONS. THE POLICE
REPORTEDLY FOLLOWED FLEEING PEOPLE INTO SUPERMARKETS TO
CLUB THEM, AND BEAT COMMUTERS DISEMBARKING FROM A NEARBY
BUS STAND. ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER, ONE OF THE
POLICE OFFICERS ON THE SCENE STATED: “WE ARE UNDER
INSTRUCTIONS FROM OUR SUPERIORS NOT TO ALLOW TSVANGIRAI
TO ADDRESS RALLIES IN CHITUNGWIZA. WE WILL MAKE SURE
THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN.”
¶2. (U) THESE REPORTS FOLLOW A STORY IN THE MARCH 1
EDITION OF “THE DAILY NEWS” THAT REPORTED REGULAR POLICE
RAIDS ON THE SUSPECTED HOMES OF MDC YOUTHS IN ST. MARY’S
DISTRICT. IF THE YOUTHS ARE NOT FOUND AT THEIR PARENTS’
HOMES, THE PARENTS ARE BEATEN. THE ARTICLE DESCRIBED A
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 00917 051503Z
POLICE, ARMY AND CIO CAMPAIGN OF TERROR THAT HAS FORCED
MORE THAN 100 MDC YOUTHS TO SLEEP “IN THE BUSH” BECAUSE
THE SECURITY FORCES ARE CONSTANTLY PURSUING THEM. MANY
OF THOSE BEING PURSUED HAVE BEEN ARRESTED ON TRUMPED-UP
CHARGES AND TORTURED A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE, ACCORDING
TO “THE DAILY NEWS.” ST. MARY’S IS ALSO THE DISTRICT OF
JOB SIKHALA, THE MDC PARLIAMENTARIAN WHO IN THE LAST
MONTH HAS BEEN BEATEN IN HIS HOME AT LEAST ONCE AND
ESCAPED FROM UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT ON ANOTHER OCCASION.
¶3. (SBU) POLOFF CONTACTED AMANI TRUST DIRECTOR TONY
REELER (PROTECT) MARCH 5 ABOUT THE CHITUNGWIZA
INCIDENTS. HE DID NOT HAVE CASUALTY FIGURES FOR THE
RIOT SQUAD ATTACKS ON MARCH 3, EXPLAINING THAT HIGH-
DENSITY SUBURB RESIDENTS ARE AFRAID TO REPORT INCIDENTS
OF VIOLENCE TO THE POLICE, OR EVEN TO HOSPITAL STAFF WHO
TREAT THEM. MANY OTHERS DO NOT SEE MUCH POINT IN
REPORTING BEATING INCIDENTS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE POLICE
WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM, REELER STATED. THE
ATTACKS IN CHITUNGWIZA HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR WEEKS,
REELER POINTED OUT.
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: ZIMBABWEAN SECURITY FORCES ARE
CLEARLY TAKING NO CHANCES IN CHITUNGWIZA, WHICH REMAINS
THE LARGEST POTENTIAL HOTBED FOR ANTI-GOVERNMENT
DEMONSTRATIONS IN ZIMBABWE. THE POLICE ATTACKS AGAINST
MDC YOUTH INDICATES THAT THE GOZ IS NOT WAITING FOR THE
MDC TO ORGANIZE IN CHITUNGWIZA, AND IS DOING EVERYTHING
IN ITS POWER TO PREVENT ANY KIND OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT
UNREST FROM SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL. END COMMENT.
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 04 HARARE 00917 051503Z
IRVING
UNCLASSIFIED
>
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