A college belonging to acting Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front commissar Sikhanyiso Ndlovu was burnt by Movement for Democratic Change supporters in retaliation to the burning of their offices by war veterans.
The war veterans were escorted by riot police. Ndlovu told United States embassy officials that he had urged the crowd to march with a police escort to ensure that criminal elements could not join and engage in activities which would discredit them.
Asked why the police did not intervene to prevent the mob from beating people or destroying property, Ndlovu claimed that they were outnumbered.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE3463, UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
191433Z Nov 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7589
PAGE 01 HARARE 03463 01 OF 03 191923Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00
/007W
——————40709E 191923Z /48
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0317
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 003463
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/19/11
SUBJECT: UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC
INTENSIFIES
REF: HARARE 3400
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS:
1.5 (B) AND (D).
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) IN A SEVERAL-HOUR RAMPAGE THROUGH BULAWAYO ON NOVEMBER 16,
WAR VETERANS AND ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS BURNED TO THE GROUND THE
OPPOSITION MDC’S OFFICE, RANSACKED THE OFFICE OF THE CITY’S MAYOR,
BEAT THOSE SELLING AND READING INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS, AND SMASHED
CAR WINDSHIELDS. THEY WERE ESCORTED BY RIOT POLICE WHO DID NOT
INTERVENE. IN RETALIATION, MDC SUPPORTERS BURNED DOWN A PRIVATE
COLLEGE OWNED BY A SENIOR ZANU-PF OFFICIAL AND A TRUCK BELONGING
TO A GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER, AND CLASHES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS
CONTINUED INTO THE NIGHT IN THE HIGH-DENSITY SUBURBS. AN UNEASY
CALM HAS RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE’S SECOND-LARGEST CITY, BUT FEW
OBSERVERS BELIEVE THE VIOLENCE IS OVER. REMARKS BY PRESIDENT
MUGABE ON NOVEMBER 19 WILL NOT HELP MATTERS, AS THE PRESIDENT
BLAMED THE RECENT MURDER OF A PROMINENT WAR VETERAN ON THE MDC,
ACCUSED THE OPPOSITION PARTY OF OPERATING TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS
AND TORTURING ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS, AND INSISTING THAT THE MDC’S
“DAYS ARE NUMBERED.” THE MDC’S NATIONAL COORDINATOR BELIEVES THE
GOZ IS TRYING TO FRAME THE MDC AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION WHICH
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03463 01 OF 03 191923Z
RECEIVES FOREIGN FUNDING IN VIOLATION OF ZIMBABWEAN LAW, THUS
PROVIDING A LEGAL BASIS FOR OUTLAWING THE PARTY AND PROHIBITING IT
FROM CONTESTING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. FOR OUR PART, WE
SURMISE THAT INTIMIDATION GUARANTEEING A ZANU-PF “VICTORY” AT THE
POLLS MAY BE MUGABE’S BOTTOM LINE. END SUMMARY.
WAR VETERANS RAMPAGE THROUGH BULAWAYO
——————————————— ———-
¶2. (C) SEVERAL HUNDRED WAR VETERANS AND ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS
RAMPAGED THROUGH THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT OF BULAWAYO ON
NOVEMBER 16 AFTER MEETING WITH SENIOR RULING PARTY OFFICIALS ABOUT
THE MURDER OF WAR VETERAN LEADER CAIN NKALA (REFTEL). ESCORTED BY
RIOT POLICE WHO APPARENTLY DID NOTHING TO RESTRAIN THEM, THE MOB
RANDOMLY ATTACKED WITH STICKS VENDORS AND READERS OF INDEPENDENT
NEWSPAPERS AND BROKE CAR WINDSHIELDS, FORCING A NUMBER OF
FRIGHTENED BUSINESS OWNERS TO SHUT DOWN. ACCORDING TO PRESS
REPORTS, ONE WHITE ELDERLY MAN WAS BEATEN BY THE MOB, AND THERE
WERE REPORTS THAT A GERMAN AID WORKER WHO HAPPENED TO BE IN THE
VICINITY WAS ALSO ACCOSTED. THE CROWD PROCEEDED TO CITY HALL,
WHERE SEVERAL MARCHERS RANSACKED THE OFFICE OF MAYOR JAPHET
NDABENI-NCUBE, ELECTED IN SEPTEMBER ON THE TICKET OF THE
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC). NDABENI-NCUBE
TOLD US THAT HE ESCAPED JUST BEFORE EIGHT MEN COMPLETELY RANSACKED
HIS OFFICE — HE LATER FOUND IMPORTANT PAPERS OUTSIDE IN A FLOWER
GARDEN — AND STOLE HIS BRIEFCASE. HE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO
POLICE IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD, BUT THEY HAD YET TO APPEAR BY
NOVEMBER 19, THREE DAYS LATER. THE MOB CAPPED OFF ITS DESTRUCTIVE
AFTERNOON BY THROWING PETROL BOMBS AT THE OFFICE BUILDING OF THE
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC), REDUCING IT TO A
SMOLDERING SHELL, AS POLICE STOOD BY.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03463 01 OF 03 191923Z
RETALIATION
———–
¶3. (C) THE BURNING OF THE MDC OFFICES SPARKED RETALIATION FROM
ANGRY MDC YOUTHS, WHO BURNED DOWN A PRIVATE COLLEGE OWNED BY
SIKHANYISO NDLOVU, ZANU-PF’S ACTING POLITICAL COMMISSAR AND SET
ALIGHT A TRUCK BELONGING TO THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER
“THE CHRONICLE.” A CROWD OF SEVERAL THOUSAND BULAWAYO RESIDENTS
THEN GATHERED IN FRONT OF ZANU-PF OFFICES, INTENT ON DOING DAMAGE,
BUT DISPERSED AFTER A TENSE STANDOFF WITH RIOT POLICE. SHARI
EPPEL, DIRECTOR OF THE BULAWAYO OFFICE OF THE RESPECTED HUMAN
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION AMANI TRUST, SAID SKIRMISHES BETWEEN ZANU-PF
AND MDC SUPPORTERS CONTINUED INTO THE NIGHT IN SOME OF THE CITY’S
HIGH-DENSITY SUBURBS, BUT THAT THE SITUATION HAD CALMED DOWN BY
THE NEXT MORNING. SHE SAID MOST OF THE WAR VETERANS AND RULING
PARTY THUGS WHO HAD STARTED THE TROUBLE ARRIVED ON TRAINS THE
NIGHT BEFORE, WHILE A PROMINENT INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST TOLD US THE
TROUBLEMAKERS WERE “NOT FROM HERE.”
¶4. (C) THE WAR VETERANS AND ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS WENT ON THEIR
RAMPAGE AFTER RULING PARTY POLITBURO MEMBER — AND FORMER MINISTER
OF HOME AFFAIRS — DUMISO DABENGWA REPORTEDLY WHIPPED THEM INTO AN
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7590
PAGE 01 HARARE 03463 02 OF 03 191923Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00
/007W
——————4070AE 191924Z /48
O 191433Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0318
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 003463
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03463 02 OF 03 191923Z
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/19/11
SUBJECT: UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC
INTENSIFIES
EMOTIONAL STATE. ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY
“THE HERALD,” DABENGWA DESCRIBED NKALA’S MURDER AS TERRORISM, AND
CALLED ON THOSE PRESENT TO “CRUSH THIS TERRORISM…IN ITS INFANCY.
NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THIS COUNTRY WHILE WE ARE ALIVE,
THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN RULE IT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF WHITES
SHOULD FORGET IT.” ZANU-PF’S ACTING POLITICAL COMMISSAR
SIKHANYISO NDLOVU TOLD US HE HAD URGED THE CROWD TO MARCH WITH A
POLICE ESCORT TO ENSURE THAT CRIMINAL ELEMENTS COULD NOT JOIN AND
ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WHICH WOULD DISCREDIT THEM. ASKED WHY THE
POLICE DID NOT INTERVENE TO PREVENT THE MOB FROM BEATING PEOPLE OR
DESTROYING PROPERTY, NDLOVU CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED.
UNEASY CALM IN BULAWAYO
———————–
¶5. (C) SHARI EPPEL SAID THAT AN UNEASY CALM RETURNED TO BULAWAYO
OVER THE WEEKEND. SHE WAS GLAD NKALA HAD BEEN DECLARED A NATIONAL
HERO BY THE RULING PARTY POLITBURO. THAT DEVELOPMENT ENSURED THAT
THE “CIRCUS” MOVED TO HARARE FOR THE NOVEMBER 18 BURIAL OF NKALA
AT HEROES’ ACRE AND ALLOWED TENSIONS IN ZIMBABWE’S SECOND-LARGEST
CITY TO COOL. EPPEL DESCRIBED BULAWAYO RESIDENTS AS ANXIOUS AND
IN A “WAIT AND SEE” MODE.
MUGABE PULLS NO PUNCHES
———————–
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03463 02 OF 03 191923Z
¶6. (C) AT NKALA’S BURIAL, PRESIDENT MUGABE WAS NOT IN A
CONCILIATORY MOOD. IN VENOMOUS REMARKS, HE BLAMED THE LATE WAR
VETERAN’S MURDER ON THE MDC, WHICH HE SAID OPERATES TERRORIST
TRAINING CAMPS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ZIMBABWE AND REGULARLY TORTURES
ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS. HE INSISTED THAT NKALA’S DEATH WAS THE RESULT
OF AN “ORCHESTRATED, MUCH WIDER AND CAREFULLY PLANNED TERRORIST
PLOT BY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENEMY FORCES WITH PLENTY OF FUNDING
FROM…COMMERCIAL FARMERS” AND INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS. “THE MDC AND THEIR SUPPORTERS,” HE VOWED, “SHOULD
KNOW THAT THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.” MDC MP DAVID COLTART
EXPRESSED CONCERN TO US THAT THE PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS COULD SPARK
MORE VIOLENCE IN BULAWAYO. MEANWHILE, A REPORTER AND A
PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE INDEPENDENT “DAILY NEWS” WERE ARRESTED ON
NOVEMBER 18 PRIOR TO THEIR PUBLISHING AN INTERVIEW WITH SOMEONE
WHO CLAIMED TO KNOW THE FULL DETAILS OF NKALA’S ABDUCTION AND
MURDER. GOVERNMENT MEDIA ALLEGED THAT THE “DAILY NEWS”
JOURNALISTS HAD TORTURED AN INDIVIDUAL INTO CONFESSING THAT HE WAS
A CIO AGENT AND THAT THEY HAD MURDERED NKALA. POLICE SEIZED THE
REPORTER’S NOTES OF THE INTERVIEW AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S PICTURE
OF THE INTERVIEWEE, AND THE TWO JOURNALISTS WERE STILL IN
DETENTION ON NOVEMBER 19.
BAN THE MDC
———–
¶7. (C) MDC NATIONAL COORDINATOR ISAAC MAPOSA TOLD POLITICAL
SECTION CHIEF ON NOVEMBER 19 THAT 30 MDC OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES
HAD BEEN DETAINED SO FAR IN CONNECTION WITH THE NKALA MURDER, THE
MOST SENIOR OF WHOM WAS FLETCHER DULINI-NCUBE, THE PARTY’S
NATIONAL TREASURER. MAPOSA DISMISSED GOZ ACCUSATIONS OF MDC
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HARARE 03463 02 OF 03 191923Z
INVOLVEMENT IN NKALA’S MURDER, SAYING A RELIABLE WAR VETERAN BASED
IN BULAWAYO HAD TOLD THE OPPOSITION PARTY IN CONFIDENCE THAT HE
HAD BEEN KILLED BY OTHER WAR VETERANS. MAPOSA ACKNOWLEDGED
FEELING FRIGHTENED BY THE WEEK’S TURN OF EVENTS, NOTING THAT ONE
IS NOT DEALING WITH A RATIONAL, REASONABLE GOVERNMENT BUT, RATHER,
ONE WILLING TO TORTURE AND KILL THOSE WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH IT.
MAPOSA BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT’S STRATEGY IS TO BUILD A CASE
AGAINST THE MDC AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION BY TORTURING MDC
SUPPORTERS INTO MAKING FALSE CONFESSIONS IN THE NKALA CASE AND BY
IDENTIFYING ANY FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THE PARTY, WHICH
WOULD PROVIDE A LEGAL BASIS FOR OUTLAWING THE MDC AND PREVENTING
IT FROM CONTESTING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. ASKED WHETHER THE
MDC RECEIVES FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING, MAPOSA SAID YES, BUT ONLY
THREE PEOPLE IN THE PARTY ARE AWARE OF THE DETAILS: HIMSELF,
PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, AND SECRETARY-GENERAL WELSHMAN NCUBE.
MAPOSA WAS CLEARLY ANXIOUS THAT HE WOULD BE HAULED IN AND FORCED
TO REVEAL WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
COMMENT
——-
¶8. (C) TENSIONS HAD BEEN BUILDING IN BULAWAYO FOR TEN DAYS, AS THE
GOVERNMENT/ZANU-PF ORCHESTRATED A CAMPAIGN BLAMING THE MDC FOR
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7592
PAGE 01 HARARE 03463 03 OF 03 191924Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00
/007W
——————4070B3 191924Z /48
O 191433Z NOV 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0319
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY ABUJA
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 003463
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 03463 03 OF 03 191924Z
E.O. 12958: DECL. 11/19/11
SUBJECT: UNEASY CALM RETURNS TO BULAWAYO AS CRACKDOWN ON MDC
INTENSIFIES
NKALA’S MURDER. ACCORDING TO SHARI EPPEL, MOST LOCAL RESIDENTS
ARE “100% CONVINCED” THAT IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB. NO EVIDENCE —
OTHER THAN A CONFESSION FROM TWO MDC SUPPORTERS WHICH MAY HAVE
BEEN ELICITED UNDER DURESS OR THROUGH BRIBERY — HAS BEEN
PRESENTED IMPLICATING ANYONE IN THE MURDER. THE FAILURE OF POLICE
TO PREVENT THE WAR VETERANS FROM GUTTING THE MDC BUILDING,
RANSACKING THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, AND BEATING PEOPLE AS THEY WENT —
AND THEIR FAILURE EVEN TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT IN THE MAYOR’S
OFFICE THREE DAYS AFTER THE FACT — SUGGESTS GOZ SANCTION OR
COMPLIANCE. IT IS CLEAR THAT IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH FOR THE
RESIDENTS OF BULAWAYO — WHO HAVE BORNE THE BRUNT OF GOVERNMENT
NEGLECT AND THE RULING PARTY’S VIOLENT TACTICS IN THE PAST — TO
POUR INTO THE STREETS, A FACT WHICH MIGHT HAVE TAKEN ZANU-PF
OFFICIALS BY SURPRISE. THIS MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR THE NOVEMBER 16
APPEALS FOR RESTRAINT BY HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER JOHN NKOMO AND
INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO. BUT MUGABE’S IRRESPONSIBLE
REMARKS AT THE NKALA FUNERAL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, AND COULD VERY
WELL FORESHADOW A CRACKDOWN ON THE MDC OF THE KIND DESCRIBED BY
MAPOSA, ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT THINK THAT MUGABE WISHES TO JETTISON
HIS LEGITIMACY BY COMPLETELY BANNING THE MDC FROM CONTESTING AN
ELECTION IN WHICH ALL THE LOGISTICAL AND LEGAL ADVANTAGES ACCRUE
TO ZANU-PF.
SULLIVAN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 03463 03 OF 03 191924Z
CONFIDENTIAL
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