Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was charged with inciting violence over a careless remark he made about President Robert Mugabe that if Mugabe did not go peacefully, “we will remove him violently”.
The MDC leader was charged five months after making the remark.
He was asked to pay bail of Z$10000 and ordered to stand trial in the High Court on April 30.
MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe that the party leadership had not decided yet how it would respond to the filing of the charge.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE767, TSVANGIRAI CHARGED WITH INCITING VIOLENCE
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
161157Z Feb 01
CONFIDENTIAL PTO4896
PAGE 01 HARARE 00767 161156Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00
DINT-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00
FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-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 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 R-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /010W
——————C699E8 161157Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8245
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000767
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER
E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/14/11
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI CHARGED WITH INCITING VIOLENCE
REFS: A) 00 HARARE 5728, B) HARARE 00 5585
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HARARE 00767 161156Z
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D’AFFAIRES EARL IRVING. REASONS: 1.5
(B) AND (D).
¶1. (U) ACCORDING TO PRESS ACCOUNTS, MOVEMENT FOR
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI WAS, ON
FEBRUARY 15, FORMALLY CHARGED UNDER THE COLONIAL-ERA LAW
AND ORDER MAINTENANCE ACT WITH INCITING VIOLENCE. THE
CHARGE REFERS TO TSVANGIRAI’S REMARK AT A PUBLIC RALLY LAST
SEPTEMBER 30 THAT, IF PRESIDENT MUGABE DID NOT GO
PEACEFULLY, “WE WILL REMOVE YOU VIOLENTLY.” ALTHOUGH
TSVANGIRAI’S STATEMENT WAS CARELESS, HE AND OTHER MDC
SIPDIS
OFFICIALS HAVE SINCE CLARIFIED, ON NUMEROUS PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE OCCASIONS, THAT HE MEANT THAT, IF THE PRESIDENT DID
NOT STAND DOWN SOON, A PUBLIC ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED BY THE
BREAKDOWN IN THE RULE OF LAW AND THE SERIOUS ECONOMIC
DECLINE WOULD FORCE HIM FROM OFFICE. TSVANGIRAI WAS
REPORTEDLY ASKED BY THE HARARE MAGISTRATES COURT TO PAY
Z$10,000 (US $150) IN BAIL AND ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL IN
THE HIGH COURT ON APRIL 30.
¶2. (C) MDC SPOKESMAN LEARNMORE JONGWE CONFIRMED THE PRESS
ACCOUNTS IN A FEBRUARY 16 CONVERSATION WITH US. JONGWE
TOLD US THAT THE MDC LEADERSHIP HAS NOT DECIDED YET HOW IT
WILL RESPOND TO THE FILING OF THE CHARGE. TWO
POSSIBILITIES, HE SAID, ARE CHALLENGING THE
CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE LAW AND ORDER MAINTENANCE ACT OR
ACTUALLY PROCEEDING TO TRIAL AND REFUTING THE CHARGE AT
THAT STAGE. THE MDC’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HAS SCHEDULED A
MEETING FOR FEBRUARY 21 TO DECIDE HOW TO PROCEED.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HARARE 00767 161156Z
COMMENT
——-
¶3. (C) THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN HOLDING THIS POTENTIAL
CHARGE OVER TSVANGIRAI’S HEAD FOR NEARLY FIVE MONTHS. THE
FACT THAT IT HAS NOW DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH A CASE IS
EVIDENCE THAT THE GOZ INTENDS TO TURN UP THE HEAT FURTHER
ON THE MDC’S LEADERSHIP. ALTHOUGH WE ANTICIPATE THE COURT
LIKELY WILL DISMISS THE CHARGE, THIS DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS
LAST WEEK’S POLICE DETENTIONS OF MDC VICE-PRESIDENT GIBSON
SIBANDA AND NATIONAL YOUTH LEADER NELSON CHAMISA, AND THE
BEATING OF MDC SECRETARY FOR SECURITY JOB SIKHALA BY MEN IN
ARMY UNIFORMS. THE RECENT MOVES AGAINST THE MDC, THE
INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND THE JUDICIARY, COMBINED WITH CALLS
THIS WEEK BY SENIOR ZANU-PF OFFICIALS FOR DENYING PASSPORTS
TO OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS AND BLACKLISTING LAW FIRMS
SUSPECTED OF SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITION, ARE SIGNS OF AN
INCREASINGLY DESPERATE GOVERNMENT.
IRVING
CONFIDENTIAL
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