US embassy gropes for information on people targeted for sanctions

The United States embassy in Harare was groping everywhere for information on individuals that it wanted to be targeted for sanctions because it could not obtain that information officially from the registrar’s office.

According to a diplomatic cable dispatched on 21 September 2007, the embassy could not approach the registrar’s office because it would have been required to give detailed justification which it could not provide because of the purpose it wanted the information for.

It was therefore obtaining family information from American citizens and a contact in the education community. It had tried to obtain dates of birth from the head of private schools and professors at the University of Zimbabwe but they could not provide the information.

The embassy wanted information on the children of Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo, and President Robert Mugabe and wife of Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere.

It also wanted information on a number of police officers and members of the central intelligence organisation.

The police officers were Musavengana Mabunda, Isaac Tayengwa and Ngwerume Zharara while the CIO officers were Ishmael Mada and Livingston Menard Muzariri

Full cable:

Viewing cable 07HARARE868, SANCTIONS: SDN IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 000868

SIPDIS

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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: 07/09/2012

TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: SANCTIONS: SDN IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Glenn Warren under 1.4 b/d

¶1. (C) Post’s effort to obtain requested biographical

information on SDNs and their families, as well as

justifications for specified individuals for their inclusion

on the OFAC sanctions list, is a work in progress. Because

of hostile relations between the U.S. and Zimbabwe we do not

have access to official records, including those of the

central government’s Registrar’s Office. This office

presumbably has the desired information, but will not provide

it absent a detailed justification which we are unable to

provide given our purpose in making these inquiries.   Below

is the information we have developed to date. We are

continuing efforts to collect information on the remaining

names.

¶2. (C) We obtained information on family relationships from

FSNs and a contact in the education community. We are

continuing to make inquiries about these and other

relationships. For dates of birth still being sought, we

contacted the head of private schools in Zimbabwe and

professors at the University of Zimbabwe. They were unable

to obtain the information from their institutions. We have

requested biographical information from the United Kingdom

and Australian Embassies in Harare and have indicated to them

that we are coordinating with Washington and would like it as

soon as possible. We are also checking newspaper files and

internet sources.

¶3. (S/F) Targeted individuals

Chihuri, Ocious Pelonsic: Daughter of Augustine Chihuri

Confirmation of family relationship: Internet

DOB:

Chihuri, Ruawage: Son of Augustine Chihuri

Confirmation of family relationship: Australian Ambassador

DOB:

Chinamasa, Chengatai: Son of Patrick Chinamasa

Confirmation of family relationship: FSN

DOB: February 1, 1984 (obtained from his website)

Chinamasa, Kangai: Daughter of Patrick Chinamasa

Confirmation of family relationship: FSN

DOB:

Chinamasa, Tinotenda: Son of Patrick Chinamasa

Confirmation of family relationship: FSN

DOB:

Chombo, Rudo: Daughter of Ignatius Chombo

Confirmation of family relationship: Embassy education

contact, Internet

DOB:

Chombo, Thelma: Daughter of Ignatious Chombo

Confirmation of family relationship: Embassy education

contact, Internet

DOB:

Kaskuwere, Barbara: Wife of Saviour Kaskuwere

Confirmation of family relationship: FSN

DOB:

Mabunda, Musavengana: Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)

HARARE 00000868 002 OF 004

Assistant Commissioner

Justification: The Law and Order Unit of the ZRP is infamous

for targeting the opposition and organizing arrests,

abductions, torture, and other mistreatment of MDC and civil

society members. As the Assistant Commissioner of the Law

and Order Unit, Mabunda has had primary responsibility for

the work of the Unit. On March 11 a number of MDC leaders

were arrested and severely beaten in police custody. The

released prisoners were immediately taken to the hospital for

treatment of serious injuries they sustained at the hands of

the police. The international media photographically

recorded the extent of these injuries. These leaders were

released several days later and no cases have been prosecuted

against them. Given his position, Mabunda was certainly

aware of post-March 11 beatings and very likely directed

them. In April, May, and June, over 30 opposition activists

were arrested, detained, and mistreated. The Law and Order

Unit is believed to have been involved in the targeting of

these individuals. All were eventually released, some having

spent several months in custody. Another incident of

brutality occured on July 25, when police beat hundreds of

democratic activists peacefully demonstrating in favor of a

new constitution. Many civil society leaders were severely

beaten, suffering broken bones and other injuries. Again,

the Law and Order Unit is believed to have been involved.

DOB:

Mada, Ishmael: Central Intelligence Organization (CIO),

internal branch

Justification: Mada heads a CIO internal branch team charged

with targeting the MDC for arrest, abduction, and torture.

On March 11 a number of MDC leaders were arrested and

severely beaten in police custody. The CIO worked with the

Law and Order Unit of the ZRP in targeting the democratic

opposition for arrest and are believed to have participated

in the beatings. The released prisoners went immediately to

the hospital for treatment of serious injuries they sustained

at the hands of the police. These leaders were released

several days later and no cases have been prosecuted against

them. The international media photographically recorded the

extent of these injuries. Given his position, Mada was

certainly aware of the post-March 11 beatings and very likely

directed them. Another similar incident of brutality occured

on July 25, when police beat hundreds of democratic activists

peacefully demonstrating in favor of a new constitution.

Many civil society leaders were severely beaten, suffering

broken bones and other injuries. The CIO is believed to have

been involved in this incident as well.

DOB: September 23, 1958 (from GRPO files)

Mugabe, Bellarmine Chattunga: Son of Robert Mugabe

Confirmation of family relationship: Embassy education contact

DOB:

Mugabe, Bona Nyepudzai Ouma: Daughter of Robert Mugabe

Confirmation of family relationship: Embassy education contact

DOB:

Mugabe, Robert Tinotenda: Son of Robert Mugabe Confirmation

of family relationship: Embassy education contact

DOB:

Muvuti, Samuel Tendi: Head of Grain Marketing Board

Justification: As the head of the Grain Marketing Board,

Muvuti has been responsible for directing the allocation of

HARARE 00000868 003 OF 004

food to affect voting behavior. Much of rural Zimbabwe has

suffered food shortages over the past seven years. During

elections in 2002 and 2005, the GMB provided food to villages

with the threat of withholding it if the village did not vote

for Mugabe and other ZANU-PF candidates. Likewise, the GMB

refused to send food to areas known to support the

opposition. The use of food has been an effective tool of

the Mugabe regime in obtaining votes illegally.

DOB:

Muzariri, Livingston Menard: CIO Deputy Director

Justification: As CIO Deputy Director, he has full knowledge

of all CIO activities, including abductions, arrests, and

torture of the opposition. The CIO is believed to be

involved with, and many cases to have directed, the ZRP in

these activities. On March 11 a number of MDC leaders were

arrested and severely beaten in police custody. The CIO

worked with the ZRP in targeting the democratic opposition

for arrest and are believed to have participated in the

beatings. The released prisoners went immediately to the

hospital for treatment of serious injuries they sustained at

the hands of the police. These leaders were released several

days later and no cases have been prosecuted against them.

The international media photographically recorded the extent

of these injuries. Given his position, Muzariri was

certainly aware of the beatings and very likely directed

them. Another similar incident of brutality occured on July

25, when police beat hundreds of democratic activists

peacefully demonstrating in favor of a new constitution.

Many civil society leaders were severely beaten, suffering

broken bones and other injuries. The CIO is believed to have

been involved in this incident as well.

DOB: August 8, 1955 (from GRPO files)

Tayengwa, Isaac: ZRP Chief Superintendent for Harare Central

District

Justification: Tayengwa is a police official identified as

organizing and playing a central role in intimidation of the

MDC. He was responsible for a ban on protests issued on

February 23 that prevented the MDC and civil society from

organizing. This decree was part of a concerted GOZ effort

to suppress political activity directed against the

government. The GOZ selectively used the Public Order and

Security Act against democratic elements of Zimbabwe to

eliminate its opposition. While the GOZ claimed that the

opposition committed anti-government violence in justifying

such decrees, these allegations were fabricated by the

government and were proven to be completely false when the

court later dismissed the cases brought against the

opposition activists who had been accused of committing the

alleged acts of violence. The government has frequently

fabricated incidents of violence attributed to the

opposition, and publicized these allegations in

government-controlled media.

Zharara, Ngwerume: ZRP Chief Superintendent for Harare

Suburban District

Justification: He was responsible for a ban on protests

issued on February 21 that prevented the MDC and civil

society from organizing a political rally. This decree was

part of a concerted GOZ effort to suppress political activity

directed against the government. The GOZ selectively used

the Public Order and Security Act against democratic elements

of Zimbabwe to eliminate its opposition. While the GOZ

claimed that the opposition committed anti-government

violence in justifying such decrees, these allegations were

HARARE 00000868 004 OF 004

fabricated by the government and were proven to be completely

false when the court later dismissed the cases brought

against the opposition activists who had been accused of

committing the alleged acts of violence. The government has

frequently fabricated incidents of violence attributed to the

opposition, and publicized these allegations in

government-controlled media.

DOB:

RAYNOR

(188 VIEWS)