The United States embassy encouraged National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku to invite other organisations to increase the scale of his protests as the country tittered on the brink of collapse nearly three months after the signing of the Global Political Accord that was supposed to usher a new inclusive government.
The embassy felt that though the NCA was holding “successful protests” regularly, the size and scale of these street marches did not come close to reflecting the anger, frustration, and struggles people faced in providing for their homes.
Civil society and the Movement for Democratic Change remained unable to translate these frustrations into effective popular action.
The NCA was pushing for a transitional government, not a government of national unity, a new constitution, and free and fair elections.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE1132, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TEAR GASSING: POLICE BREAK UP
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Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO9779
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #1132/01 3531540
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 181540Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3840
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2506
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2629
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1122
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1898
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2253
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2678
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5106
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1776
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001132
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B. WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
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: 12/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI
SUBJECT: EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TEAR GASSING: POLICE BREAK UP
PROTEST AND ZANU-PF BRAWL
REF: A. HARARE 1056
¶B. HARARE 819
Classified By: Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4
(d).
——
SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (SBU) Riot police were busy this week, tear gassing
groups of both ZANU-PF and opposition supporters. Police
used tear gas to break up back-to-back protests of over 500
marchers in Harare led by the National Constitutional
Assembly (NCA). Riot police also used tear gas to break up a
fight at the ZANU-PF headquarters between factions supporting
rival candidates for the position of ZANU-PF provincial
chairman for Harare province. The physical violence between
members – albeit internal rivals – of the ZANU-PF reflects
continued fissures within the party. No significant injuries
were reported in any of the incidents. END SUMMARY.
——————————————— —
Hundreds March, but Little Coverage of Protests
——————————————— —
¶2. (C) NCA organized three marches this week, two on
December 16 and another on December 17. On the 16th, 500
participants in Harare and 300 in Masvingo marched to push
NCA’s “Three Point Plan” (transitional government, a new
constitution, and free and fair elections) for democracy and
development in Zimbabwe. In Masvingo, protesters marched
without police interference. In Harare, however, police used
tear gas and batons to disrupt the march before it even
started. 51 were arrested, and NCA reported 10 sustained
injuries. 20 protesters were released without charge, and
th other 31 have not yet been charged or granted accss to
lawyers. On December 17, NCA held anothermarch in Harare
with over 600 protesters, who ha nearly completed their
march when riot police brke up the protest, again with
batons and tear ga. 11 were arrested and 12 sought medical
treatmnt for relatively minor injuries. Despite the
rlatively good turnout, the marches were not widelycovered
in the press, at least partly because thee were relatively
few injuries or arrests. Afte the third march, an ebullient
NCA President, Lovemore Madhuku told us that NCA is testing
its marching strategy and aims to hold a third march with as
many as 3,000 protesters early next week. In a recent
conversation with Madhuku (ref A), we encouraged him to work
with other organizations to increase the scale of these
protests; however these marches continue to be solely the
work of NCA and its members.
—————————————–
ZANU-PF Provincial Election Turns Violent
—————————————–
¶3. (SBU) On December 16, the election for ZANU-PF Harare
Provincial Chairman was held at ZANU-PF’s headquarters. The
election turned violent at about 4 a.m. when supporters of
the two candidates “went at each other’s throats,” according
to one witness. Supporters of the former Minister of Mines,
Amos Midzi, reportedly started a brawl with supporters of
Hubert Nyanhongo, Deputy Minister of Transportation, over the
election for provincial chairmanship. Both had bussed in
scores of supporters to help secure victory. When Midzi’s
supporters heard that Midzi was pulling out of the election,
citing “irregularities,” they reportedly attacked Nyanhongo’s
supporters. Riot police arrived on the scene and used water
cannons and tear gas to break up the fight. ZANU-PF Deputy
HARARE 00001132 002 OF 002
Spokesman Ephraim Masawi condemned the violence. (NOTE:
Nyanhongo represents Harare South and is the sole ZANU-PF MP
in all of Harare’s 28 constituencies. Midzi, who was
defeated in the March election to represent Epworth in
parliament, was responsible for orchestrating and funding
violence in Epworth after the March election and is widely
feared by residents. Even after the June presidential
election, he was often in Epworth organizing ZANU-PF meetings
and telling residents there would be another election soon.
The victor in Epworth, MDC-T MP Eliah Jembere was arrested
twice this year — including on the opening day of parliament
— on trumped-up charges of raping another MDC councilor’s
wife (ref B). END NOTE.)
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶4. (C) As the economy, cholera, and the daily struggles
facing Zimbabweans continue to worsen almost by the hour; the
need for a political solution grows increasingly urgent. By
Zimbabwean standards, NCA’s protests this week were
successful: strong turnout and relatively few injuries or
arrests. Despite the marches’ success, however, they were
organized exclusively by NCA without any other NGOs.
Although Madhuku has told us he believes the best way to
exert pressure on the government is through efforts by the
people of Zimbabwe, civil society’s efforts remain
fragmented. The size and scale of these street marches do
not come close to reflecting the anger, frustration, and
struggles people face in providing for their homes. Civil
society and the MDC remain unable to translate these
frustrations into effective popular action.
¶5. (C) For decades, Zimbabwean elections have been
characterized by violence. However, that violence has
usually been directed at the opposition. The brawl at
ZANU-PF headquarters between Midzi’s and Nyanhongo’s
supporters demonstrates both the factionalism within ZANU-PF
and also the ingrained impulse of the loser to resort to
violence to cling to power. With the ZANU-PF national
conference set to start December 20 in Bindura,
determinations of who will be “in” and “out” with the party
will become increasingly clear in the coming days. Some,
like Midzi, fear losing out on the benefits of the ZANU-PF
patronage system, and are likely desperate to remain within
the fold. It remains to be seen if this instance of
intraparty violence is a unique event or a sign of that
fractures within the party are growing. Either way, the time
is ripe for civil society and the political opposition to
exploit these fractures. However, divisions within and
between these groups constrain their ability to do so
effectively. END COMMENT.
DHANANI
(16 VIEWS)
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