AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES STATE-SPONSORED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003094

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF, AF/S ATTN: POWELL, RENDER, SCHNEIDMAN,
GURNEY
TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE
STATE PASS USTR/RWHITTAKER
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/10
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES STATE-SPONSORED
VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION WITH A PROGRESSIVE MINISTER


CLASSIFIED BY ECON/COMM OFFICER MARK PROKOP, REASONS
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1.5 (B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: IN A SERIES OF CALLS BEING MADE ON
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ON JUNE 8 AMBASSADOR AND
ECONOFF MET WITH SIMON K. MOYO, MINISTER OF MINES,
ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM, TO DISCUSS CONDITIONS IN
ZIMBABWE RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS, AND OUR ABHORRENCE
OF THE STATE-SPONSORED VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION THAT
HAS OCCURRED TO DATE. MOYO, CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE
A ZANU-PF PROGRESSIVE, WAS GLIB, DISPLAYED AN
ADMIRABLE BOB-AND-WEAVE TECHNIQUE, AND PARROTED THE
PARTY LINE. HIS EXPRESSED A PERSONAL DISDAIN OF
VIOLENCE, LABELING IT GOOD FOR NO ONE, BUT CLAIMED
THAT BOTH PARTIES WERE EQUALLY TO BLAME FOR ITS
OCCURRENCE. HE ALSO CRITICIZED THE NATIONAL
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) REPORT ON UNSATISFACTORY
ELECTION CONDITIONS, POSTULATING THAT A NINE-DAY TRIP
WITH VISITS TO ONLY THREE LOCATIONS WAS INSUFFICIENT
TO ACCURATELY ASSESS TRUE CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) THE AMBASSADOR KICKED OFF THE MEETING BY
ASKING IF A FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE IN THE INDEPENDENT
NEWSPAPER "THE DAILY NEWS", PROCLAIMING THAT "TOP
ZANU-PF LEADERS CALL FOR END TO VIOLENCE" WAS
CORRECT. DODGING THE DIRECT QUESTION, MINISTER MOYO
LAMENTED THE EXISTENCE OF VIOLENCE AND ATTRIBUTED IT
TO THE EXISTENCE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE
INDEPENDENCE, OF AN ACTUAL, VIABLE, AND ORGANIZED
OPPOSITION, FIELDING 120 CANDIDATES. "IT HAS RAISED
THE TEMPERATURE", HE STATED, "ESPECIALLY SINCE BOTH
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SIDES VIEW THEMSELVES AS THE WINNERS." BOTH PARTIES
HAVE CAUSED THE VIOLENCE HE CONTINUED, AND THE
LEADERS OF BOTH NEED TO CONTROL THEIR FOLLOWERS. WE
ARE DOING THAT NOW, HE ADMITTED, TELLING US THAT THE
JUNE 7 POLITBURO MEETING PARTICIPANTS DECIDED THAT
THE RULING PARTY WOULD PUBLICLY BEGIN CALLING FOR AN
END TO THE VIOLENCE. THE POLICE NEED TO DO THEIR
JOB, HE ADDED, AND THAT SHOULD START NOW HE TOLD US,
INFERRING THAT THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT BY
THE OFFICIAL DECISION-MAKING ORGAN.


3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR ACKNOWLEDGED THE MINISTER'S
HIGH-MINDED SENTIMENTS, BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE
RULING PARTY HAS BEEN THE CLEAR AND EXCESSIVE
WRONG DOER TO DATE. AFTER AGAIN SINGING A PSALM OF
THE MERITS OF PEACE, THE WAR VETERAN AND CABINET
MEMBER REITERATED THE RULING PARTY'S WISE, NEW,
PEACE-FOCUSED PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN, AND AGAIN
BLAMED THE OPPOSITION FOR CAUSING VIOLENCE. HE
PROUDLY CITED THE EXAMPLE OF THE AFTER-BUSINESS-HOURS
POSTERING OF ZANU-PF HEADQUARTERS IN CHINHOYI WITH
MDC (MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE) POSTERS BY
UNKNOWN PERPETRATORS. "IMAGINE THE VIOLENCE THAT
SUCH AN ACT WOULD HAVE CAUSED", HE PLEADED, "IF
ANYONE HAD BEEN IN THE BUILDING." WHEN THE
AMBASSADOR RAISED THE ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE METED
OUT WITHIN HITLER HUNZVI'S MEDICAL SURGERY, THE
MINISTER COULD ONLY REPEAT A MANTRA OF "UNPALATABLE,
UNPALATABLE...."


4. (C) WHEN THE AMBASSADOR RAISED THE BEATINGS AND
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INTIMIDATION OF EDUCATORS (CITING RAPES,
HOUSEBURNINGS AND NEAR-FATAL BEATINGS),THE MINISTER
INFORMED US THAT TEACHERS WHO DIGRESS FROM THE
CURRICULUM TO PREACH THE MERITS OF THE OPPOSITION
MUST BE DISCIPLINED; THOUGH HE SUBSEQUENTLY ADMITTED
THAT AN ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS EXISTED FOR THIS. WHEN
ECONOFF POINTED OUT THAT FOR YEARS THE RULING PARTY
HAS DIRECTED AND ENCOURAGED TEACHERS TO DIGRESS FROM
THE CURRICULUM AND PREACH THE MERITS OF ZANU-PF; MOYO
RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS ONLY THE INCULCATION OF
"HISTORY", WHICH NONE COULD FIND FAULT WITH. "THE
STORY OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AND THE GLORIOUS
ROLE OF ZANU-PF IN ITS SUCCESS" HE CROONED, "IS OUR
NATIONAL HERITAGE AND CAN NEVER BE QUESTIONED OR
DENIED US." "I AM A VETERAN AND IT IS OUR RIGHT", HE
SUMMARILY DECLARED, AS HE HASTENED OFF TO A MEETING
WITH A DELEGATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTION
OBSERVERS.


5. COMMENT: WE CAME, SPOKE SERIOUSLY, AND MINISTER
MOYO PERFORMED. FROM OUR OBSERVATION HE NEVER ONCE
STEPPED OUT OF HIS ACCOMPLISHED PLAYACTING. PERHAPS
HE HAS BEEN AT IT SO LONG THAT THE DISTINCTION

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 ANHR-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00
VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 STR-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W
-------------- 60A655 081537Z /38
P 081542Z JUN 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6249
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
DEPTTREAS WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003094

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF, AF/S ATTN: POWELL, RENDER, SCHNEIDMAN,
GURNEY
TREASURY FOR ED BARBER, GRACE SONE
STATE PASS USTR/RWHITTAKER
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/10
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES STATE-SPONSORED
VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION WITH A PROGRESSIVE MINISTER

BETWEEN SELF AND DRAMATIS PERSONA HAS BECOME BLURRED
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OR NONEXISTENT. HIS COMMENTS REVEAL THAT THE STATE
MACHINE MARCHES ON IN LOCK STEP WITH THE RULING PARTY
TOWARDS THE ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN TWO WEEKS,
EXECUTING A BATTLE PLAN THAT MAY BE GROWING
INCREASINGLY INCORRECT IN A SHIFTING ENVIRONMENT. WE
EXPECT THAT THEY WILL PREACH PEACE BUT CONTINUE TO
ORCHESTRATE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF VIOLENCE. END
COMMENT.

MCDONALD

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