RAID ON MDC HEADQUARTERS; ZIMBABWE POLICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 005187 SIPDIS LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/10 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ZI MDC SUBJECT: RAID ON MDC HEADQUARTERS; ZIMBABWE POLICE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 05187 01 OF 02 141445Z RATCHETS UP HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION REFTEL: HARARE 5075 CLASSIFIED BY AMB. TOM MCDONALD. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: AN OPPOSITION ADVISOR AND RELIABLE EMBASSY CONTACT REPORTED TO THE AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 14 AN UPSURGE IN POLICE HARASSMENT OF THE OPPOSITION. AT THE TOP OF THE LIST WAS A RAID ON THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) HEADQUARTERS TODAY AND AN ATTEMPT TO ARREST TWO SENIOR MDC OFFICIALS. POLICE ARE ALSO REPORTED TO BE HARASSING OWNERS AND FARM WORKERS ON FARMS IN THE HARARE AREA. THE POLICE ACTIONS MAY BE PARTLY A GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO MDC CALLS FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND PARTLY AN ATTEMPT TO ASSERT MORE CONTROL OVER A POLICE FORCE INCREASINGLY SYMPATHETIC TO THE OPPOSITION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. MDC ADVISOR AND CONFIDANT CLIVE PUZEY CALLED ON THE AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 14 ON SHORT NOTICE TO REPORT AN UPSURGE IN POLICE HARASSMENT OF THE OPPOSITION. HE STATED THAT THE ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE (ZRP) ENTERED MDC HEADQUARTERS ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 14 WITH A WARRANT TO SEARCH FOR HIDDEN ARMS CACHES. (UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED THE HEADQUARTERS ENTRANCE WITH A TYPE OF GRENADE LATE ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER ¶11. SEE REFTEL.) HAVING FOUND NO WEAPONS, THE ZRP ATTEMPTED TO ARREST, WITHOUT A WARRANT, TWO MDC CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 05187 01 OF 02 141445Z OFFICIALS, ONE OF THEM BEING GANDI MUDZINGWA, MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI'S POLITICAL ASSISTANT AND RIGHT-HAND MAN. PUZEY DID NOT KNOW THE IDENTITY OF THE OTHER OFFICIAL BEING SOUGHT. (MORGAN TSVANGIRAI IS CURRENTLY IN MANICALAND ON AN "OPINION CANVASSING" TRIP, ACCORDING TO PUZEY). HAVING NOT FOUND EITHER OFFICIAL, THE ZRP HAS SEALED OFF MDC HEADQUARTERS IN THE BELIEF THAT THE TWO OFFICIALS ARE IN HIDING SOMEWHERE IN THE BUILDING. PUZEY REPORTED THAT THE PRESS, MDC LAWYERS, MDC MPS, AND OTHER SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN CALLED TO THE SCENE IN AN ATTEMPT TO PRESSURE THE ZRP TO LEAVE. ¶3. (C) PUZEY ALSO SAID THAT THE ZRP IS STEPPING UP ITS HARASSMENT OF COMMERCIAL FARMERS AND OTHER PERCEIVED MDC SUPPORTERS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. HE CITED ONE FARMER NEAR HARARE AS BEING SOUGHT BY THE ZRP FOR INCITING HIS WORKERS TO ATTACK WAR VETERANS. THE FARMER CALLED IN HIS LAWYER TO TRY TO KEEP THE POLICE AT BAY, BUT IT IS UNKNOWN IF HE WAS DETAINED. THE "DAILY NEWS" REPORTED A SIMILAR STORY SEPTEMBER 14 IN WHICH SEVERAL WAR VETERANS WERE HOSPITALIZED AFTER "HEAVY FIGHTING" WITH FARM WORKERS ON A HARARE-AREA FARM. THE FIGHTING WAS REPORTEDLY SPARKED BY FARM WORKERS REACTING TO HARASSMENT BY THE WAR VETERANS. THE NEWS STORY INDICATED THAT POLICE OFFICERS LATER RETURNED TO THE FARM AND ACTED "OPENLY HOSTILE" TO THE WORKERS, BEGAN PUSHING AND SHOVING THEM, AND ACCUSED THEM OF BEING ANTOGONISTIC TO THE WAR VETERANS' CAUSE. THE WAR VETERANS, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE POLICE, THREATENED TO KILL THE FARM'S OWNER, ARTHUR HARLEY, FOR INCITING HIS WORKERS. HARLEY REPORTEDLY THEN WENT INTO HIDING. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 05187 01 OF 02 141445Z ¶4. (C) WHEN ASKED WHY THE ZRP WAS SUDDENLY STEPPING UP ITS HARASSMENT OF THE MDC, PUZEY OFFERED A MULTITUDE OF POSSIBLE REASONS. HE CITED THE MDC'S CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT MUGABE, ITS CALLS LAST WEEK FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND WORK STAY-AWAYS, AND THE GROWING CLAMOR FOR CHANGE COMING FROM THE MDC BENCH IN PARLIAMENT. HE ALSO STATED THAT SUPPORT FOR THE MDC IS GROWING IN THE ZRP, AND THAT SENIOR GOZ OFFICIALS HAVE DEMANDED THAT HIGH-RANKING POLICE OFFICIALS TAKE MORE ACTION IN FAVOR OF THE WAR VETERANS. THESE SENIOR OFFICIALS HAD THREATENED THE CHILDREN OF THESE POLICE OFFICERS IF THEY DID NOT TAKE ACTION, ACCORDING TO PUZEY. PUZEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT TRIBAL ELDERS ACROSS ZIMBABWE ARE FED UP WITH MUGABE AND WILL BE COMING TO HARARE SOON TO DEMAND CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: PUZEY, A WELL-KNOWN LOCAL BUSINESSMAN AND RELIABLE EMBASSY CONTACT, APPEARED VERY DISTRAUGHT AT THE POLICE ACTION, THE FIRST OVERT GOVERNMENT ACTION AGAINST THE MDC SINCE IT CAPTURED 57 SEATS IN JUNE'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW FAR THIS WILL GO AND WHETHER THIS IS PART OF A WIDER NATIONWIDE CRACKDOWN ON OPPOSITION ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORTERS. THE PURPORTED THREATS AGAINST THE POLICE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ8236 PAGE 01 HARARE 05187 02 OF 02 141445Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 JUSE-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W -------------- 854C04 141446Z /38 O 141444Z SEP 00 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7107 AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY PARIS INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 005187 SIPDIS LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/10 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ZI MDC SUBJECT: RAID ON MDC HEADQUARTERS; ZIMBABWE POLICE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 05187 02 OF 02 141445Z RATCHETS UP HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION OFFICERS ARE CREDIBLE AND COULD PARTLY INDICATE AN ATTEMPT BY THE GOZ TO EXERT POLITICAL CONTROL OVER A POLICE FORCE THAT INCREASINGLY SYMPATHIZES WITH THE OPPOSITION. MCDONALD CONFIDENTIAL >