DISTURBANCE IN ZIMBABWE TOWN INVITES POLICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000197 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR TERRY PFLAUMER PASS USAID FOR A/AID RMCCALL, AA/AFR VDERRYCK, AFR/SA CPALMA CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HARARE 00197 111430Z PASS USTR FOR ROSA WHITAKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/11 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS PINR ZI SUBJECT: DISTURBANCE IN ZIMBABWE TOWN INVITES POLICE INTERVENTION CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) THE JANUARY 11 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT "THE DAILY NEWS" NEWSPAPER REPORTED THAT DISTURBANCES ERUPTED IN KADOMA TOWN--ABOUT 80 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HARARE--ON JANUARY 10. THE NEWSPAPER SAID THE "RIOT" BEGAN AS A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE TOWN COUNCIL'S FAILURE TO CONSULT LOCAL RESIDENTS ON THE TOWN BUDGET THAT WAS SENT TO HARARE FOR APPROVAL. THE DEMONSTRATION DEGENERATED WHEN POLICE UNITS MOVED IN TO DISPERSE THE CROWD, AND THE PEOPLE REACTED BY ERECTING ROAD BARRICADES. POLICE FIRED TEARGAS TO BREAK UP SEVERAL GROUPS OF PEOPLE, AND BEAT UP THOSE WHO REFUSED TO DISPERSE. "THE DAILY NEWS" DESCRIBED POLICE AS INVADING HOMES AND "COMMANDEERING" RESIDENTS TO TAKE DOWN THE BARRICADES, WHICH BLOCKED THE MAIN HARARE-BULAWAYO HIGHWAY. TWENTY-TWO PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED, ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER. ¶2. (C) POLOFF SPOKE TO MDC MP FOR KADOMA CENTRAL, AUSTIN MUPANDAWANA, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN KADOMA. HE SAID THE TROUBLE BEGAN WHEN THE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 00197 111430Z RECENTLY MET WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL TO GIVE INPUT ON THE TOWN BUDGET. THE ASSOCIATION EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT A PROPOSED 200 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE COST OF CITY SERVICES, SUCH AS WATER AND REFUSE COLLECTION. WHEN THE TOWN COUNCIL FAILED TO TAKE THEIR CONCERNS INTO CONSIDERATION AND SENT THE BUDGET UNAMENDED TO HARARE FOR APPROVAL, THE ASSOCIATION WAS OUTRAGED AND DEMANDED A MEETING WITH THE TOWN MAYOR. MUPANDAWANA REPORTED THAT THE MAYOR AGREED TO A MEETING, BUT BROUGHT WITH HIM A NUMBER OF POLICE AND CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION OFFICERS, WHO THREATENED TO ARREST THE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVES UNLESS THEY STOPPED "HARASSING" THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL. THE PEOPLE LEFT THE MEETING TO ERECT STREET BARRICADES OUT OF FEAR OF MORE POLICE UNITS ARRIVING. MORE POLICE DID ARRIVE, AND REMOVED THE BARRICADES AND BROKE UP EVERY LARGE GATHERING OF PEOPLE. MUPANDAWANA DID NOT CHARACTERIZE THE DISTURBANCE AS A "RIOT," SAYING NO SHOPS WERE LOOTED OR VEHICLES BURNED. HE SAID THAT THE TOWN HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL, BUT THAT THE TOWNSPEOPLE WERE STILL DISGRUNTLED. MUPANDAWANA SAID HE WAS RETURNING TO KADOMA JANUARY 11 TO ARRANGE A MEETING BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION TO WORK OUT THEIR DIFFERENCES. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: BASED ON MUPANDAWANA'S COMMENTS, AND "THE DAILY NEWS"'S OWN ARTICLE, THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN A TRUE "RIOT" IN KADOMA. IT IS APPARENT, HOWEVER, THAT THE LOCAL TOWNSPEOPLE ARE VERY AGITATED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL'S OVERBEARING APPROACH TO GOVERNANCE, USE OF THREATS, AND ATTEMPT TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE PRICE OF CITY SERVICES. GIVEN THIS LATEST DISTURBANCE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 00197 111430Z ON THE HEELS OF THREE DAYS OF STREET PROTESTS IN HARARE IN OCTOBER, WE CAN EXPECT SIMILAR REACTIONS FROM FRUSTRATED ZIMBABWEANS IN THE COMING MONTHS AS THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY DETERIORATES FURTHER. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >