THREATS AGAINST WHITE OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000856

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/26/11
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINS PINR ZI
SUBJECT: THREATS AGAINST WHITE OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS


CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL IRVING. REASONS: 1.5
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(B) AND (D).


1. (C) IN A FEBRUARY 23 MEETING WITH POLITICAL SECTION
CHIEF, MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) MP AND
SECRETARY FOR POLICY FORMULATION AND RESEARCH TRUDY

SIPDIS
STEVENSON EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT ESCALATING
HARASSMENT OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY'S LEADERS. SHE
RECOUNTED A TROUBLING CONVERSATION THAT HER MDC MP
COLLEAGUE, MIKE AURET, SR., HAD HAD RECENTLY WITH AN
ACQUAINTANCE. THAT ACQUAINTANCE, WHO APPARENTLY IS WELL-
CONNECTED TO THE RULING PARTY, WARNED AURET THAT SENIOR
PEOPLE IN THE ZANU-PF HIERARCHY PLANNED TO "TAKE OUT" A
PROMINENT WHITE MEMBER OF THE MDC BY THE END OF FEBRUARY.
STEVENSON, WHO IS WHITE, SURMISED THAT THE PRINCIPAL
TARGETS WOULD BE AURET AND MP DAVID COLTART, BOTH OF WHOM
PRESIDENT MUGABE REGULARLY SINGLES OUT FOR CRITICISM, MOST
RECENTLY IN REMARKS TO THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED PRESS ON FEBRUARY

21. STEVENSON FEARED THAT ZANU-PF THUGS COULD INTERPRET THE
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AS A GREEN LIGHT TO HARM AURET OR
COLTART.


2. (C) POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF SOUGHT ADDITIONAL DETAILS
IN A MEETING WITH COLTART ON FEBRUARY 27. COLTART
CONFIRMED TRUDY STEVENSON'S ACCOUNT, SAYING THE MESSAGE TO
AURET HAD BEEN DELIVERED ON FEBRUARY 21 BY JAMES MUSHURI
(PHONETIC),A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE NATIONAL MERCHANT BANK.
IN ADDITION, MDC ADVISOR CLIVE PUZEY TOLD COLTART ON FEBRUARY
22 THAT A LONGTIME CONTACT IN THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
ORGANIZATION HAD TOLD PUZEY THAT COLTART IS THE TARGET.
COLTART IS CONVINCED THAT THE THREAT IS GENUINE, SINCE HE
RECEIVED SIMILAR INFORMATION FROM TWO UNRELATED
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SOURCES. ASKED WHETHER HE HAS TAKEN ANY ACTION TO
STRENGTHEN HIS PERSONAL SECURITY, COLTART SHRUGGED, SAYING
THERE WAS LITTLE HE COULD DO. HE DOES NOT OWN A HANDGUN,
FOR INSTANCE, AND HAS NO INTENTION OF PURCHASING ONE.
ASKED WHETHER THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT COULD DO
ANYTHING TO BE HELPFUL, COLTART ASKED THAT ANY PUBLIC
REMARKS CONTAIN A CATALOGUE OF ABUSES BY THE GOVERNMENT,
RATHER THAN ADDRESS HIS CASE INDIVIDUALLY.


3. (C) COMMENT: FOR SOME TIME, RUMORS HAVE CIRCULATED HERE
OF THE EXISTENCE OF A DEATH LIST CONTAINING THE NAMES OF
MDC MEMBERS. UNTIL RECENTLY, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GO AS FAR AS ORDERING THE
ASSASSINATION OF MDC LEADERS, OR COMMIT SUCH INFORMATION TO
PAPER IF IT TRULY INTENDED TO PROCEED ALONG THIS COURSE.
NEVERTHELESS, THE MERE RUMOR OF A DEATH LIST WOULD BE AN
EFFECTIVE TOOL IN INTIMIDATING THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS THE GOZ HAS GONE
TO RECENTLY TO SUPPRESS POLITICAL DISSENT AND ALTERNATIVE
VIEWS -- BOMBING THE "DAILY NEWS" PRINTING PRESS,
THREATENING JUDGES WITH PHYSICAL HARM AND FORCING OUT THE
CHIEF JUSTICE, BEATING UP SENIOR MDC OFFICIALS IN THEIR
HOMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AS WELL AS ORDINARY
CIVILIANS IN HARARE'S HIGH DENSITY SUBURBS -- WE FRANKLY
HAVE STOPPED BEING SURPRISED AT ANYTHING THE MUGABE
GOVERNMENT DOES. UNDERSTANDING THE CONSEQUENCES THAT SUCH
A HIT MIGHT BRING WITH IT, GOVERNMENT OPERATIVES PROBABLY
WOULD NOT CARRY IT OUT, BUT RATHER WOULD CREATE THE RIGHT
CLIMATE FOR A FANATIC TO DO SO.

IRVING
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