SHOOTOUT ON COMMERCIAL FARM

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002073

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR CGURNEY
PARIS FOR CNEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2012
TAGS: PGOV EAGR PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: SHOOTOUT ON COMMERCIAL FARM


Classified By: political section chief Matt Harrington. Reasons: 1.5 (
B) and (D).


1. (C) Late in the morning of September 10, commercial
farmer Ian Cochrane reportedly engaged in a shootout with
three men on his property near Karoi, some 250 km northwest
of Harare. Miraculously, no one was hurt, and only a vehicle
belonging to a nearby farmer who came to help was damaged.


2. (C) The account of the incident was relayed to us by two
other commercial farmers in Karoi -- Chris Shepherd and Alan
Parsons -- who are reliable embassy contacts and received a
report directly from Cochrane. According to our sources,
Cochrane had gone to the aid of his mother, who was besieged
by settlers in her residence, some 400 meters from Cochrane's
own house. He forced his way through a group of
demonstrating settlers by firing his shotgun into the ground,
then ran to the back of the house when he found the front
locked. He encountered three men, two holding shotguns and
the other an automatic rifle. One of the men -- Patrick
Maponga -- has played a leading role in recent efforts to
evict commercial farmers in the area and is believed by area
residents to be a major in the Zimbabwean military. Maponga
and his two compatriots, we are told, opened fire on
Cochrane, who responded in kind, and a shootout ensued. We
understand that Cochrane is now safely inside his mother's
residence, the three attackers have fled, and police have
responded to the scene.


3. (C) Comment: Although details are still fuzzy, at first
blush, this incident has the definite appearance of a
(potentially deadly) set-up. Although we may never know the
intent of the three armed men, it is clear that the
government will use it to the fullest in its propaganda
campaign against white farmers. We expect Ian Cochrane to
play the prominent role of villain in the
government-controlled press on September 11, and the GOZ
could use this incident to justify an intensified crackdown
on "resistant" commercial farmers.
SULLIVAN