MUGABE INCITES BRUTALIZATION OF MDC SUPPORTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000600

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY
PARIS FOR C. NEARY
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2013
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ASEC ZI MDC
SUBJECT: MUGABE INCITES BRUTALIZATION OF MDC SUPPORTERS

REF: A. HARARE 591


B. 2002 HARARE 2529

Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d

Summary:
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1. (C) In the wake of the successful March 18 - 19 MDC
stayaway the GOZ has embarked on a massive retribution
campaign against lower-level MDC officials, and some MDC MPs.
Police, suspected CIO officers and soldiers have arrested,
beaten, raped and tortured several hundred MDC supporters.
The GOZ's brutalization of Zimbabweans appears targeted at
local MDC officials and was incited by President Mugabe, who
gave a vitriolic speech on March 21 in which he threatened a
crackdown on the MDC. End Summary.

Hundreds Seek Medical Attention
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2. (C) According to medical Dr. Frances Lovemore of Amani
Trust, a local human rights NGO, over 250 people have sought
medical attention at the Avenues Clinic alone in Harare for
injuries sustained in political violence from March 19 - 24.
Most of the injuries were soft-tissue bruises and cuts from
beatings. There were also cases of acid burns, two reported
rapes and three submissions to electric shock torture; one
death has been reported (Ref A). According to the MDC, 83
people had sought medical attention from its social welfare
office by March 21 (Ref A),and another 50 from March 22 - 24.

Soldiers Leading the Charge
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3. (U) According to victims' accounts, almost all of the
incidents were perpetrated by groups of persons in Zimbabwe
Defense Forces (ZDF) uniforms with official insignia,
traveling in military personnel carriers, and some armed with
AK-47 assault rifles. In most cases the perpetrators arrived
in the middle of the night to abduct and or beat local MDC
officials and their families. MDC officials believe some of
the uniformed persons are actually GOZ National Youth Service
members (called "green bombers" for their green uniforms) who
have been given military uniforms and equipment, but are
operating under orders from military officers. The
government-owned The Herald reported that 160 MDC members had
been arrested around the country for perpetrating violence
during the stayaway.

Mugabe Calls for Crackdown on MDC,
Blames West for Violence
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4. (U) The upsurge in officially sponsored violence comes in
the aftermath of recent statements by President Mugabe vowing
greater action against the opposition MDC. At the funeral of
former Minister of Higher Education, Swithun Mombeshora, on
March 21 at the National Heroes' Acre outside Harare, Mugabe
said, "we shall not treat them (the MDC) with soft gloves
anymore." He said when freedom of expression was used to
promote violence and terrorism, it should be curbed and those
who promote the violence must be severely punished. He went
on to say that if Hitler fought for the freedom, justice and
sovereignty of his people he (Mugabe) could be a black Hitler
"ten-fold". He accused Western nations, specifically the
U.S., U.K, Netherlands and Germany, of paying the MDC to
engage in violence.


5. (U) The Following accounts were derived from Embassy
Officer interviews with some of the victims:

Retired Military Officer Tortured
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6. (C) On March 21 in the middle of the night two persons in
military uniform and insignia, herewith "soldiers", armed
with AK-47s, and six suspected CIO officers abducted Elias
(David) Shamu, a retired military armory officer, from his
home in the Harare suburb of Mufakose. Shamu had been
threatened on numerous occasions and has attempted to conceal
his military background. GOZ authorities believe Shamu might
pass sensitive military information to the MDC through his
wife, Viola Shamu, who is an MDC councilor in Harare. Shamu
denies the claim or any personal involvement with the MDC.
Shamu, who at first did not tell Poloff his real name,
previously guided Poloff and a UN official to visit
ex-commercial farm workers and was beaten when war vets
detained the entire party at a commercial farm in Melfort in
November (Ref B). During the abduction on March 21 the
soldiers and CIO officers beat Shamu's eleven and fourteen
year old boys and 27-year-old cousin with sjamboks (rubber
whips cut from car tires),and batons.

7. (C) The CIO officers blindfolded Shamu, took him to an
undisclosed location, and subjected him to electric shock
torture administered to his fingers, toes and genitals.
Three suspected CIO officers told him to open his mouth while
they urinated into it accusing him of giving away sensitive
information to the MDC. Shamu was dumped unconscious, bound
and blindfolded into a vacant field in Msasa near Harare at
10 p.m. on March 21 where he awoke, unbound himself, and
flagged down a passing car for assistance. He was badly
bruised, scarred, and cut over his face and entire body, and
afraid of talking when Poloff interviewed him at Avenues
Clinic on March 23.

MDC Mabvuku Officials Beaten
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8. (U) On March 22 approximately five soldiers beat severely
the MDC's chairwoman for women's issues for Mabvuku (a
high-density suburb of Harare),her brother who is an MDC
youth member, and their 55-year-old mother at their home in
the Harare high-density suburb Mabvuku. According to the
brother, Crispin, about fifty soldiers arrived in the middle
of the night and five beat them with batons particularly on
the bottoms of their feet, and kicked them repeatedly. The
soldiers told the mother, who was naked when the soldiers
arrived, to spread her legs; one of them inserted the barrel
of an AK-47 assault rifle into her private parts while her
children looked on. Polchief interviewed the three at the
Avenues Medical Clinic on March 23 and found them cut and
bruised over their faces, backs, arms, legs and other areas.
Crispin was unable to sit up on his own, his sister was
traumatized, and his mother was reportedly suicidal. The
sister's wrists were swollen severely, possibly broken.


9. (U) On approximately March 22 five soldiers arrived in the
middle of the night at the home of the secretary for the MDC
offices in Mabvuku. She told the Defense Attache that the
soldiers beat her, one raped her, and they forced her to
drink her son's urine. They also accused her of associating
with Amani Trust, and demanded information about the
operations of the MDC office including whether the MDC had
received USG funding.

Violence Close to Embassy Homes
--------------

10. (U) On March 22, Sharon Nell a 50-year old veterinary
nurse in the low-density Harare suburb of Highlands, where
many Embassy families live, came home to find five soldiers
in her bedroom. One of them said, "let's rape this white
bitch"; they forced her to strip naked, pushed her around the
room, and beat her severely with leather straps. She didn't
know whether she passed out or went into shock. When Nell
reported the incident to police, they suggested she report
that "youths" were the perpetrators in order to avoid CIO
harassment. She was visibly bruised and shaken up when
Polchief interviewed her at Avenues clinic on March 23.
Though a veterinary nurse, Nell had offered to treat victims
of violence in the wake of the stayaway. After transferring
to another hospital on March 24, Nell received a threatening
phone call on her direct line in her room warning her against
continuing to tell her story.

MDC Councilor Abducted / Beaten
--------------

11. (U) On March 20 in the middle of the night, soldiers and
suspected CIO officers abducted Murewa South city councilor
and MDC local chairman Raphinas Madzokere from his home in
Chitungwiza (a high-density suburb of Harare). The soldiers
took Madzokere's liberation war veteran's identity card, and
MDC materials, beat him severely and then dumped him
unconscious near his home on March 21. Three soldiers
returned to the house on March 22 and threatened the family
with death. Madzokere was living in Chitungwiza because
ZANU-PF supporters had destroyed his home in Murewa last year.

MDC Chinhoyi Leadership Beaten
--------------

12. (U) On March 20 unknown assailants burned the Chinoyi
offices of the General Agriculture and Plantation Worker's
Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) to the ground. Also in Chinhoyi
unknown assailants burnt to the ground the ZANU-PF offices.
In response to the latter, police arrested the entire
Chinhoyi local MDC leadership, about twelve people, and beat
them severely. They were still in custody on March 24
although no evidence has yet been released linking the MDC to
the fire.

Police Cancel MDC Rally, Beat Attendees
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13. (U) On March 23 riot police beat numerous MDC supporters
who had arrived for a scheduled MDC rally in Kuwadzana. Two
days earlier Police had requested that MDC officials
reschedule the rally to March 22 saying that President Mugabe
would be speaking at a ZANU-PF rally in Kuwadzana on March

23. Having already made arrangements the MDC refused, and
the police prevented the rally by force; in the end Mugabe
did not address a rally in Kuwadzana on March 23.

Harare MDC Mayor Threatened
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14. (U) On March 21 a mob of approximately 100 ZANU-PF
supporters threatened Harare's MDC Mayor Elias Mudzuri
chanting "you are a murderer and you will also be killed," as
he walked to his car following a funeral ceremony at Heroes'
Acre in full view of senior GOZ officials and police. They
confiscated the keys to Mudzuri's official vehicle; Mudzuri
secured a spare set and returned home with a police escort
but he continues to receive threats.

Comment:
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15. (C) Although a GOZ campaign of retribution in the
aftermath of the stayaway was already underway, President
Mugabe's March 21 speech intensified the brutalization of MDC
officials and supporters. It is also clear that the security
forces are either directly involved or, at a minimum,
complicit in the ongoing GOZ crackdown. End Comment.
SULLIVAN