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: -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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: -------------- ¶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