Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07HARARE1106
2007-12-12 09:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Harare
Cable title:
CIVIC ACTIVISTS KEEP UP STREET PRESSURE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001106
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND E. LOKEN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ZI ASEC WMN
SUBJECT: CIVIC ACTIVISTS KEEP UP STREET PRESSURE
Classified By: Poloff Scott Higgins, reason: 1.4 d
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001106
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND E. LOKEN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ZI ASEC WMN
SUBJECT: CIVIC ACTIVISTS KEEP UP STREET PRESSURE
Classified By: Poloff Scott Higgins, reason: 1.4 d
1. (U) In the past week, activists from Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA) and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA),two
local pro-democracy NGOs, staged separate street
demonstrations in Harare that resulted in beatings by police
and arrests. WOZA and NCA remain the most active civil
society groups willing to risk assault and arrest to continue
to pressure the Mugabe regime on respect for human rights,
restoration of democracy and social justice.
2. (U) More than 75 WOZA members took to the streets of
Harare on December 11 to conduct a peaceful protest to mark
the end of the international campaign "16 Days of Activism
Against Gender Violence" and the year anniversary of the
launch of the group's People's Charter. As the march
approached Parliament, riot police moved in and ordered the
group to disperse. The marchers turned and headed away from
Parliament, but continued to chant slogans and distribute
flyers. Police used batons to disperse the group. As the
crowd scattered, Poloff observed police chasing and beating
the activists as they ran through heavy downtown traffic for
more than three city blocks. Police also arrested three WOZA
support staff for taking pictures from a nearby vehicle.
They were released the same day after being charged with
criminal nuisance and paying a ZW$40,000 fine (about US$.02
at the parallel market rate).
3. (U) On December 7, police in Harare used batons to break
up an estimated crowd of 300 NCA activists demanding a new
constitution and protesting the ongoing economic meltdown
resulting from more than seven years of disastrous government
policies. One activist was arrested and later released
without charge. Several activists sustained minor injuries.
4. (C) This latest NCA action follows the brutal suppression
of a November 22 peaceful demonstration by 300 NCA members.
The demonstrators were attempting to impress on South African
President Thabo Mbeki, in Harare to press for a quick
conclusion to the drawn-out mediation talks between the
ruling party and the opposition, the need for an end to
ongoing violence. Shortly after the march, 22 NCA activists
were abducted and tortured. Dr. Frances Lovemore, the
attending physician and director of USG-funded Counseling
Services Unit (CSU),a local NGO that provides medical and
psycho-social assistance to victims of state-violence, told
Ambassador McGee, who visited the victims in the hospital,
that the assailants were likely members of the ZANU-PF youth
militia or the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO).
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) While the rest of civil society waits quietly for the
conclusion of the SADC mediation talks, NCA and WOZA continue
to regularly stage small, but effective demonstrations that
routinely attract a violent response from police. While
political intimidation and violence continue throughout
Zimbabwe, it is these urban demonstrations that receive press
coverage and demonstrate to the world that government
repression continues unabated. End Comment.
MCGEE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
USAID FOR L.DOBBINS AND E. LOKEN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ZI ASEC WMN
SUBJECT: CIVIC ACTIVISTS KEEP UP STREET PRESSURE
Classified By: Poloff Scott Higgins, reason: 1.4 d
1. (U) In the past week, activists from Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA) and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA),two
local pro-democracy NGOs, staged separate street
demonstrations in Harare that resulted in beatings by police
and arrests. WOZA and NCA remain the most active civil
society groups willing to risk assault and arrest to continue
to pressure the Mugabe regime on respect for human rights,
restoration of democracy and social justice.
2. (U) More than 75 WOZA members took to the streets of
Harare on December 11 to conduct a peaceful protest to mark
the end of the international campaign "16 Days of Activism
Against Gender Violence" and the year anniversary of the
launch of the group's People's Charter. As the march
approached Parliament, riot police moved in and ordered the
group to disperse. The marchers turned and headed away from
Parliament, but continued to chant slogans and distribute
flyers. Police used batons to disperse the group. As the
crowd scattered, Poloff observed police chasing and beating
the activists as they ran through heavy downtown traffic for
more than three city blocks. Police also arrested three WOZA
support staff for taking pictures from a nearby vehicle.
They were released the same day after being charged with
criminal nuisance and paying a ZW$40,000 fine (about US$.02
at the parallel market rate).
3. (U) On December 7, police in Harare used batons to break
up an estimated crowd of 300 NCA activists demanding a new
constitution and protesting the ongoing economic meltdown
resulting from more than seven years of disastrous government
policies. One activist was arrested and later released
without charge. Several activists sustained minor injuries.
4. (C) This latest NCA action follows the brutal suppression
of a November 22 peaceful demonstration by 300 NCA members.
The demonstrators were attempting to impress on South African
President Thabo Mbeki, in Harare to press for a quick
conclusion to the drawn-out mediation talks between the
ruling party and the opposition, the need for an end to
ongoing violence. Shortly after the march, 22 NCA activists
were abducted and tortured. Dr. Frances Lovemore, the
attending physician and director of USG-funded Counseling
Services Unit (CSU),a local NGO that provides medical and
psycho-social assistance to victims of state-violence, told
Ambassador McGee, who visited the victims in the hospital,
that the assailants were likely members of the ZANU-PF youth
militia or the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO).
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) While the rest of civil society waits quietly for the
conclusion of the SADC mediation talks, NCA and WOZA continue
to regularly stage small, but effective demonstrations that
routinely attract a violent response from police. While
political intimidation and violence continue throughout
Zimbabwe, it is these urban demonstrations that receive press
coverage and demonstrate to the world that government
repression continues unabated. End Comment.
MCGEE