ZIMBABWE'S INCREASED VIOLENCE A GOZ CREATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000241

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S INCREASED VIOLENCE A GOZ CREATION

REF: A. REF A: HARARE 227 AND PREVIOUS


B. REF B: HARARE 130

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Eric Schultz under Section 1.4 b
/d

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Summary
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1. (U) While the GOZ has tried to portray the MDC as a
purveyor of violence, largely by trumpeting two alleged
petrol bomb attacks, there is scant evidence to support their
claims. In fact, we hear every day of more and more evidence
of government-sponsored violence. On March 22, Save Zimbabwe
Campaign leaders told us that a second MDC activist had died
as a result of police beatings on March 11. Indiscriminate
police violence also continues in Harare's high-density
suburbs as well as other major cities. While MDC and civil
society demonstrations have been largely peaceful, there are
reports that GOZ brutality has begun to trigger a backlash
from opposition youths. Separately, Sekai Holland and Grace
Kwinjeh arrived in South Africa for treatment today after a
High Court judge ordered police to release their passports.
End Summary.

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"Firebombings" Appear to be GOZ Propaganda
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2. (SBU) The GOZ has attempted to blame the opposition for
two supposed firebombings at police stations in Harare and
Gweru on March 13. However, the links to the opposition are
tenuous. In fact, there is no firm evidence that the attacks
occurred at all. We have heard several rumors that the
"firebombing" at a police camp in Harare on March 13 was
actually an accident, either caused by a paraffin stove or
improperly stored fuel seized from black market dealers.
(Note. Counseling Services Unit (CSU) Director Frances
Lovemore told us the two officers burnt in Harare, whose
faces the GOZ splashed over the front pages of the
government-controlled press, suffered only relatively minor
injuries.)


3. (SBU) Meanwhile, police officials in Gweru have sealed
off the barracks where a separate firebombing allegedly
occurred on March 13, according to a ZLHR lawyer, prohibiting
opposition attorneys from confirming the attack. Within
hours of the alleged firebombing police began arresting
opposition leaders despite the lack of eye-witnesses or
evidence. Police quickly rounded up six "suspects",
including an MDC city councilor, two local MDC officials, and
a local NCA leader, according to the opposition lawyer. The
six appeared in court on March 16, charged with "sabotage and
terrorism", and were released on bail.

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Second Victim of March 11 Crack Down Identified
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4. (U) Christian Alliance (CA) pastors at a press conference
on March 22 announced that a second MDC activist, Itai
Manyeruke, had died as a result of injuries he sustained as
police disrupted the March 11 prayer rally. Archbishop Pius
Ncube of Bulawayo, presiding over the CA meeting, condemned
the police violence and said the time was now for peaceful
resistance to the regime.


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5. (SBU) On the margins of the briefing, Crisis Coalition
director Jacob Mafume told poloff that the 30-year old
Manyeruke had been beaten by police in Highfield on March 11
and then taken to Harare Hospital, where he was pronounced
dead on arrival. Mafume said he was unaware if a formal
autopsy had been conducted, but said the death appeared to
have resulted from brunt-trauma beatings, as opposed to the
shooting death of Tandare. Mafume said police had taken
Manyeruke's corpse to a mortuary, without notifying the
family. After an extensive search of police stations and
hospitals, Mafume said Manyeruke's family found the body only
a few days ago and buried the body on March 21 during a small
ceremony.

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Government Violence Continues
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6. (SBU) Meanwhile, indiscriminate violence continued,
focused primarily in Harare's high-density suburbs but also
spreading to other cities across Zimbabwe. NCA leader
Lovemore Madhuku on March 20 told us that police in southwest
Harare were randomly enforcing a curfew and harassing people
who had gathered in small groups even to walk to work.
Police, working in concert with local ZANU-PF supports, had
even threatened opposition leaders at their homes. As a
result, some opposition activists had gone into hiding,
fearing further assaults.


7. (SBU) Frances Lovemore, Director of the USG-supported
Counseling Services Unit, which provides medical assistance
to victims of government violence, told us March 21 that CSU
has treated 150 opposition supporters for a range of injuries
sustained at police hands since February 18 when the GOZ
cracked down on another MDC rally in Highfield (ref B). More
victims were coming to CSU everyday after initially hiding in
Harare's high density suburbs, fearful of reprisals from
police.


8. (C) Madhuku said the indiscriminate police violence had
raised the potential that angry opposition could carry out
reprisal attacks against GOZ and ZANU-PF officials.
Opposition leaders had not sanctioned such violence, and to
his knowledge none had as yet occurred. However, the GOZ had
pushed average Zimbabweans to their breaking point, making
them more likely to strike out in unpredictable ways. In
that regard, Francis Lovemore told us that militant MDC
activists, including some with military ties who had left
Zimbabwe years ago, had begun filtering back in recent weeks.


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Court Orders Release, Injured Activists Finally Depart
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9. (SBU) Australian Embassy poloff informed us that
seriously injured MDC activists Sekai Holland ) who is
married to an Australian - and Grace Kwinjeh arrived in
Johannesburg this afternoon for medical treatment. Earlier
in the day a High Court Judge ordered police to release their
travel papers. The two activists finally departed Harare
airport after a delay of almost a week that put Holland's
health in particular in jeopardy. Separately, pro-Senate MDC
president Arthur Mutambara on March 22 informed poloff that
police had also returned his passport which they seized when
they re-arrested him on March 17. Mutambara, who was
released from custody on March 20 after being arrested on
March 17, said he planned to briefly visit his wife and

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children in Johannesburg and then return to Harare this
weekend.

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Memorial Service Planned
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10. (C) Madhuku informed us that the memorial service for
Gift Tandare, the MDC activist killed on March 11, would be
held in Harare on the morning of Tuesday, March 27. The
service has been delayed several times following the
government,s seizure at gunpoint of Tandare,s body this
past weekend. Save Zimbabwe Campaign pastors planned to
identify an appropriate church where the ceremony would be
held; opposition supporters would march to the venue.
Madhuku noted that diplomatic observers would be invited.

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Comment
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11. (C) Government propaganda aside it is clear that the
violence of the past few weeks has been instigate by the GOZ
and its security forces. That said, they are meeting
unaccustomed resistance not just from MDC activists but from
ordinary Zimbabweans. The violence may therefore escalate
further and the memorial service could still serve as a flash
point, especially if it involves a public march by the MDC.
We plan to attend the service, though not participate in the
march, and learned today that most of our European colleagues
plan to do so as well.
SCHULTZ