SOME MDC ALLEGATIONS OF INCREASED VIOLENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001008 SIPDIS AF/S FOR B. WALCH DRL FOR N. WILETT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM KDEM ZI SUBJECT: SOME MDC ALLEGATIONS OF INCREASED VIOLENCE UNVERIFIED REF: A. HARARE 1002 ¶B. HARARE 966 Classified By: Ambassador James McGee for reason 1.4(d). -------------- ZANU-PF Thugs, Police Still Targeting MDC -------------- ¶1. (SBU) In recent days, MDC has publicly claimed that ZANU-PF has renewed its campaign of violence against the MDC and its members. In a November 6 press release, the MDC claimed that in Epworth, a high density suburb outside of Harare where ZANU-PF set up pre-election torture and reeducation camps, ZANU-PF set up new camps and brutally attacked 25 people on October 27. The MDC also pointed to the arrest on October 30 of MDC activists in Banket, Mashonaland West province, and the arrest and detention of WOZA leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu (Ref B). As a consequence, the MDC charged that ZANU-PF had put an end to dialogue and (referring to the SADC mediation) should "openly bury the corpse of these talks." -------------- Some Allegations Questionable -------------- ¶2. (C) There is no question that on October 27 police cracked down on protests outside of the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare where the SADC Troika was meeting. We have received confirmation of the Banket arrests. And the WOZA leaders were detained for an extended time before a High Court judge overruled a magistrate and ordered their release this week. But we have not been able to confirm violence or the re-establishment of camps in Epworth. Frances Lovemore of Counseling Services Units (CSU),who closely tracks violence in Zimbabwe and treats many of the victims, told us she questioned the veracity of the Epworth reports. She said she attempted to discuss the issue with MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa, but he refused. -------------- COMMENT: MDC Posturing for the SADC Summit -------------- ¶3. (C) As the SADC summit rapidly approaches and ZANU-PF is alleging that the MDC has operated paramilitary camps outside of Zimbabwe (Ref A),the MDC appears to be posturing in an effort to counter ZANU-PF allegations. While violence and government brutality have unfortunately become the norm in present day Zimbabwe, we see no evidence of a campaign of violence that approaches what we saw in the inter-election period between March and June. The MDC is justified in drawing attention to any and all violence perpetrated by the regime. But in exaggerating, it places its credibility in jeopardy. END COMMENT. MCGEE