ZANU-PF INTIMIDATION (STILL) CONTINUES IN RURAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000712 SIPDIS AF/S FOR G. GARLAND 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 DCHA/AA FOR MIKE HESS AFR/AA FOR KATE ALMQUIST AND FRANKLIN MOORE AFR/SA FOR ELOKEN, LDOBBINS, JKOLE DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, ACONVERY, TDENYSENKO, LTHOMAS DCHA/FFP FOR JBORNS, JDWORKEN, LPETERSON, ASINK PRETORIA FOR HHALE, JWESSEL, GJUSTE STATE/PRM FOR MMCKELVEY, MLANGE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018 TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV ASEC ZI SUBJECT: ZANU-PF INTIMIDATION (STILL) CONTINUES IN RURAL AREAS REF: HARARE 652 Classified By: Ambassador James McGee for reason 1.4(d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Despite a commitment - on paper - by ZANU-PF to halt violence, reports of violence and intimidation in rural areas continue. While there has been a notable reduction in beatings and injuries since the June 27 election and a further reduction since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on July 21 that launched political negotiations (reftel),fear and intimidation continue. Notably, food is used increasingly as a political tool as the ban on non-governmental organizations and food distribution programs continue. Perpetrators of violence continue to enjoy impunity, and some fear that even if a political agreement is reached, they will not accept it and will renew the campaign of violence. END SUMMARY. -------------- MDC offices still sheltering victims -------------- ¶2. (C) Despite calls for a halt to political violence, reports from rural areas - particularly Manicaland and the Mashonaland provinces - indicate ZANU-PF structures continue to intimidate MDC supporters. David Chimhini, MDC MP-elect for Mutasa North in Manicaland, told POLOFF on August 19 that that the MDC's regional office in Mutare continues to house about 20 people. The 20 victims went to Mutare either fleeing violence or immediately following discharge from the hospital after being beaten, and they continue to fear returning home. The MDC in Mutare does not have anywhere else to house them and does not know where to send them. In a separate meeting with MDC National Youth Organizing Secretary, Simangaliso Chikataya Mutsigwa, on August 20, Mutsigwa told POLOFF that at least 7 people who were victimized last week in Shamva in Mashonaland Central are currently at MDC's headquarters seeking shelter. The victims from Shamva - one of the areas most affected by violence in the runup to the June 27 election - were intimidated just after returning home from Harare, where they'd sought sanctuary after being intimidated in the post-election violence. In this latest attack, the ZANU-PF thugs told them the violence "wasn't over yet." -------------- Manicaland violence -------------- ¶3. (C) Chimhini reported violence in Manicaland is most prevalent in the Nyanga North and Buhera South constituencies. He said notorious war veteran Joseph Chinotimba was leading a campaign of intimidation in Buhera South, where he recently lost his election for parliament. Colonel Mzilikazi is helping Chinotimba as well. Chinotimba, who played a leading role in the land invasions in 2001, has been collecting a "tax" of beef or cows from villagers in recent weeks. Chimhini reported that Chinotimba tells the villagers that the people "cheated him" and that he needs to collect from them to recoup what he lost in the election. HARARE 00000712 002 OF 003 Press reports indicate Chinotimba has been ordering village headmen to pressure returning MDC members and that he has ordered them to ignore the ongoing negotiations and calls to end the violence. While Chimhini could not confirm that report, he said it was likely true. ¶4. (C) In Nyanga North, Chimhini said that intimidation had followed a similar pattern and that the campaign was being led by Colonel Kuhuri and a war veteran known as Mashaya. In these areas and elsewhere in Manicaland, villagers have been told that losing (ZANU-PF) MPs and councilors are still in office, even if they lost in the March 29 election. In many areas, MDC councilors who won in March have still not been sworn in. In some cases, the Ministry of Local Government, which has power to appoint "Special Interest Councilors", has appointed losing ZANU-PF councilors, ensuring that ZANU-PF can continue to monitor and manipulate local government. -------------- -------------- Food as a political tool in Mashonaland East and Central -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Mutsigwa, from Mashonaland East, and Philip Mabika, MDC Vice Treasurer for Mashonaland Central, called on POLOFF on August 20 and reported that there are still pockets of violence, but that mostly villagers are being intimidated and robbed of food, which is being increasingly politicized. In Zarabani, in Mashonaland Central, MDC members were beaten within the last two weeks. In Mashonaland East, Mutsigwa reported the areas of Wedza, Mudzi, and Chikomba were experiencing acute food shortages, and war vets, ZANU-PF youth, and soldiers were using the shortage and limited stocks of food from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to bribe people to change political affiliations. Mutsigwa's father, a councilor in Wedza South, has been unable to hold meetings due to continued ZANU-PF interference. Although he was sworn into his position, ZANU-PF thugs have forbidden him to hold meetings because they do not recognize him as councilor. Mutsigwa and Mubika report that while the torture camps have been dismantled, the intimidation continues and that people continue to be forced to attend ZANU-PF rallies and must show their ZANU-PF cards to receive food aid. Mabika further reported that the ZANU-PF MP for Mt. Darwin South, Saviour Kasukwere, forced constituents to "donate" food when they attended his recent rallies. ¶6. (C) Mutsigwa and Mabika said that food distribution mechanisms, even through churches, are highly politicized at the local level. In many areas the Catholic church has a ZANU-PF member who works with the village chief to identify those who should receive food aid. The result is that the MDC members are not receiving food aid. While they appreciated that food aid should be distributed through a neutral party, the on-the-ground reality is that ZANU-PF structures have control. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) This pattern of intimidation, violence, and manipulation of food aid is a hallmark of ZANU-PF's political agenda to subjugate rural populations. The intimidation appears to be localized and dependent on the individual whim HARARE 00000712 003 OF 003 of the local ZANU-PF structures, and it continues to be worst in the northern and eastern provinces. Despite political agreement to halt the violence, ZANU-PF continues to be unable or unwilling to actually stop it. In addition, while MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai has called some attention to the humanitarian crisis and violence in recent days, the MDC has not made significant efforts to publicize these ongoing violations of the Memorandum of Understanding by ZANU-PF. While mid-level MDC officials may be outraged by the continued state of affairs in rural areas, it is not clear that anger has made it to the top or to the negotiating table. END COMMENT. MCGEE