MDC BENNETT CATALOGUES PARTY CHALLENGES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 001074 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2018 TAGS: PREL SF ZI SUBJECT: MDC BENNETT CATALOGUES PARTY CHALLENGES PRETORIA 00001074 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4( b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett (strictly protect) on 19 May shared his frustrations about MDC Leader Morgan Tsvangirai's decision not to return to Harare, saying he does not believe the threats are credible. He also said the political violence in Zimbabwe is escalating and that the current regime is conducting public executions. As for the MDC's leadership dynamics, Bennett complained about MDC advisor Strive Masiyiwa, saying he is now controlling access to Tsvangirai and making all party decisions. Looking ahead, Bennett said the MDC has officially informed President Mbeki that they no longer want him as mediator and are counting on SADC holding another extraordinary meeting, presumably to appoint someone else. END SUMMARY. -------------- BENNETT URGES TSVANGIRAI TO RETURN -------------- ¶2. (C) POLOFF met with MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett (strictly protect) on 19 May to discuss MDC Leader Morgan Tsvangirai's last minute decision not to return to Harare on Saturday 17 May. Bennett said that Tsvangirai did not return because of security concerns, which he dismissed as "nonsense." Bennett said he has been pushing Tsvangirai to return, and even volunteered to return with him and stand by his side. (COMMENT: Bennett was granted political asylum from South Africa in 2007 on the basis that he fled political persecution in Zimbabwe; his return to Zimbabwe would likely put him in danger as well as jeopardize his asylum status. END COMMENT) ¶3. (C) Bennett also emphasized that Tsvangirai has a solid security team in Harare and that Tsvangirai could be assassinated in South Africa or elsewhere on the continent if the Mugabe regime really wanted him dead. Both Bennett and IDASA analyst Sydney Masamvu separately told POLOFF that Tsvangirai is expected to return on 21 May, but MDC advisor Kathi Walther told POLOFF late on 19 May that she would not count on it. (NOTE: On 19 May, MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti publicly claimed that the Zimbabwean military intelligence has a hit list of about 40 people, including Tsvangirai, Biti, and MDC Spokesperson Nelson Chamisa. END NOTE) -------------- POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS ESCALATING -------------- �00A; ¶4. (C) Bennett was visibly upset by Tsvangirai's reluctance to return to Harare in light of the increasing political violence. He said the official number of those killed in post-election violence is around 35, but believes the number is actually much higher. He has been hearing that the military is now conducting "summary executions" in public in business centers. (NOTE: Embassy Harare has not heard of any public executions. END NOTE) He also gave the following names as those perpetrating violence by "using youth aged 14-17 years old to carry out amputations, beatings, and killings:" -- FNU Matemachani: Retired ZANU-PF politician and member of JOC -- Never Ndemere: War Veteran -- Maxwell Hodze: War Veteran -- Colin Chitambalaza: ZANU-PF -- Rambi Nyabote: ZANU-PF Councillor -- Jacob Nyabote: Senator -------------- TSVANGIRAI HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY MASIWIYA -------------- ¶5. (C) When asked how he was coping personally with all the Q5. (C) When asked how he was coping personally with all the ups and downs, Bennett admitted it has been difficult. He also complained that MDC advisor Strive Masiyiwa is taking over the party, even though he is not an elected official and PRETORIA 00001074 002.2 OF 002 has no constituents to which to answer. Masiyiwa, he said, is now controlling access to Tsvangirai "for his own purposes" and calling all the shots, including whether or not Tsvangirai returns. In fact, Bennett said that every time Tsvangirai packs his bags and is ready to return to Harare, Masiyiwa tells him not to go. As a countermeasure, Bennett said he is trying to get Tsvangirai and Biti to maintain an office and conduct meetings at MDC Headquarters in Johannesburg, rather than having Masiwiya "hold court" at his house. Bennett, however, expressed no surprise over Masiyiwa's behavior: "Strive is clever, rich, and a control freak, and Tsvangirai does what the last person tells him to do," he said. -------------- MDC AXES MBEKI AS NEGOTIATOR -------------- ¶6. (C) Looking ahead, Bennett said that Tsvangirai faxed a letter to President Mbeki on 14 May officially informing him that they do not trust him and that they no longer consider him a credible mediator. He also said that the MDC has copies of official state documents between South Africa ForMin Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and ZANU-PF officials stating the SAG will protect ZANU-PF. He confirmed diplomatic rumors that there will be a SADC extraordinary meeting "soon" to talk about mediation efforts. Bennett said that SADC Chairperson Mwanawasa is waiting for other heads of state to request the meeting first, presumably to discuss appointing a new mediator. ¶7. (U) Embassy Harare cleared this message. BOST