Cablegate: Media Report: Businessman Strive Masiyiwa Recounts

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

091247Z Aug 00

UNCLASSIFIED PTO2650

PAGE 01 HARARE 04446 091253Z
ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 AMAD-00 A-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 OIC-02 IAP-00 USIE-00
IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 /005W
------------------77E582 091253Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6805
INFO AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

UNCLAS HARARE 004446

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S, AF/PD, INR/R/MR

YAOUNDE FOR LARRY RICHTER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT: BUSINESSMAN STRIVE MASIYIWA RECOUNTS
1990 DETENTION BY ZIMBABWEAN CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
ORGANIZATION

1. THE AUGUST 9 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT "DAILY NEWS"
CARRIES A PAGE-ONE STORY ABOUT BUSINESSMAN STRIVE
MASIYIWA'S 1990 DETENTION BY MEMBERS OF ZIMBABWE'S
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO). THE STORY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HARARE 04446 091253Z
LINKS MASIYIWA'S DETENTION TO A RECENT ALLEGED
ASSASSINATION THREAT TO "DAILY NEWS" EDITOR GEOFF
NYAROTA. ACCORDING TO THE NEWS STORY, THE LINK IS THAT
MASIYIWA'S ABDUCTOR IN 1990, ROBERT MANUNGO, IS THE
PERSON NYAROTA'S WOULD-BE KILLER ALLEGED GAVE HIM THE
ASSASSINATION ASSIGNMENT.
2. STRIVE MASIYIWA IS THE CEO OF ECONET WIRELESS HOLDINGS,
AND ONE OF ZIMBABWE'S MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN. HE
HAS A LONG HISTORY OF STRUGGLING AGAINST GOVERNMENT
BUREAUCRACY AND CORRUPTION, AND HAS BEEN IN SOUTH AFRICA
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BECAUSE OF HIS FEAR THAT HE WOULD BE
ARRESTED FOR POLITICAL REASONS IF HE RETURNS TO
ZIMBABWE. HE IS PERCEIVED TO SUPPORT ZIMBABWE'S
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) AND IS
SAID TO BE WORRIED THAT THIS PERCEPTION MAKES HIM
VULNERABLE TO TRUMPED-UP CHARGES AND LEGAL CHALLENGES.
3. THE ARTICLE QUOTES MASIYIWA EXTENSIVELY, AND RECOUNTS
HIS 1990 ABDUCTION AND DETENTION BY CIO AGENTS.
MASIYIWA SAYS HE WAS TAKEN AT GUNPOINT FROM HIS OFFICE
BY TWO CIO AGENTS, ONE OF WHOM, ROBERT MANUNGO, IS
ALLEGED TO HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ARRANGE THE ASSASSINATION
OF "DAILY NEWS" EDITOR GEOFF NYAROTA. THIS ALLEGATION
COMES FROM THE SELF-CONFESSED, WOULD-BE ASSASSIN WHO
CLAIMS TO HAVE GOTTEN COLD FEET ABOUT THE KILLING AT THE
LAST MOMENT.
4. THE ARTICLE RELATES MASIYIWA'S ACCOUNT OF THE ABDUCTION
AND DETENTION FOR ONE DAY AT A POLICE STATION IN
GOROMONZI, A SMALL TOWN ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HARARE.
MASIYIWA IS QUOTED IN THE STORY AS SAYING THAT HIS
STRONG RELIGIOUS FAITH BEGAN THE DAY OF HIS ABDUCTION.
HE ALSO SAYS THAT A SENIOR ZIMBABWEAN POLICE OFFICIAL
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 04446 091253Z
TOLD HIM SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THAT HE WAS LUCKY TO HAVE
BEEN RELEASED ALIVE.
5. MASIYIWA HAS A STRONG REPUTATION FOR HONESTY AND
INTEGRITY. HIS ACCOUNT OF THE ABDUCTION AND DETENTION
IS CREDIBLE. THE APPARENT PURPOSE OF THE STORY IN THE
"DAILY NEWS" IS TO LEND CREDENCE TO REPORTS THE
NEWSPAPER HAS PUBLISHED IN THE PAST WEEK ABOUT THE PLOT
TO ASSASSINATE ITS EDITOR AND THE ALLEGED CIO CONNECTION
TO THAT PLOT.

IRVING

UNCLASSIFIED

>

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