“Chamisa himself knows he is too small to be saluted by
these men of war. These generals are waiting for their turn on the presidency
and this can only happen when Zanu PF is in power, so even if Zanu PF loses the
election why would they let it go without a fight?" said Ignatius Chombo,
a former Zanu PF minister and one of G40 leaders accused by Mnangagwa regime of
corruption.
How many times did we hear Zanu PF apologists say the
security services top brass would never salute Morgan Tsvangirai since the
launch of the MDC in 1999? Security services chiefs, the likes of the late
Douglas Nyikayaramba and Vitalis Zvinavashe, themselves said these treasonous statements
openly. They were never cautioned much less court-marshalled – proof they had
Zanu PF government approval.
Such threatening statements always came thick and fast whenever
Zanu PF felt its iron grip on power was slipping. Zanu PF’s grip on power was
feeble than it was runner up to the 2008 elections and it was no surprise many security
chiefs made these seditious statements to bolster Zanu PF’s electoral chances.
Zanu PF lost the
March 2008 vote but before the results were declared Mnangagwa, it is not clear
who else were involved, stopped ZEC declaring the results. He then spent the
next six weeks recounting the five million votes. Tsvangirai’s 73% vote count,
by Mugabe’s own Freudian slip, was whittled down to 47%, enough to justify a
run-off.
During the run-off all the security services; Police, Army,
CIO and Prison Services; supplied manpower deployed to carryout operation
Mavhotera papi whose primary objective was to punish the ordinary Zimbabweans
for daring to reject Zanu PF and Mugabe. Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw and
Mugabe won the one-horse race with 84%.
SADC and AU, for the first time ever since independence,
refuse to endorse the Zanu PF electoral victory and political legitimacy
forcing the party to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA). Agreeing to
the need for Zimbabwe to implement democratic reforms design to end Zanu PF’s
undemocratic control of state institutions including the security services.
Fully implemented the reforms would have made the refusal by
any security officer to salute democratically elected official for petty
political party allegiance a high treason!
The tragedy for Zimbabwe was that MDC failed to implement
even one meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU because Tsvangirai and
company turned out to be corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent.
The security services chiefs knew the primary task of the
GNU was to implement the reforms and cut the undemocratic umbilical cord giving
Zanu PF power over the Army, Police, etc. None of the security chiefs protested
the signing of the 2008 GPA including the individuals who had proclaimed they
would never salute Tsvangirai. And there is not one iota of evidence to suggest
the security chiefs interfered in any way to stop the implementation of the reforms.
The blame for failing to implement the reforms is with the GNU politicians
alone, especially the MDC leaders.
Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs who have always
resorted to all manner of dirty tricks including fear and violence to retain
their iron grip on power. The security chiefs’ refusal to salute opposition
leaders was meant to instil fear in the voters that the country would slip into
lawlessness if the people voted into power someone the security chiefs did not
approval of. Opposition leaders were on the “not approved” list.
No nation should ever allow itself to be held to ransom. The
people of Zimbabwe alone must decide who governs the country through the
holding of free, fair and credible elections. That is not negotiable!
When Zimbabwe finally implement the democratic reforms and
restore the rule of law; it is now a matter of when and not if, the present
political system is unsustainable, and change is certainly coming; Ignatius
Chombo held to account for his treasonous statement. He must name the individuals
would not salute Chamisa and why he took it upon himself to broadcast from the
rooftop such obnoxious tidings!!!!!
2 comments:
Talk to anyone familiar with the Zimbabwe Defense Force and they will tell you in the 1980s, it was a professional outfit except for the Fifth Brigade which was a bunch of murderous thugs. Whilst most, if not all, soldiers in the national army were deployed at one point or another during the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi operations, it was the ruffian Fifth Brigade who have earned notoriety for their barbarism.
In the 1990s, when it was becoming increasing clear that Mugabe's mass prosperity, "gutsa ruzhinji", was turning into mass poverty; he turned his attention on the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services. He forced them to abandon their professionalism and join his patronage system which demanded blind allegiance to Zanu PF dictatorship. He forced them using the same dirty tactics he had used to turn the MPs and his cabinet ministers into yes-man; he bribed them with generous salaries and allowances and, later, with diamond mining concessions, etc.
Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and they failed to implement even one reform in five years. We know Mugabe’s patronage system works!
Still, the very fact that the Army, Police, CIO, and Prison services have been professional in the past meaning they can be so again. Indeed, there is nothing to suggest they would have been anything else if MDC had implemented the reforms to break corrupting influence of Zanu PF.
I totally agree, Zanu PF has ruled by fear and ignorance. Ignatius Chombo is playing on the nation’s fear of an army rebellion led by generals resting an end to the present patronage system that has allowed them to loot and get rich. He cannot name any such rebellious generals, he is hoping they are there and will take the clue from him.
No nation can ever allow itself to be held to ransom and those encouraging such treasonous acts must be held to account.
Zanu PF has ruled by fear and ignorance and the threat that generals will not salute any elected opposition leaders in meant to frighten the nation into accepting Zanu PF as the only party that will rule Zimbabwe. The party has backed its threats with wanton violence notably during Gukurahundi and the 2008 operation mavhotera papi.
The cold reality is 43 years of Zanu PF dictatorship has left the country in economic ruins, political paralysis and millions are living in abject poverty. The present political system is simply unsustainable and must now be changed as a matter of national survival; threats or no threats, wanton violence or no wanton violence.
Chombo and these Zanu PF thugs must be told in no uncertain terms that they have held this nation to ransom for far too long. This must end here and now! The nation's very survival must and will not be put at risk to gratify the insatiable greed for power and wealth of the few!
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