People should not be alarmed by Commander Sanyatwe's uncouth utterances, these are the last kicks of a dying horse!
“A video has surfaced online showing Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander Anselem Sanyatwe declaring his allegiance to the ruling Zanu-PF party. Sanyatwe becomes the third high-ranking military official to publicly support Zanu-PF, following Vitalis Zvinavashe in 2002 and Constantino Chiwenga before leading the 2017 coup that brought President Emmerson Mnangagwa to power,” reported Bulawayo 24.
“In the video, Sanyatwe addresses what appears to be a Zanu-PF gathering, warning attendees against voting against the ruling party. He asserts his authority as head of the army, stating that "Zanu-PF will rule forever, whether you like it or not," and threatens to use force against opponents of the party.
“The origins of the video have not been confirmed, and it is unclear whether it was recorded before the 2023 general elections or more recently, possibly in reference to future elections in 2028. Sanyatwe mentions "command voting" and gestures as if indicating a physical action, suggesting a directive regarding voting behaviour.”
Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies have corrupted Zimbabwe’s state institutions such as ZEC, judiciary, civil service and the security services, turning them into Zanu PF departments in all but name. And once corrupted, their number one task was to bolster the party’s iron grip on power.
Mugabe started the political patronage soon after independence, bribing the key officials with executive cars, generous salaries and allowance. He awarded the top brass in the security service for their part in wrestling power from MDC in 2008 with the diamond mining concessions, so generously worded the beneficiaries do not have to declare their earnings nor pay tax.
Mnangagwa has continued the political patronage system by extending the “licence to loot” mining concessions to other areas such as gold and lithium. He squandered a staggering US$ 5 billion in bribes in the 2023 elections alone from buying chicken and chips for povo attending the party’s rallies, twin-cab trucks for chiefs and US$400k and US$500k housing loan to all the country’s judges and ministers, respectively.
The recipients of all these political patronage bribes; of course, knew these were bribes; and knew were expected to return the favour by bending the rules, breaking them if necessary, anything to keep Zanu PF in power at all cost. The army, police, CIO and Prison Services were expected not only turned a blind eye to Zanu PF lawlessness but to instigated the lawlessness in the form of carrying out the beatings and murder of Zanu PF critics and opponents.
Commander Sanyatwe and his colleagues in the Army, Police, etc. have all played their part in creating sustaining this Zanu PF monster, many of them have shed innocent blood, and many are living in great comfort thanks to their share of the loot. Of course, they are worried sick about all this talk of meaningful democratic change in Zimbabwe. What will happen to them is Zanu PF was to lose power! What, indeed?
Well even the most naive and selfish Zanu PF demagogues must have realised by now that the present political system has produced a few wasteful and filthy rich ruling elite at the expense of the overwhelming majority condemned to abject poverty. This is socially, morally and politically unsustainable. The outcry for meaningful change was as certain as the sun rise; in Zimbabwe, change is long overdue!
Change should have happened in 2013 at the latest, if MDC leaders had implemented the democratic reforms when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Mugabe bribed Tsvangirai and company with the trappings of high office, just as he had bribes everyone else, and the rest is history. Ever since the GNU debacle MDC/CCC leaders have participated in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed.
Chamisa has conned his braindead followers to participate in the flawed elections; “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw,” as David Coltart readily admitted. He promised them “CCC will win big because I have plunged all the vote rigging loop holes. #Godisinit!” The tragedy is the mob has believed him time after time!
Now that the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut is going into overdrive, the Chamisa Chete Chete cult members will see through Chamisa’s lies plugging all the Zanu PF “Command voting” measures. The mob will finally see the sheer futility of participating in these flawed elections to keep the regime in power.
The solution to ending Zanu PF tyrannical rule is to stop participating in the flawed elections, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw,” as David Coltart readily admitted. Zanu PF’s “command voting” can coerce the people to vote for Zanu PF but not for the discredited opposition too!
In failing to implement even one token reform in 24 years, including 5 in the GNU, and in participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy, all out of selfish greed and breathtaking incompetence, Chamisa and his MDC/CCC friends have lost all political credibility.