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The document – a 15-page memorandum from the CIO dated October 9, 2006 and that was handed to Mugabe last Friday – adds that the 82-year old President was the most hated by Zimbabwean, including by some members of the security forces who it added could not be counted on to defend the government in the event of a well organised mass revolt. The CIO document makes even more unsettling claims that most Zimbabweans and some junior soldiers and police officers, all hit hard by the country’s unprecedented economic meltdown, wished Mugabe dead “as they believed that only that or a (military) coup will solve all their economic problems.”
“Intelligence gathered by our members show that the president is the most hated member of the ruling party, whom most people and some junior officers in the security forces want dead, as they believe that only that or a coup will solve all their economic problems,” says the document entitled: Monthly Security Brief.
“This simmering hate for the President is enough to see the public jump at any opportunity to topple him and all they need is the unity and brave action from the opposition and civic organisations,” reads the document that comes a year after the Joint Operations Command (JOC) of all security agencies similarly warned that the government could face civil revolt.
Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba was not available for comment on the matter while State Security Minister Dydimus Mutasa refused to take questions from ZimOnline, saying he could not “discuss the country’s confidential security matters with the Press.”
Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi also refused to discuss the matter, although he insisted that the army was “very loyal to the government and will do anything to defend it against anyone and anytime.”
The JOC, comprising top commanders of the CIO, army, police and prison service, in September 2005 said worsening economic conditions were fast eroding the patience of long suffering Zimbabweans who it said could easily take up to the streets should the opposition and its civic society call for anti-government protests.
In a bid to forestall mass revolt, the JOC drew up a list of 55 leaders from the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, political and civic organisations who it recommended be put under strict surveillance to ensure they did not mobilize Zimbabweans to revolt against the government.
Among those put under surveillance were leader of the main faction of the MDC Morgan Tsvangirai, secretary general of the smaller wing of the divided opposition party Welshman Ncube, chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly civic alliance Lovemore Madhuku and Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Lovemore Matombo.
Attempts by the ZCTU in September this year to stage nationwide protests by workers against poor salaries and living conditions were easily thwarted by the police while the Tsvangirai-led MDC appears unsure whether to go ahead with mass protests to demand political reforms – leaving analysts wondering whether Zimbabweans have the stomach to confront state security forces in the streets.
But the CIO memorandum insists the political situation remains just as charged, if not worse, than it was last year.
It says Zimbabweans remain bitter over an economic recession they blame squarely on mismanagement by Mugabe and which has seen inflation shooting beyond 1 000 percent, skyrocketing unemployment, shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel and power and increasing poverty levels.
Divisions in the MDC did not automatically reduce the threat posed by the party as both Tsvangirai and leader of the other faction of the opposition party Arthur Mutambara appeared to share the same belief that mass revolt was the only way to remove Mugabe from power and could still join hands and “spring a surprise” against the government.
The document says some retired senior members of the security forces were now working with the opposition and advising it on how to defeat the government’s tough security strategies.
It also urges a purge in the security forces to weed out all suspected of being “opposition agents” while making sure that those that remain in the army and police were looked after to ensure loyalty to the government. – ZimOnline