sp; Philip Sibanda. Perence Shiri
.. “Hatikuzivi! We don’t know you!”
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, Constantine Chiwenga and Air Force chief, Perence Shiri were booed by junior soldiers at the KGV1 offices on Tuesday when they tried to convince disbelieving soldiers that the hardships being experienced in the military were caused by sanctions imposed by Britain and USA.
Chiwenga, who is used to fawning behaviour from middle ranking and senior officers came face to face with the disgruntlement among the rank and file.
He was openly heckled by the most junior in the military, including privates, corporals and warrant officers.
The incident was witnessed by this correspondent who had gone to visit a relative at the military complex.
Upon arrival, this correspondent was herded into an open ground with more than 2 000 grumbling soldiers who had been rounded up from other units in Harare.
With the impatient soldiers wondering why they had been rounded up, the military chiefs arrived in a small motorcade.
Up strode Chiwenga who grabbed the microphone and started giving the perplexed soldiers a lecture in history, describing the causes of the First and the Second World Wars.
He was stopped in midstream by an elderly but junior officer who asked him to introduce himself, together with his entourage.
The junior soldiers broke into howls of derision before an enraged Chiwenga introduced himself, amid shouts of: “Hatikuzivi! We don’t know you!”
‘Sibanda we know’
Now frothing at the mouth and sweating profusely, Chiwenga introduced Shiri who received similar treatment of catcalls and boos.
However, when he introduced ZNA commander, Philip Sibanda, the soldiers cheered amid calls of : “Ndiye ega watinoziva chete. He is the only {senior official} that we know.”
Sibanda became popular among junior soldiers after buying dozens of buses three years ago, which now provide transport for ordinary soldiers to visit their families around the country once a month.
Chiwenga then resumed his address and accused some of the junior soldiers of belonging to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
He had another shocking response.
“Tinozviziva kuti mukadzi wako Jocelyn Jacobsen Chiwenga akambopinda mu MDC. She is a founder member of the MDC. {We know that your wife was at one time a member of the MDC.}
No meat for months
The statements elicited a wry smile from Perence Shiri who appeared to be enjoying the grilling that Chiwenga was experiencing.
Another elderly soldier complained to Chiwenga that the soldiers were surviving on beans and cabbages and had gone for more than four months without meat.
Chiwenga produced a priceless nugget of an answer.
“Currently we have about 50 piglets which are being fed at one of our farms and soldiers will soon be eating pork.”
Again, howls of laughter which took several minutes to die down.
“Mombe dzakange dzirimumapurazi dzakayendakupi?” {What happened to the cattle which were on the army farms}
They told him they wanted to eat beef which is currently in short supply as farmers, including Zanu (PF) big wigs are refusing to sell their beasts for the reduced prices.
We will run away
The soldiers also asked Chiwenga why he last week banned them from joining queues in town to buy cheap commodities following the price cuts.
He denied ever issuing the instruction.
They told him that all army supermarkets around the country, supplied by his wife, Jocelyn Jacobsen Chiwenga, were empty.
“Amai varikutadza ku supplier masupermarket emasoja chef,” another soldier shouted from the crowd.
Chiwenga told the soldiers that because of the large number of army officers
who have deserted, no serving soldier would be allowed to retire except on medical grounds or after reaching the retirement age of 55 years.
Chiwenga said he would shred all letters of resignations from the serving soldiers but they had a ready answer.
“Tinotiza chete! We will run away.”
Now speaking in a shrill voice, Chiwenga said he would soon change the name KGV1 and give it a Shona name.
“The spirit of the white person after whom this complex is named is influencing you to behave in the manner that you are doing,” wailed Chiwenga.
Chiwenga threatened the soldiers for leaking army information to local and foreign-based media organisations.
“I know that as soon as I leave, most of you will rush to the internet to write about this meeting but we are watching you.”