Understanding the Zanu (PF) mindset

impunity. I spoke to Jocelyn Chiwenga, the wife of the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the day after she assaulted photojournalist Tsvangirai Mukwazhi at Makro Wholesalers in Harare.
JC: What do you want?
VG: I wanted to find out if reports that appeared in the newspapers are true that you attacked a journalist.
JC: No they are not true at all and you know what? Why don’t you book yourself in British Airways first class I will pay for it and you can come and see for yourself. You people started writing without checking. So now you have seen my answer I am suing you for 1 billion US and I mean business.
And I am not chef’s wife. My name is Jocelyn Chiwenga. You have started all over again this war. You’re not gonna win it.
VG: Did you not attack people at Makro supermarket in Harare yesterday?
JC: Were you at the supermarket in Harare?
VG: That’s why I am calling you …
JC: If you were then why are you calling me?
VG:… to find out from you ..
JC: And who gave you my number? Who gave you my number? This conversation I am taping it so you are, I know you are also taping it. And hello, yes I have the right to be angry; because you have started a war that you will not win! I am not Iraq!
VG: Amai Chiwenga do you think it’s right for people to just barge into shopping centres and start threatening people?
JC: you are Zimbabwean or you are British?
VG: I am Zimbabwean and I have answered that already.
JC: Okay are you the ambassador of Zimbabwe ?
VG: You know your words don’t sound like those of a normal person or rational. What are you trying to imply here?
JC: You know what, you haven’t really heard anything don’t ever phone this number again do you understand me?
VG: Amai Chiwenga in the rest of the world people are allowed different points of views why is this not allowed in Zimbabwe?
JC: Ayiwa iwe listen the rest of the world is now at war with me including yourself!
VG: Are you not ashamed of yourself that you hide behind your husband’s power?
JC: F*** YOU MAN STUPID! (BANGS THE PHONE)
VG: She hung up on us. I called back and a woman answered the phone.
VG: Hello Amai Chiwenga?
Woman: It’s not Amai Chiwenga, it’s the PA. Can I help you?
VG: Can I speak with Ami Chiwenga please?
Woman : I am sorry right now she is busy. She is in a meeting.
VG: When can I talk to her?
Woman : ehh I am not quite sure, (Chiwenga can be heard talking in the background) ehh hold on.
JC: Hello. I am behind the girl. Listen my baby darling. Read your email again. I am now suing you for $2 billion. BREAKING NEWS!! Bye! (she hangs up)
VG:(laughing) Dr. Makumbe, some say just listening to Jocelyn Chiwenga you get a good profile of what Zanu (PF) is like. Do you agree with this?
JM: I agree entirely except of course she is more of an unpolished crude, if you like – uncouth, uncultured version of Zanu (PF). But they are basically like that. They are arrogant. They are full of themselves and they are half-wits really. They are morons most of them.
VG: Some people attribute irrational behaviour to illness and there has been some discussion about the link between the two. But others say the bottom line is that these are people who simply feel they own the country and are not answerable to anyone. Essentially they are thugs. Do you see more of this irrational behavior in government?
JM: We have many maniacs running the government and they are not just maniacs – they are also sick. In between meetings they are busy pouring ARVS and drinking tablets and you expect them to be normal – normal enough to run a complex economy like Zimbabwe? It just doesn’t happen.
VG: Is Mugabe the kind of person that you can engage seriously or is it just a waste of time trying to negotiate with him?
JM: It is a waste of time and Thabo Mbeki is only discovering that now. Mbeki is actually embarrassed because he has to give a report to the SADC on progress and he will have to lie and say; “We have made good progress and the parties have agreed on an agenda, blah blah blah.”
When Mugabe opened parliament last week he didn’t mention one syllable to do with the mediation by Thabo Mbeki or the SADC region! That shows you how scornful he is of the whole process.
VG: So what is the way forward?
JM: Zimbabweans have gone beyond the level of tolerance to the level, I think, of absolute cowardice now. If people are asked to go into the streets and march they go there not in the few numbers of the NCA – you know a few hundreds – but in THOUSANDS! Literally making the regime sweat for every second it stays in power. That is not yet happening and Zimbabwean are paying the price of that level of cowardice. We have to take to the streets. Some of us will have to be locked up, tortured even killed. Until Mugabe is removed from power. – Comments and feedback can be emailed to violet@swradioafrica.com