The JOC, a think-tank of top security services chiefs which brings together the army, police and intelligence chiefs, met in Harare Monday, a day after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced he was withdrawing from Friday’s sham and fraudulent poll.
Top security sources told The Zimbabwean that the meeting did a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis of the run off, which legal pundits say was illegal at law, and lacking all the essential components of a credible election.
The Zimbabwean understands that the decision that the election proceeds despite Tsvangirai’s withdrawal was made in that meeting.
The JOC also summoned Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede and instructed him to deny Tsvangirai a passport, after pages in his travel book had run out.
Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono was also summoned to the strategy meeting, which started at 9 am and ended at 5pm, and asked to provide expert opinion on the potential impact of the expanded European Union sanctions.
In attendance was State Security minister Didymus Mutasa, Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Constantine Chiwenga, commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Lt Gen Phillip Sibanda, head of Airforce Air Marshal Perence Shiri, Army chief of staff Martin Chedondo, Police commisioner general Augustine Chihuri, CIO chief Happyton Bonyongwe and Prisons head Paradzai Zimondi.Â
There were fears in the JOC that proceeding with the poll would provoke more international condemnation and worse sanctions.
But hardliners in the security thinktank took the stance that they were proceeding with the poll because we are under sanctions anyhow.
The JOC was also fearful that US and British governments would want to invade Zimbabwe using the United Nations and African Union intervention force as cover for regime change.
The view of JOC is that Zimbabwe has a well renowned army that cannot be overrun by anyone in Africa, said our source.
The Zimbabwe crisis has already been put on the agenda of the UN Security Council, which has expressed alarm at the violence in Zimbabwe and called on Mugabe to call off the poll. The AU meets in Egypt Monday, and the Zimbabwe crisis is high on the agenda.
Both the UN and AU Security Council are under pressure to recognize its responsibility to override sovereignty given the emergency situation in Zimbabwe – to prevent genocide, arrest war criminals, and restore democracy because the Mugabe government was either unable or unwilling to do so.
The SADC, African Union, and the UN have all said they will not recognize whatever government emerges from the June 27 poll.
The Zimbabwean was told that the totalitarian military junta, fearing an intervention force, has resolved to launch a massive crackdown on the MDC aimed at forcing the resurgent party to surrender and assent to a government of national unity with Zanu (PF).
The Zimbabwean can reveal that the JOC has expanded the terror team that handles smart operations.
The expanded team now comprises 20 officers from Military Intelligence, five from the Special Air Services (SAS), five from the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO), five from Zanu (PF). The team is being handled by the CIO Internal division.
The Zimbabwean heard that this team has over the past week been compiling addresses and names of MDC officials.
On Wednesday 50 vehicles were availed to the team including Mazda BT trucks, Toyota Hilux vehicles and white single cab Isuzu vehicles.
Tsvangirai has said he is not opposed to a government of national unity to avert the violence as long as Mugabe is not involved.
On the other hand, Mugabe says he is amenable to the idea of engaging the MDC leader as long as he is not left out of any new arrangement.
On Wednesday Tsvangirai told reporters at his residence: Let me say clearly that there is no discussion about moving forward without our secretary general Tendai Biti, who has been instrumental in all of our plans and discussions. Tendai Biti is an indispensable asset of the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe.
On Thursday Biti was granted ZD1 trillion bail or about US$100, and asked to surrender his passport and the title to his home and report to police twice a week, according to his lawyer Lewis Uriri.
Despite Mugabe’s anti-MDC bombast, his chief election agent Emmerson Mnangagwa has categorically stated that working together with the MDC was “unavoidable”. There were signs that the military junta was thawing its relations with MDC, amid mounting international pressure.
This is partly because Zanu (PF) has lost control of Parliament and that the embattled 84-year-old iron-fisted ruler knows he cannot claim any form of legitimacy whatsoever from the widely-condemned Friday poll.
Mnangagwa has also stated that there are plans to reinstall the Prime Ministerial post, which insiders said is earmarked for Tsvangirai as a sweetener for the negotiated settlement, with Mugabe retaining his position as president.
It explains Mugabe’s obsession with proceeding with the Friday election despite the official withdrawal of his opponent from the poll. Civic society is totally opposed to this and say there cannot be any marriage with such a murderous regime.
We know he wants sheen of legitimacy from this poll, to use his fraudulent win as a bargaining chip to retain his presidency in a negotiated settlement, said a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, SADC’s point man in resolving the Zimbabwe crisis, is totally for the GNU. He however faces a daunting challenge in brokering the deal given that Tsvangirai wants Mugabe out of the picture and Mugabe does not want to be left out of any power-sharing deal.
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