Zanu cranks up war machinery

The revelations are contained in the latest issue of the biweekly

newsletter by the London-based political think-tank Africa

Confidential.

According to the group, the soldiers on leave are under the command of

Air Vice-Marshall Henry Muchena who is being assisted by Brigadier

General Douglas Nyikayaramba who once served as director of elections

having ostensibly retired from the army.

The lynch pin of the boys on leave operation is Air Vice-Marshal

Henry Muchena, the report said.

Nyikayaramba recently told an indoctrination workshop in Mutare that

only traditional chiefs and war veterans had the right to hold rallies

without approval from local army officers and demanded that the chiefs

back Zanu (PF).

He labelled civil servants who have not publicly declared their

allegiance to Zanu (PF) as traitors and said Mugabe would remain in

office for life.

Both Muchena and Nyikayaramba were last year named by human rights

groups among 77 senior military and police commanders who spearheaded

terror across Zimbabwe during the violence-marred presidential run-off

held in June 2008.

Zimbabwes army and police are credited with keeping Mugabe in power

after waging a ruthless campaign of violence two years ago to force

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai from a second round presidential poll

that analysts had strongly tipped the then main opposition leader to

win.

Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe in the first round ballot held in March

2008 but failed to achieve outright victory to avoid the second round

run-off poll.

But the veteran Presidents blood-soaked victory was rejected by the

international community including some of his African allies forcing

him to agree to form a power-sharing government with Tsvangirai and

Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara.

With elections tentatively set for next year, Zanu (PF) has already

deployed soldiers and revived torture bases across the country to

intimidate voters in rural areas.

Tsvangirai has however said his MDC-T party will boycott polls if

there is violence and intimidation against its supporters.

The MDC-T says more than 500 of its supporters were killed while

thousands others were tortured, beaten, raped and displaced from their

homes in the pre- and post-election violence in 2008.