Junta in control again

The “election command team,” the think-tank directing the veteran president’s campaign in the forthcoming ballot, is getting daily briefings from the

Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and military intelligence.

“The intelligence team is handling the whole thing and giving the strategic direction on the entire process,” one intelligence source told The Zimbabwean.

“The party is simply implementing the strategy drafted by the command team. The process is moving swiftly,” the source said.

Mugabes command centre is headed by Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Vice-Marshal Henry Muchena. Former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) director internal, Sydney Nyanhongo, is also involved at a strategic level.

The source said the CIO was leading the campaign after sharp differences within the party on the strategy for Mugabe’s re-election bid. The team is working feverishly behind the scenes while an ailing Mugabe is fronted as the civilian leader.

“The junta is in control again,” said the source, who cannot be named for obvious reasons.

The election campaign is intricately linked to Zanu (PF)s provincial chairmen, and involves 320 military officers spread throughout the country. The majority of Zanu (PF)s election command team, including Zanu (PF) Politburo member Jonathan Moyo, have been directed to stay in the background.

Our source said the CIOs counter-intelligence unit was exploring several options, including arresting the Prime Minister just before an election, using the WikiLeaks revelations. It is also considering the post-election scenario, and plans to put the country under military rule if Mugabe loses at the polls.

The Attorney General, Johannes Tomana, has commissioned a probe into the Tsvangirais treasonous discussions with American diplomats on plans to ease Mugabe out of office, which were revealed by Wikileaks. Tomana has invoked Section 76 sub-section 5 of the Constitution and appointed a panel of five top lawyers to study the WikiLeaks documents.

I am seeking a professional legal opinion from registered lawyers to see whether there is need to prosecute anyone following revelations by the WikiLeaks website,” Tomana said.

People should understand that this is a serious matter and these experts should be accorded the right to work privately. After their recommendations, I will then decide whether there is need to open a docket against anyone.

Due process was said to be scuttling the strategy of arresting Tsvangirai, together with a feared backlash from the international community. Zanu (PF) has shredded Tsvangirai’s integrity in the State media, which opinion surveys and most analysts indicate will be won by the MDC leader if it is free and fair, even though he has suffered sliding popularity ratings.

The source said the regime was treading cautiously, aware that any attempt to arrest the popular MDC leader could ignite public protests. On Saturday meetings called to discuss the forthcoming MDC congress in Bulawayo and Kadoma were outlawed under tough security laws.

The MDC leader has said hes not bothered and the leaks would not negatively influence his relationship with America. But political analysts have already warned that the cables could prove fatal for the MDC and risk destabilising Zimbabwe.

“Certainly for southern Africa, the WikiLeaks Zimbabwe revelations are most significant, and I dont think its an exaggeration to say they could destabilize Zimbabwe, and thus the region, even further in the months to come, said Liesl Louw-Vaudran, who works for one of Africas most respected security think-tanks, the Institute for Security Studies, on December 11 last year.