We have the likes of Joshua Nkomo, Dabaningi Sithole, Morgan Tsvangirai and many others who dared to challenge Mugabe and his party.
Recent developments where a senior military officer publicly threatened Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the biggest party in the country, serve to unmask Zanu (PF)’s pretence of practising democracy since independence.
Tsvangirai is right when he asks the military officers to resign from the army if they are really interested in running for political office – rather than trying to usurp civilian rule by making ominous and intimidatory statements in the press.
Nyikayaramba's statements and Jonathan Moyo's recent articles show that since independence Zimbabwe has merely gone through the motions of holding elections. The security services’ active involvement in elections rubbishes the claim that Zimbabwe has held free and fair elections since independence.
With this bloody history it really requires mettle to stand up to such an established evil system. Since its formation, the MDC has shown the world that democracy in Zimbabwe is nothing but a charade.
Tsvangira's spirited stance to strip off all pretences of democracy by Zanu (PF) should be commended. Challenging a party that relies on the unbridled use of force to win elections demands great courage.
Tsvangirai is fully aware that his life is in danger by repeatedly telling off these wayward military officers. Intimidation is their weapon and an election in a chaotic environment is their sure mission.
A small clique of the army and some die hard Zanu (PF) members whose past is not that saintly want to create chaos in the country to justify the claim that the Tsvangirai is a security threat. They want to continue to misrule the country.
Who is a security threat? Surely it is one who utters treasonous statements that he will not support anyone else except Mugabe and in the process is prepared to die fighting. If this statement is not treason then what is it? Where is the Attorney General anyway?
The country is indeed walking a tightrope especially with the indifference shown by the so called commander-in-chief, Mugabe himself, letting underlings like Nyikayaramba and Jonathan Moyo instruct the police who to arrest.
If history repeats itself, then let’s brace ourselves for another Burundu of the 90's where popular political figures were eliminated by a wayward military.
Post published in: Opinions & Analysis