Last week Finance Minister Tendai Biti announced that some ministers were buying private jets with cash from diamonds. Such amounts of money in wrong hands could easily be used to sponsor anarchy and mayhem.
The manner in which Zanu (PF), now 49 years old, deals with leadership renewal could plunge Zimbabwe into civil war. Related to the succession conundrum and with massive destabilizing potential is the involvement of the military and the state intelligence in politics.
With different factions of the army aligning themselves with different factions within Zanu (PF) the stage is set for potential open conflict. Senior military officials have repeatedly vowed to disregard elections if they choose is of a leader ‘without liberation war credentials’.
Zanu (PF) is clamouring for soldiers to be given constitutional rights to participate in party politics. To avert a clear and present danger flowing from the military factor in Zanu (PF) succession politics, it is advisable for Mugabe to urgently and directly focus on the issue of succession so that he can lend his support to a successor and defuse tensions that could trigger instability.
Instead of burying its head in the sand and wishing the problem away, Zanu (PF) must do the right thing in order to ensure stability for the country.
Perhaps an even greater danger for instability and chaos comes from outside the party. Until now, elections and other political processes have been characterized by state-sponsored violence accompanied by Zanu (PF) violence with little or no action from the police to maintain law and order.
However, as we go forward, there is a real danger that ordinary Zimbabweans will refuse to be submissive recipients of violence. Zimbabwe has reached that tipping point where citizens will begin to take measures to defend themselves. Once Zanu (PF)’s monopoly over violence is broken, the situation in the country could rapidly degenerate into a state of civil war.
The only way to avert this real risk of chaos is to ensure that Zimbabwe does not go to elections under the 2008 conditions of violence, intimidation and a lopsided political field tilted in favour of Zanu (PF). SADC has so far done well in insisting on a clear elections roadmap that includes a new constitution affirmed through a referendum, an independent and well-resourced Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, a cleaned up and accurate voters roll and close elections monitoring by SADC, the AU and the UN to prevent violence and intimidation.
We expect SADC, in its extra-ordinary meeting this coming weekend in Angola, to stick to its guns and insist Zimbabwe cannot go to elections unless all pre-conditions have been met and unless the environment is conducive. – Dewa Mavhinga, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional Coordinator
Post published in: News
Winds of change come to Zimbabwe
Dear Editor – The sudden about turn made by The Herald mentioning that the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) principals have been invited to the SADC
extraordinary summit are a sure sign that the winds of change are
coming to Zimbabwe.
The Herald was upbeat on Tuesday saying that Zimbabwe was not on the
SADC agenda only to turn around the next day and report that Zimbabwe
would be on the agenda.
These events are tell-tale signs that all is not well for Zanu PF
despite spirited attempts by the State media in trying to prop-up the
end of the day party.
Zanu PF should now realise that all is not well. Its days of
bulldozing its way around are over. The winds of change like in the
rest of Africa are coming to Zimbabwe and the days of the dictator are
numbered.
SADC should be commended for its full commitment in tackling the
Zimbabwe issue head-on and not to be misled by Zanu PF.
Like every country in Africa and across the world, the people of
Zimbabwe are tired of Zanu PF misrule of the country, the abuse of
innocent citizens and the continued looting of the country resources
by the senior Zanu PF officials and security agents.
This will definitely come and end with the help of the SADC leadership
which has shown a commitment to end our years of misery.
Zanu PF and the State media should be hiding in shame that SADC has
shown its muscle and will not budge to any form of intimidation.
The Herald journalists should stop to be misled by the Zanu PF
officials who are trying in vain to save the party from disintegrating
apart. They should know that they have a life to live after the
demise of Zanu PF. It is sad that the Herald reporters are following
Zanu PF to the grave and this week foolishly claimed that Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was attempting to gatecrash at the SADC
summit in Angola.
Before being misled by Zanu PF, the State media should have noted the
first class treatment that Tsvangirai received this week in China. It
was a sign that China like other progressive and democratic countries
is now focusing on the future and not on Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF.
It is sad that the public media is ignoring this noble visit by PM
Tsvangirai and try to mislead the nation that he is attempting to
gatecrash into the SADC meeting.
Agrippa Zvomuya
Harare