Following the SADC resolutions, The Zimbabwean forwarded questions to the Commander of the Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga, and Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, seeking their reaction to the directive.
The police and ZPS had not responded to questions sent more than a week ago. Several attempts to reach them were fruitless as their spokespersons claimed Chihuri and Zimondi were locked up in meetings or unavailable.
Defence forces spokesperson, Col. Overson Magwisi, said: “When we received your questions, we studied the SADC communiqué and found out that there was no instruction specifically directed to the defence forces as an institution or its commander.”
He said they would remain silent lest they responded to issues having nothing to do with them. He added that had directed questions from The Zimbabwean to relevant politicians who attended the SADC summit to make responses.
Chiwenga, Chihuri, Prisons Commissioner General Paradzai Zimondi and Maj. Gen Douglas Nyikayaramba, among others, have made public statements on several occasions about their allegiance to Zanu (PF) and their intention to disrespect of the will of the people if anyone other than President Robert Mugabe is elected.
The generals said they would never allow Zimbabwe to be led by a president who lacked liberation war credentials, like MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the generals must make the public statements as directed by SADC. “They are holding Zimbabweans to ransom. They must comply with the SADC directives and realise that the party they are desperately trying to prop up is bound to fall at the next election,” said Mwonzora.
Efforts to contact Zanu (PF) spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and party negotiator Patrick Chinamasa, were fruitless as their mobiles were continuously not reachable. The two are understood to be in their rural constituencies where Zanu (PF) primaries are underway.
The MDC led by Welshman Ncube said the generals’ position that politicians should respond to the SADC communiqué was correct. “SADC gave the instruction to the GNU principals who should facilitate compliance by the generals to the directive. The commander in chief of the defence forces, President Mugabe, is one of the principals, so he should make the securocrats comply with the re-alignment order as required by the Constitution,” said party spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube.
Dube said the generals and security forces should realise that political processes were championed by civilian institutions. “This is the spirit we want from the generals. The must let civilians control the electoral processes. If service chiefs give politicians space as they have indicated, civilians will in turn give generals respect in their space as allowed by the constitution,” Dube told The Zimbabwean.
Post published in: News