Beware factional war zone

We are witnessing increasing incidents of politically motivated violence as the party approaches its congress next month. The violence has erupted, albeit in pockets, right across the country. Party youths have confronted each and left bloody trails.

Just recently, Jim Kunaka, who has in the past been linked to an orgy of violence against opposition supporters in Harare through the Chipangano militia, was abducted and assaulted by unknown people. He is said to belong to the Joice Mujuru faction. What particularly worries us about his abduction and torture is that it apparently involved state agents with guns and the same type of vehicle as those used in the bloody political violence of 2008.

The Emmerson Mnangagwa faction is currently fighting a bitter and often dirty war against Mujuru. The stakes are high as both know that President Robert Mugabe’s days are numbered and now is the time to consolidate their power.

The resulting turf fights can easily escalate the culture of violence that has erupted at party and national elections ever since Independence. Zanu (PF) is the ruling party and both camps have access to national military and security structures. In the past these have frequently been abused to settle personal scores.

It is not impossible that one faction might be sufficiently angered at the outcome of the Zanu (PF) congress to mobilise it loyalists in the army, intelligence services and police, in addition to war veterans, to take up arms against their rivals. The other camp would then retaliate with firepower. Before we know it, Zimbabwe would have descended into civil strife that could take years to end.

It is also possible that at least one of the camps is already using this as a potential strategy. The quest for power sometimes drives human beings to behave like beasts and we cannot leave anything to chance. There is therefore need for somebody in authority to take action to prevent the country degenerating into a war zone as a result of the succession battle.