News / National
Lift sanctions, otherwise Zimbabwe polls would not be free and fair
25 Jul 2011 at 04:35hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe National Army Retired Members national chairman, Stalin Zowa has backed recent statements by Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba that MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is a security threat.
Last month, Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said Mr Tsvangirai's conduct was a danger to the security of the country.
In an interview yesterday, Zowa said: "What the Prime Minister (Tsvangirai) is doing is putting the country at risk. Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba described Mr Tsvangirai as a 'security threat'. This is further concretised by recent reports that the Prime Minister left for South Africa for a secret meeting that the President is not aware of, with some American government officials," he said.
"Surely, he is a security risk because it really boggles the mind that somebody who sits in Cabinet and holds meetings with the President can undertake a clandestine meeting with the Americans without the knowledge of the President?
"That testifies to the effect that the Prime Minister is a security risk and what will he be hiding from the President and the Defence Minister?"
Zowa said Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba was right to speak on what he views as national security threats.
"Why would an army general not talk about matters of security risk when he sees the issues being tampered with?" said Zowa.
He urged facilitator to the inter-party dialogue, South Africa President Jacob Zuma to be wary of Western machinations to turn him against Zimbabwe.
Zowa urged President Zuma, a liberator of his people in South Africa to continue denouncing illegal Western sanctions on Zimbabwe and project the ideals of the revolution.
Turning to elections, Zowa said his organisation wants them to be held this year but recognised the fact that if that was done before the illegal sanctions were lifted, the poll would not be free and fair.
"We are a bit worried about the general elections. We want the general elections to be held this year because there is a lot of discord and indecision in the inclusive Government but if there are held before the illegal economic sanctions are removed, the outcome will not be fair. And we are saying sanctions must be removed like yesterday so that the country goes to elections this year," said Zowa.
He said it was still possible to have elections held this year.
"On 4 December 1979, a ceasefire agreement was signed and three months later the general elections were held despite the fact that we were coming from a protracted liberation war where the electoral system was not there. Unlike the present situation, the voters' roll is available, so why would elections not be held this year?"
Under the Global Political Agreement, which led to the formation of the inclusive Government in February 2009, principals of the three main political parties-Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC signed and acceded to the lifting of the illegal sanctions in order to promote free and fair elections.
Last month, Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba said Mr Tsvangirai's conduct was a danger to the security of the country.
In an interview yesterday, Zowa said: "What the Prime Minister (Tsvangirai) is doing is putting the country at risk. Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba described Mr Tsvangirai as a 'security threat'. This is further concretised by recent reports that the Prime Minister left for South Africa for a secret meeting that the President is not aware of, with some American government officials," he said.
"Surely, he is a security risk because it really boggles the mind that somebody who sits in Cabinet and holds meetings with the President can undertake a clandestine meeting with the Americans without the knowledge of the President?
"That testifies to the effect that the Prime Minister is a security risk and what will he be hiding from the President and the Defence Minister?"
Zowa said Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba was right to speak on what he views as national security threats.
"Why would an army general not talk about matters of security risk when he sees the issues being tampered with?" said Zowa.
Zowa urged President Zuma, a liberator of his people in South Africa to continue denouncing illegal Western sanctions on Zimbabwe and project the ideals of the revolution.
Turning to elections, Zowa said his organisation wants them to be held this year but recognised the fact that if that was done before the illegal sanctions were lifted, the poll would not be free and fair.
"We are a bit worried about the general elections. We want the general elections to be held this year because there is a lot of discord and indecision in the inclusive Government but if there are held before the illegal economic sanctions are removed, the outcome will not be fair. And we are saying sanctions must be removed like yesterday so that the country goes to elections this year," said Zowa.
He said it was still possible to have elections held this year.
"On 4 December 1979, a ceasefire agreement was signed and three months later the general elections were held despite the fact that we were coming from a protracted liberation war where the electoral system was not there. Unlike the present situation, the voters' roll is available, so why would elections not be held this year?"
Under the Global Political Agreement, which led to the formation of the inclusive Government in February 2009, principals of the three main political parties-Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC signed and acceded to the lifting of the illegal sanctions in order to promote free and fair elections.
Source - Chronicle
