Threats of political violence as Mugabe prepares to exit

Although Zanu-PF ideologue, Nathaniel Manheru, claims that his boss has now resolved the succession question in the party, there was a conspicuous lack of even one mention of the name of the person who has been anointed by Mugabe.

Could it be that he also does not see his commander-to-be as a sellable proposition for the electorate as is quietly conceded in Zanu-PF circles - that the party now has a candidate, but can he win a national election?

Emmerson Mnangagwa was forced to scramble for the safe Zibagwe seat, which constituency he had no real connection with except that he knew that he could intimidate the villagers to vote for him.

But as if to put Manheru in his place yesterday, former Zanla liberation-fighter-turned-opposition-politician, Kudzai Mbudzi, fired the first flare to light up the Zanu-PF night with a call for a consolidation of the Gamatox camp to "expel" President Mugabe from Zanu PF.

Not only does Mbudzi confirm that even during the liberation war the fighters knew that Robert Mugabe was not a revolutionary, but just a power hungry politician, but he also says ex-combatants will no longer sit idly while he abuses them by negating Mujuru's contribution and treating her unfairly.

The independent-minded retired major was quoted on newzimbabwe.com, saying "Uyu mudhara taiziva kuti (This old man, we always knew that, for him..) it was not about the revolution...it was about himself and his own family."

Such sentiments have been expressed by other Zanu-PF luminaries like Rugare Gumbo who was detained and survived death by a whisker while detained by Mugabe, by the late Dzinashe Machichingura in his book Dzino, and lately by Didymus Mutasa whose claims to the secretary-for-administration of Zanu-PF was recently quashed by the Supreme Court.

Has has also been exposing the murderous Mugabe system, which he should know about very well as he was security minister in charge of the Goon Squad.

Perhaps it is the fear of these goons which Manheru is relying on when he threatens anybody from Zanu-PF who dares to keep company with former VP Mujuru.

"She is out and no one in the Party can hobnob with her, without declaring counter loyalties, without inviting disciplinary action.

"And from where I seat, there is a readiness to take hard decisions, to settle the whole matter comprehensively, even if it means another mini-general election.."

Is it just bravado when Manheru declares that sitting MPs should not be under the illusion that Zanu-PF fears to expel them and go back to the people in an election.

From where I sit the only people who would vote for Zanu-PF are either the threatened or tortured, as we have seen in successive elections, with crimes that have yet to be atoned for, though Manheru seems to believe that when bones rattle they always fall in his favour.

Now that Zanu-PF reluctantly has Mnangagwa as successor, Manheru says his boss has finished his work and can exit the stage having resolved the dispute in his party.

Whether he has resolved it democratically is clearly not an issue for Manheru, but it is for the thousands of party officials and activists who have lost their places in the party for supporting the constitutional successor in their party, Joice Mujuru.

There is no shortage of threats in Manheru's latest column, as he also takes aim at the media, accusing the independent press of being partisan and revealing that Jonathan Moyo's Information Media Panel of Inquiry report is now ready, with "far-reaching decisions" now going to be taken to carry forward its recommendations.

We don't have to hold our breath for this one, because we know exactly what the recommendations are going to be - anything that will curtail further the little Press Freedom that is left in Zimbabwe as we enter another dangerous period of repression.

But people are not fools and they have had enough. Hezvoko.