Plot against Zimbabwe exposed

ROGUE elements, that include MDCAlliance and G40 members, have been conniving with hostile Western nations to smuggle guns into the country and set up so-called Democratic Resistance Committees to destroy the democratic foundations of the Zimbabwe, State Security Minister Owen Ncube has said.

Addressing a press conference on the country's security situation, Minister Ncube said despite the spirited attempts by the opposition, working with their Western handlers to reverse the will of the people as expressed in 2018 harmonised elections, the country's security services was on top of the situation to ensure peace and order in fulfilment of their constitutional mandate.

"Zimbabwe's security and stability is currently under siege from a number of threats being fomented by internal and external actors.

"The objective of this attack is to effect an unconstitutional change of Government following the outcome of the 2018 harmonised elections, which was not favourable to the MDC-Alliance and its foreign backers.

"As State security arms of Government, we would like to assure citizens that we are watching the environment very closely and that we shall fulfil our mandate of ensuring peace, stability and development in Zimbabwe."

The country's detractors have been concocting fake news of factionalism in the ruling party Zanu-PF; feeding churches with fake news of a "crisis" and also trying to close the country's borders, something that would have them declared as traitors in some countries.

"We are watching attempts to drive Zimbabwe into chaos. Some rogue elements among us, are conniving with some hostile Western governments to smuggle guns and set-up so-called Democratic Resistance Committees that are, for all intents and purposes, violent militia groups. These plans are key components of 'Operation Lighthouse', the brainchild of one Western power, that seeks to destroy the democratic foundations of Zimbabwe, make the country ungovernable and justify foreign intervention. As the security sector, we shall take concrete action to deal with such threats," said Minister Ncube.

Since the turn of the millennium, Minister Ncube said, the country has been under attack from the Western countries that have imposed illegal economic sanctions as a response to the land reform programme initiated to correct historical colonial land imbalances.

In pushing the illegal regime change agenda, Western nations, have roped the opposition as manifested in the "never ending calls for demonstrations aimed at diverting Government from pursuing its Vision 2030 agenda and stocking factionalism within Zanu-PF".

"They have gone to the extent of lying that there is a fallout between His Excellency President Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga," he said.

Apart from that, Minister Ncube said the opposition has also tried to cause rifts between the Government and SADC and church organisations going as far as stage-managing abductions and propagating lies on social media platforms.

"We also notice attempts by self-exiled G40 elements such as Professor Jonathan Moyo to destabilise the security services through making false accusations about security services officers who are unwavering in their determination to defend national sovereignty," Minister Ncube said.

He said that the country's security services operated within the confines of the law.

He accused Western countries of hypocrisy, saying the US has laws like the Logan Act and Patriot Act, which if they had been adopted locally would be seen as repressive.

The Logan Act criminalises acts by American citizens who engage foreign nations against the interests of the State while the Patriot Act enables broader surveillance and collection of communication records of US citizens. On the  other hand the Patriot Act of the US that was passed in 2001, had its functions expanded to include capacitating law enforcement agents to monitor including by tapping domestic and international phones, and also increased penalties for terrorism crimes and expanded the list of activities that would qualify someone to be charged with terrorism.

Just last week, the opposition tried without success to close the country's borders, an action that was meant to isolate the country during the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic at a time when the Second Republic is working flat out to improve the economic situation under the weight of the global pandemic.

"No country in the world and no sane people would tolerate elements who openly mobilise to close their country's borders particularly when the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening lives and the economy.

"In any country, such people would be treated as traitors. At international law, a blockade is tantamount to a declaration of war. Government and state security agents, in particular, have a duty to take appropriate measures to protect the law and integrity of commerce across our borders," he said.

Minister Ncube dismissed calls for talks between Zanu-PF and the MDC Alliance saying the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) was the only platform for talks between political players in the country. He said the door remained open for anyone willing to contribute to the development of the country to join the platform.

"While Government is moving on with its reform agenda, we note the need for the MDC Alliance to reform itself into a normal opposition political party that embraces outcomes of democratic processes and has patience to wait for another opportunity to prove to voters that it deserves their trust."

MDC-A leader Mr Nelson Chamisa last week called for radicalism as he vowed to reverse the results of the 2018 elections won by Zanu-PF with a landslide. It was thus no coincidence that his merchants of violence yesterday tried to roll out demonstrations that were foiled by the country's law enforcement agents.