Zimbawe General Elections: Its still the Army Against Civilians.

One aspect that is being dangerously ignored  is the role of the military in politics in our country. Many see it but they choose to ride rough shod over it for various reasons. Some are naive and myopic  as they get carried away by the prospect of winning an election while others deliberately ignore the danger for reasons of self-aggrandizement. Sadly there are those who join the perpetrators of the this evil undemocratic tendency that now seems to be accepted as part of Zimbabwean democracy. As we are preparing for the elections in July the 30 this year every political aota is not only monitored but virtually controlled  by the army.

In 1980 Mugabe's military wing openly said that if they did not win the elections they would continue with the war. The civilians saw them killing members of other political parties including those of another liberation movement Zapu. The civilians had to give up their political democratic right believing that voting for  ZanuPF would result in peace. Those who were monitoring the electoral process  deliberately turned a blind eye on the unacceptable victory of ZanuPF that was charecterised by murder and kidnappings of civilians by Mugabe's armed wing.

In 2008 Robert Mugabe lost the election to Morgan Tswangirai. The army captured Robert Mugabe and  ordered him never to accept the political will of the people. The story of the delayed results announcement is known to everyone. Mugabe declared that there was no outright winner therefore there was to be a re-run.The army descended on the electorate literally declaring war on them. There were murders, kidnappings, destruction of properties and massive rapes by Mugabe's militia backed heavily by well known army commaders in the rural areas.The population suffered  immensely and thousands were displaced as they fled to safe zones and even to neighbouring countries. This aspect of Zimbabwean history has been ignored even by the so called humanitarian and democratic organisations of the world.

The civilian people of Zimbabwe suffered under the tyrant Robert Mugabe until the very commanders that put him into power  and tortured civilians who dared stand up against him got fed up and rolled heavy military tanks on to the streets of Harare to over throw him.There is this sweet talk of the November 2017 in Zimbabwe that has various descriptions such as soft coup, military backed civilian take over etc....People are so selfish that they can even call a dog a sheep to suit their own situation. The army took over from Mugabe and that was a military coup. Period.

Then, the commanders got cabinet posts in the government of the ''new dispensation''. The former commander  of the defence forces  became the vice-president and the minister of defence.  And the sitting Prersident will have only one term. The army has put up a programme stipulating that the Commander of the Defence forces will be the next Vice-President of the Republic. Its the army that is controlling the political direction of the nation. Surprisingly these clear gestures of the military are applauded by the so called democratic nations such as the British government representatives and their legislators.  There has been a hive of activity between London and representatives of the Harare military government since the military removal of Robert Mugabe. After every encounter there is joy and praise for the Harare junta by the British politicians.

Meanwhile the electoral proces still remains military. Infact the military control has even  intensified as some 5000 soldiers have been deployed to the rural areas to perpetuate fear amongst the electorate. These reports have been ignored just as they were in 1980. They are ignored as the case was with Gukurahundi genocide. Things happened while people were pointing their fingers to other directions. The talk now is on the promises made by President Mnangagwa that elections 'will be free, fair and credible''How can these elections be free when the  army has deployed its personnel to force people to vote for it?
In a situation conducive for free, fair and cradeible elections the revenue collected through taxes by the state is not a property of a single political party irregardless of its political strength at any given time..The Harare Junta is using all state apparatus for Zanu PF propaganda. It is not only using the army to intimidate the electorate, it is also using the state funded press for its partisan programmes. The state media can only distort, and embarrass other political parties or just totally ignore them.

As for the opposition parties, the writing is on the wall. They should not be hoodwinked by the praises of the British politicians who infact spend more time with ZanuPF. The opposition represents un-armed civilians against an army. Solidarity support has obviously shrunk from some erstwhile allies for some parties while there has never been any for some. But the oppressed masses who have been impoverished by the military backed looters are there. The message has to be clear. Come 30th of July the junta must face a clear political rejection. It is the very unarmed who must defeat the army at the ballot box. The opposition has to quickly abandon some  joyous merry-go- round politics and go  for the political emancipation of the oppressed masses.

The foreign governments who are now wining and dining with the people who caused and perpetuate the suffering of our people must be reminded that THE PEOPLE BELONG TO GOD. Appeasement and putting personal business first before social justice, respect of the people's rights and freedom will not only be exposed. It will be condemned as it was when the British followed it in Germany when the NAZI were killing the Jews. It will be said again and again like what the people of Rwanda are saying now about the French who supported the genocide against the Tutsi.