Opinion / Columnist
'Mugabe Must Go!', Old system remains intact with Mnangagwa! - Generals protecting their loot
19 Nov 2017 at 04:02hrs | Views
We saw General Chiwenga lifting up and waving a document that was supposed to be a constitution of Zimbabwe. He was painfully trying to quote some legal frame works from the constitution to legitimize his military takeover: as argument of his dubious military actions: he says it's not a putsch! It is a correction to root our criminals within the Zanu government. That is the irony of it all. Who is a criminal in this case? Are the military not arms of the regime Zanu PF, partisan ever since, well known criminals themselves since 1980 the Gugurahundi genocide?
Did they not take part in the farm invasions of the Millennium, what did they do when the government swept cities destroying homes, livelihoods of more than three quarters of a million peoples in all cities and towns: called it Murambatsvina, what part did the army take to protect the people when Mugabe lost the elections in 2008? The army literally cooked up the election results and gave a non win to Zanu and MDC, as matter of fact MDC-Tsvangirai had won the elections in 2008 by 74%. Did the army not kill, maim, rape the very population they now purport to rescue from Mugabe: owner of the system of oppression and repression supported by the very army? Who rigged the elections in 2013, why did the army not come out and denounce the elections as rigged? We know why, you were part of it, we know this, the people of Zimbabwe are not stupid!
You call a loo by any name: a WC, a lavatory, a Ladies Make-up, a bush hideout, "für das kleine Junge/ Mädchen" the contents remain the same: Sh't! A coup took place in Zimbabwe and this should be denounced by all global progressive and democratic thinking people who yearn for genuine democracy in Zimbabwe. Removing Mugabe alone will not put bread and butter on the tables of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe. We are seeing a situation of desperation whereby the army is interfering with the inner conflicts in the Zanu PF party because they have always been partisan anywhere. They want their loot, ill-gotten wealth protected. They should never insult our intelligence and tell us that it's not a coup but a correction. Criminals calling others criminals in the inner political party! Not all Zimbabweans are Zanu PF.
We would like to see Mugabe gone as early as yesterday. This is a fact! But to replace Mugabe with the same system that has oppressed us for 37 years is not a joke. Mnangagwa will be a worse dictator than Mugabe. Mnangagwa is the person who did all the dirty work for Mugabe. Remember too that Mnangagwa is the one that did the killings of thousands of the peoples of Zimbabwe on behalf of Mugabe. Mnangagwa is a continuation and an extension of Robert Mugabe. Nothing will change in Mnangagwa's administration. Why are people going out in the streets and celebrating the coming of yet another brutal regime? This is the irony of it all. The Mob, the simple people in the streets of Harare and Bulawayo; according to Shakespeare are "idle creatures" idle creatures because they cannot think.
This coup, this putsch is not serving the majority of the population but to protect the ill-gotten riches of the army and the few rich people in Zanu PF machinery. They use the constitution stupidly, crudely and cowardly to justify the act of criminality by staging a coup. The world should know that the majority of the commanders in the army are criminals. Mnangagwa whom they choose to take over government is a known international criminal element even by the UN body itself. Mnangagwa looted the gold and diamonds of Democratic Republic of Congo. He has looted Marange diamond together with the assistance of the army. The very army people, some of them, are criminal cabals who should be sent in the Haig Court of Justice to answer past atrocities they committed in the past three decades.
It is sad; it is infuriating to establish the fact that the populations of Zimbabwe can forget atrocities done to them the past decades so easily. Why they are in the streets today to demonstrate "Mugabe Must Go" just to make way for Mnangagwa: is to be made heir to the throne from Mugabe's abdication from the throne. Do they see the danger of giving Mnangagwa the chance to rule Zimbabwe? In no specified time, the very people will be in the streets again shouting down with Mnangagwa! The coup you are celebrating is not constitutional be it in Zimbabwe; the SADC, the African Union, the UN in any of their legal clauses. Can't we learn as a nation, a nation Zimbabwe known to be the best literate nation in Africa? The SADC clause specifically says that no army is supposed to overthrow a constitutional government.
Advocate Farai Mahere should know this as a legal person: why is she condoning the coup? At best she should keep quiet if she has nothing better to say.
Dumiso Dabengwa
Of all peoples in the regions of Mathebeleland: for General Dabengwa to make such utterances in the South African Radio/video Interview: of recognizing and legitimatizing illegal and criminal act by the army, because he has been promised a cut-in- the-cake, defeats any normal thinking, it is a very sad development for the region of Mathebelelands and Midlands. Dabengwa is not wise to be part of this criminal cabal: the coup. He has sold his soul, he has sold the nation, he has sold the people of Mathebeleland and Midlands, and he has sold the dead victims that were murdered in Gugurahundi atrocities: the people who died in the farm invasions and those people who were murdered in the 2008 general election campaigns. If he thinks he can work with Mnangagwa as his Vice President, then Dabengwa is not only a sell-out but he has no principles and values for human kind. Mathebeleland and people should now know that we are alone in this: Dabengwa cannot be representative of Mathebeleland and Midlands people anyhow. We have had enough of his shortcomings regarding Mathebeleland. At best he should quit politics because he has become irrelevant. It appears he knows the politics of his stomach and nobody else.
This is our Dumiso Dabengwa who suffered torture at the hands of Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in the early 1980s, was imprisoned for 5 years together with General Lookout Masuku in High Prison in Chikurubi. He says he has forgiven them those that tortured him during his time in Chikurubi. Dabengwa should know that it is one thing to forgive them those who perpetrated evil against him personally when they are drinking Gin & Tonic with criminals in those leafy places of Harare and Bulawayo; it is another thing too: Dabengwa should know that the crimes of genocide and the crimes against humanity committed by Mugabe and all his criminal cabals dead or alive are international crimes that should see justice today, tomorrow or any other time in history: never to be compromised for any political position in the coming dispensation or National Transitional Administration.
We shall not let criminals go unpunished: be it in our lifetime or later. We want to send a message to the present and future generation that crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide must be accounted for and those who committed those crimes must be sent to international justice institutions: we seek justice, we demand in our life time. Even if those who committed the crimes are dead or alive we shall follow them until justice is done and only then, only then! General Dumiso Dabengwa cannot singlehandedly forgive such serious crimes. General Dumiso Dabengwa does not own Mathebeleland and Midlands; he does not own those crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity: those are crimes put paid upon the nation Zimbabwe that must be addressed by the nation and international bodies and not individuals on glasses of whiskeys and soda water.
Member of Parliament Kate Hoey
The British parliamentarian said something very pertinent about Zimbabwe. She said: she is concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe whereby, one despot Mnangagwa is replacing Mugabe: Mnangagwa is worse when it comes to human right violations, and has committed crimes against humanity. She knows what she is talking about. Almost 50% of the population in Zimbabwe are languishing in poverty; are fed by the British tax payers and certainly not the elite of Zanu PF. It is for this reason that she has to vehemently express her concerns regarding the political developments in Zimbabwe. She was attacked left, right and centre by the very Zimbabweans who have claimed asylum in the UK. When the so-called first world countries say Africans do not think they are like children: we cringe: but it's true. In Ireland today or tomorrow, Zimbabwean are demonstrating "Mugabe Must Go" but they do not think beyond this "Mugabe must Go" mantra. They left Zimbabwe because there was no future perspective for them: UK & Ireland was the better option than home Zimbabwe. "Mugabe must go" but the system remains intact. It will be worse than Mugabe. We have articles in the media who write about the Rhodesian's Ian Smith's Hey-Days! Smith was better: they say. Not very long: with Mnangagwa in power, we shall be saying Mugabe was better!
Tendai Biti and the opposition parties in Zimbabwe
The opposition parties are desperate to get into the gravy train once more. Tendai Biti is a legal person and he should know better than all povo in the land that this military coup is illegitimate and violated the constitution of Zimbabwe and SADC/AU and UN. But because Biti has found an opportunity to be relevant again, he makes legal blunders of willing to work with the military Junta. This is desperation of the first order. The legal contribution made by Former Minister David Coltart is more constructive than Biti who openly and desperately wants to join the military Junta.
Tsvangirai should never be part of this illegitimate process. Instead it is a chance for the opposition to come out and legally denounce this military coup, ask the SADC and AU to set conditions for democratic reforms: we need a non- partisan Transitional Administration that will act as buffer for the democratic process leading to a true liberation of Zimbabwe. This will give opposition parties a chance to campaign free and fairly without fear of the police and army. This transition will have a mandate of about 18 month's duration to facilitate a platform for free and fair elections. This is not about the political desperation of Biti but about the 14 million people of Zimbabwe: their lives and livelihoods depend on. The army and Zanu PF are sugar-coating the opposition, seeing its desperation they are in, they want especially Tsvangirai to be part of this transitional administration to legitimatize the whole coup process.
The opposition should never make that mistake again of being part of a NGU that will give ZANU PF another lifeline at the expense of the people. For Tsvangirai to condone the army take-over is worse enough, they have not learnt anything from the past. They seem to be desperate to be seen to be part of the government, any government, even at the expense of the majority of the population. For MDC-T it's not about the majority of the population: in retrospect it's about them on top, joining the gravy train again and of course the looting continues.
SADC and the international community
We hope that SADC will do the right thing: reverse the illegal and unconstitutional coup and demand free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. Yes Mugabe must go, but beyond his leaving office, we need a fresh page and new players in the politics of Zimbabwe and not recycled politicians of all parties divide. The coup was unconstitutional, this a fact that all legal practitioners even Tendai Biti and Fadzai Mahere should know as legal professionals. Please do not be political opportunists! We do not want to send a bad precedence to the region and the world at large that political, economical and social problems are solved by the army commanders. General Constantine Chiwenga should know that his hands are not clean, he should be charged for the crimes he committed the past 37 year of Zanu PF rule. Chiwenga is hiding behind those crimes he committed to the nation by staging this coup. Chiwenga could be a hero for staging a fraudulent coup for two days, his crimes against humanity and the crimes of genocide nature will follow him. Chiwenga is actually hiding behind the coup, he fears going to the Haig to answer crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity he committed together with his criminal cabals.
Conclusion
The putsch was unconstitutional and therefore must be reversed and we demand free and fair elections that will send Zanu PF democratically and with legitimate processes out of the Zimbabwe politics altogether. We cannot afford a putsch right in the middle of southern Africa. This region must remain as stable as possible because without any putsch Zimbabwe is still very fragile. In any case this putsch was personalized and not because the army wanted to address the social, economic and political wishes of the nation. The generals want their ill-gotten looting protected. They use the nation/ the constitution to define their selfish actions, which is deplorable. We ask SADC to reverse this naughty not so-thought-through action of the army: the coup: not a coup but a correction! They must go back to the barracks where they belong to.
We demand the release of them all political prisoners: Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Ignatius Chombo, Phekelezela Mphoko, the Commissioner of Police, the CIO Boss and all of them who have been incarcerated by the army the past days. These people are not worse criminals as the army bosses in the ZNF. Their rights as political prisoners must be upheld as per the Geneva Agreement. The silence of the human rights organisations is very, very loud. We ask them to assist without favour to locate them, their whereabouts and what legal, medical assistance they may need. We demand their release and we demand their unconditional release from wherever there are incarcerated. Please at least treat them in accordance with the Geneva convetions.
cc. MP UK Kate Hoey
cc. International Court of Justice
cc. SADC Zimbabwe Desk
cc. AU Zimbabwe Desk
Did they not take part in the farm invasions of the Millennium, what did they do when the government swept cities destroying homes, livelihoods of more than three quarters of a million peoples in all cities and towns: called it Murambatsvina, what part did the army take to protect the people when Mugabe lost the elections in 2008? The army literally cooked up the election results and gave a non win to Zanu and MDC, as matter of fact MDC-Tsvangirai had won the elections in 2008 by 74%. Did the army not kill, maim, rape the very population they now purport to rescue from Mugabe: owner of the system of oppression and repression supported by the very army? Who rigged the elections in 2013, why did the army not come out and denounce the elections as rigged? We know why, you were part of it, we know this, the people of Zimbabwe are not stupid!
You call a loo by any name: a WC, a lavatory, a Ladies Make-up, a bush hideout, "für das kleine Junge/ Mädchen" the contents remain the same: Sh't! A coup took place in Zimbabwe and this should be denounced by all global progressive and democratic thinking people who yearn for genuine democracy in Zimbabwe. Removing Mugabe alone will not put bread and butter on the tables of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe. We are seeing a situation of desperation whereby the army is interfering with the inner conflicts in the Zanu PF party because they have always been partisan anywhere. They want their loot, ill-gotten wealth protected. They should never insult our intelligence and tell us that it's not a coup but a correction. Criminals calling others criminals in the inner political party! Not all Zimbabweans are Zanu PF.
We would like to see Mugabe gone as early as yesterday. This is a fact! But to replace Mugabe with the same system that has oppressed us for 37 years is not a joke. Mnangagwa will be a worse dictator than Mugabe. Mnangagwa is the person who did all the dirty work for Mugabe. Remember too that Mnangagwa is the one that did the killings of thousands of the peoples of Zimbabwe on behalf of Mugabe. Mnangagwa is a continuation and an extension of Robert Mugabe. Nothing will change in Mnangagwa's administration. Why are people going out in the streets and celebrating the coming of yet another brutal regime? This is the irony of it all. The Mob, the simple people in the streets of Harare and Bulawayo; according to Shakespeare are "idle creatures" idle creatures because they cannot think.
This coup, this putsch is not serving the majority of the population but to protect the ill-gotten riches of the army and the few rich people in Zanu PF machinery. They use the constitution stupidly, crudely and cowardly to justify the act of criminality by staging a coup. The world should know that the majority of the commanders in the army are criminals. Mnangagwa whom they choose to take over government is a known international criminal element even by the UN body itself. Mnangagwa looted the gold and diamonds of Democratic Republic of Congo. He has looted Marange diamond together with the assistance of the army. The very army people, some of them, are criminal cabals who should be sent in the Haig Court of Justice to answer past atrocities they committed in the past three decades.
It is sad; it is infuriating to establish the fact that the populations of Zimbabwe can forget atrocities done to them the past decades so easily. Why they are in the streets today to demonstrate "Mugabe Must Go" just to make way for Mnangagwa: is to be made heir to the throne from Mugabe's abdication from the throne. Do they see the danger of giving Mnangagwa the chance to rule Zimbabwe? In no specified time, the very people will be in the streets again shouting down with Mnangagwa! The coup you are celebrating is not constitutional be it in Zimbabwe; the SADC, the African Union, the UN in any of their legal clauses. Can't we learn as a nation, a nation Zimbabwe known to be the best literate nation in Africa? The SADC clause specifically says that no army is supposed to overthrow a constitutional government.
Advocate Farai Mahere should know this as a legal person: why is she condoning the coup? At best she should keep quiet if she has nothing better to say.
Dumiso Dabengwa
Of all peoples in the regions of Mathebeleland: for General Dabengwa to make such utterances in the South African Radio/video Interview: of recognizing and legitimatizing illegal and criminal act by the army, because he has been promised a cut-in- the-cake, defeats any normal thinking, it is a very sad development for the region of Mathebelelands and Midlands. Dabengwa is not wise to be part of this criminal cabal: the coup. He has sold his soul, he has sold the nation, he has sold the people of Mathebeleland and Midlands, and he has sold the dead victims that were murdered in Gugurahundi atrocities: the people who died in the farm invasions and those people who were murdered in the 2008 general election campaigns. If he thinks he can work with Mnangagwa as his Vice President, then Dabengwa is not only a sell-out but he has no principles and values for human kind. Mathebeleland and people should now know that we are alone in this: Dabengwa cannot be representative of Mathebeleland and Midlands people anyhow. We have had enough of his shortcomings regarding Mathebeleland. At best he should quit politics because he has become irrelevant. It appears he knows the politics of his stomach and nobody else.
This is our Dumiso Dabengwa who suffered torture at the hands of Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in the early 1980s, was imprisoned for 5 years together with General Lookout Masuku in High Prison in Chikurubi. He says he has forgiven them those that tortured him during his time in Chikurubi. Dabengwa should know that it is one thing to forgive them those who perpetrated evil against him personally when they are drinking Gin & Tonic with criminals in those leafy places of Harare and Bulawayo; it is another thing too: Dabengwa should know that the crimes of genocide and the crimes against humanity committed by Mugabe and all his criminal cabals dead or alive are international crimes that should see justice today, tomorrow or any other time in history: never to be compromised for any political position in the coming dispensation or National Transitional Administration.
We shall not let criminals go unpunished: be it in our lifetime or later. We want to send a message to the present and future generation that crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide must be accounted for and those who committed those crimes must be sent to international justice institutions: we seek justice, we demand in our life time. Even if those who committed the crimes are dead or alive we shall follow them until justice is done and only then, only then! General Dumiso Dabengwa cannot singlehandedly forgive such serious crimes. General Dumiso Dabengwa does not own Mathebeleland and Midlands; he does not own those crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity: those are crimes put paid upon the nation Zimbabwe that must be addressed by the nation and international bodies and not individuals on glasses of whiskeys and soda water.
Member of Parliament Kate Hoey
The British parliamentarian said something very pertinent about Zimbabwe. She said: she is concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe whereby, one despot Mnangagwa is replacing Mugabe: Mnangagwa is worse when it comes to human right violations, and has committed crimes against humanity. She knows what she is talking about. Almost 50% of the population in Zimbabwe are languishing in poverty; are fed by the British tax payers and certainly not the elite of Zanu PF. It is for this reason that she has to vehemently express her concerns regarding the political developments in Zimbabwe. She was attacked left, right and centre by the very Zimbabweans who have claimed asylum in the UK. When the so-called first world countries say Africans do not think they are like children: we cringe: but it's true. In Ireland today or tomorrow, Zimbabwean are demonstrating "Mugabe Must Go" but they do not think beyond this "Mugabe must Go" mantra. They left Zimbabwe because there was no future perspective for them: UK & Ireland was the better option than home Zimbabwe. "Mugabe must go" but the system remains intact. It will be worse than Mugabe. We have articles in the media who write about the Rhodesian's Ian Smith's Hey-Days! Smith was better: they say. Not very long: with Mnangagwa in power, we shall be saying Mugabe was better!
Tendai Biti and the opposition parties in Zimbabwe
The opposition parties are desperate to get into the gravy train once more. Tendai Biti is a legal person and he should know better than all povo in the land that this military coup is illegitimate and violated the constitution of Zimbabwe and SADC/AU and UN. But because Biti has found an opportunity to be relevant again, he makes legal blunders of willing to work with the military Junta. This is desperation of the first order. The legal contribution made by Former Minister David Coltart is more constructive than Biti who openly and desperately wants to join the military Junta.
Tsvangirai should never be part of this illegitimate process. Instead it is a chance for the opposition to come out and legally denounce this military coup, ask the SADC and AU to set conditions for democratic reforms: we need a non- partisan Transitional Administration that will act as buffer for the democratic process leading to a true liberation of Zimbabwe. This will give opposition parties a chance to campaign free and fairly without fear of the police and army. This transition will have a mandate of about 18 month's duration to facilitate a platform for free and fair elections. This is not about the political desperation of Biti but about the 14 million people of Zimbabwe: their lives and livelihoods depend on. The army and Zanu PF are sugar-coating the opposition, seeing its desperation they are in, they want especially Tsvangirai to be part of this transitional administration to legitimatize the whole coup process.
The opposition should never make that mistake again of being part of a NGU that will give ZANU PF another lifeline at the expense of the people. For Tsvangirai to condone the army take-over is worse enough, they have not learnt anything from the past. They seem to be desperate to be seen to be part of the government, any government, even at the expense of the majority of the population. For MDC-T it's not about the majority of the population: in retrospect it's about them on top, joining the gravy train again and of course the looting continues.
SADC and the international community
We hope that SADC will do the right thing: reverse the illegal and unconstitutional coup and demand free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. Yes Mugabe must go, but beyond his leaving office, we need a fresh page and new players in the politics of Zimbabwe and not recycled politicians of all parties divide. The coup was unconstitutional, this a fact that all legal practitioners even Tendai Biti and Fadzai Mahere should know as legal professionals. Please do not be political opportunists! We do not want to send a bad precedence to the region and the world at large that political, economical and social problems are solved by the army commanders. General Constantine Chiwenga should know that his hands are not clean, he should be charged for the crimes he committed the past 37 year of Zanu PF rule. Chiwenga is hiding behind those crimes he committed to the nation by staging this coup. Chiwenga could be a hero for staging a fraudulent coup for two days, his crimes against humanity and the crimes of genocide nature will follow him. Chiwenga is actually hiding behind the coup, he fears going to the Haig to answer crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity he committed together with his criminal cabals.
Conclusion
The putsch was unconstitutional and therefore must be reversed and we demand free and fair elections that will send Zanu PF democratically and with legitimate processes out of the Zimbabwe politics altogether. We cannot afford a putsch right in the middle of southern Africa. This region must remain as stable as possible because without any putsch Zimbabwe is still very fragile. In any case this putsch was personalized and not because the army wanted to address the social, economic and political wishes of the nation. The generals want their ill-gotten looting protected. They use the nation/ the constitution to define their selfish actions, which is deplorable. We ask SADC to reverse this naughty not so-thought-through action of the army: the coup: not a coup but a correction! They must go back to the barracks where they belong to.
We demand the release of them all political prisoners: Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Ignatius Chombo, Phekelezela Mphoko, the Commissioner of Police, the CIO Boss and all of them who have been incarcerated by the army the past days. These people are not worse criminals as the army bosses in the ZNF. Their rights as political prisoners must be upheld as per the Geneva Agreement. The silence of the human rights organisations is very, very loud. We ask them to assist without favour to locate them, their whereabouts and what legal, medical assistance they may need. We demand their release and we demand their unconditional release from wherever there are incarcerated. Please at least treat them in accordance with the Geneva convetions.
cc. MP UK Kate Hoey
cc. International Court of Justice
cc. SADC Zimbabwe Desk
cc. AU Zimbabwe Desk
Source - Nomazulu Thata
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