Renamo a Security Threat to Zimbabwe

Recently Zimbabweans were alarmed by claims that Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) is training some misguided Zimbabweans to embark on acts of banditry in their peaceful country. One, Jeff Judahosana posted video clips on line claiming that he is the commander of a shadowy terrorist group, Smoke That Thunder, which is recruiting Zimbabwean males aged between 20 and 45 years to undergo training by RENAMO in Cerra de Gorongoza, Mozambique with the intention of carrying out acts of banditry against the ZANU (PF) Government before this year,s Christmas.

The deranged bandit, Judahosana, further claimed that his group was offered a military training base in Gorongoza by RENAMO. Some Zimbabweans have dismissed the man as just a hoodlum who is politically posturing and even insane, but such dangerous utterances cannot be just dismissed or taken lightly.

Judahosana also heaped praise on Morgan Tsvangirai and his party, the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T), for allegedly standing up against President Mugabe and ZANU (PF). He went on to mention top security officers, and government leaders, including President Mugabe, his terrorist group intends to target.  The RENAMO leader, Afonso Dhlakama, has since revealed that Tsvangirai is his close friend; so MDC-T owes Zimbabweans an explanation on whether it is linked to Judahosana and his terrorist groups, actions. Security forces should hunt down Judahosana and make him regret as one cannot just publicly bluff threatening to carry out acts of terrorism against a country. He should be made to pay for his reckless utterances.

 Zimbabweans are aware that MDC-T is a violent party as evidenced by the senseless mayhem that party carried out in the country in recent month through its Tajamuka/Sijikile thugs and hoodlums. MDC-T hooligans have petrol bombed police stations and public transport in the past. Tsvangirai is on record threatening to remove President Mugabe from power violently. So it up to that party to clarify its position in reference to acts of terrorism promised to be perpetrated on Zimbabwe by Judahosana.

In March 2016, Nyanga North Member of Parliament, Hubert Nyanhongo, told the House of Assembly that RENAMO was recruiting Zimbabwean youths for military training. Through its brutality, RENAMO has caused displacement of many Mozambican nationals, especially those of Zimbabwean origin, who are now refugees in neighboring countries including Zimbabwe. By July 2016 hundreds of refugees were accommodated in Mabuye Village, Chipinge in makeshift tents made from mosquito nets.

The situation at the camp was pathetic as there were no clean water and ablution facilities, thereby creating conditions for possible outbreaks of epidemics like cholera. Children of these refugees are not going to school. The refugees claimed that they were being persecuted by RENAMO for allegedly supporting the FRELIMO government. RENAMO extorts money and also forcibly takes away cattle, goats and other properties from defenseless people after severely assaulting them.

RENAMO is looting hospitals and clinics as well as attacking vehicles on major highways in Mozambique resulting in many deaths. Zimbabweans have not forgotten RENAMO,s brutality at the height of Mozambique,s civil war that ended in 1992. Thousands of Zimbabweans were either killed or maimed during RENAMO,s incursions into the country. RENAMO has also assassinated many FRELIMO politicians in the recent years. It is therefore only prudent for Zimbabwe,s security forces to urgently engage their Mozambican colleagues in order to get to the bottom of this disturbing development before it gets out of hand.

RENAMO should clarify whether it is a fact that it is involved in training and supplying logistics like arms of war to terrorists who intend to cause mayhem in Zimbabwe. If it remains silent over the claims then Zimbabweans should not be blamed for believing that Judahosana,s claims are authentic and that RENAMO has become a security threat to Zimbabwe once more.