Chiwenga Joins Mutasa In Rattling Sabres

The head of the defence forces in Zimbabwe has upped his stance in the present situation in Zimbabwe, deploying the army to Matabeleland and coming out with some Mugabe-esque rhetoric.

Is this the beginning of Gukurahundi II?

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"There are fears that President Mugabe might have found another excuse to target civilians in Matabeleland after his Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga yesterday announced plans to deploy the army in Bulawayo following the murder of a senior police office in the city by robbers.

Already, this week, police were reported to be rounding up, beating and arresting defenceless residents found outdoors after 7pm and forcing businesses to close early.

This follows the gunning-down of a high-ranking police officer, Chief Superintendent Lawrence Chatikobo, on Friday night by suspected armed robbers at a Bulawayo night club called Cape to Cairo.

Chatikobo, who was the Officer Commanding Serious Fraud Squad in Bulawayo, was shot dead when he attempted to foil an armed robbery.

Just three weeks after Gukurahundi was reclassified as a genocide, President Mugabe who has always wanted to eliminate Ndebele speaking people for a variety of personal reasons is feared to be in the process of another mass killing in Matabeleland, that is, if he goes ahead with the deployment of the army."

I wouldn't put it beyond Mugabe to revisit death and suffering upon the Matabele people.

He would prefer that the people of the Southern half of Zimbabwe were not there, one of his number famously saying that Zimbabwe would be a better place if just 6 million people made up the population - Zimbabwe's current population, which is guesstimates because of failing systems, is about 12 million.

Mugabe would be more than happy to finish the job which was halted in 1987 with the signing of the Peace Accord with Joshua Nkomo.

"The army is not trained to deal with criminal activities of that level, but the army is always deployed to engage militarily say by shooting its targets. We therefore fear that Mugabe has found another excuse of eliminating Ndebele people probably for turning up in large numbers during the just-ended ZAPU Congress in Bulawayo," said a senior Bulawayo citizen who declined identity in fear of reprisals.

Residents say they were surprised as to why crime would necessitate the deployment of a combat army.

However, he warned that any such senseless target of civilians could this time trigger an international military invasion to remove President Mugabe from power as the world cannot afford to let down people of Matabeleland again."

If you were to look at the shootings in question, one was by criminals, the other by police shooting dead of an armed close security member of a minister in government who was seen carrying a weapon.

Hardly a 'war' situation that needs the army...

"Chiwenga said criminals had declared war against security forces and the army has moved in to assist the police thwart criminal activities.

Speaking at a police passout parade in Harare yesterday, Gen Chiwenga said they would join forces with the police in a bid to weed out all forms of criminal activities countrywide.

"Let me take this opportunity to applaud the symbiotic relations that exist between the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the Zimbabwe Republic Police as manifested by my presence at this momentous occasion and our determined endeavour as security forces to always ring fence our national interest.

"Consequently, may I reiterate Commissioner-General of Police Cde Augustine Chihuri’s strong warning to criminals that as the vanguards of peace and security we are not going to give them any breeding and breathing space.

"It is apparent that by killing Chief Superintendent Chatikobo, these criminals have explicitly declared war against security forces hence we are going to collectively give them more than they have bargained for," he said."

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man