Zimbabwean soldiers in the DRC will only be about protecting Junta interests
So it’s true. I have just learnt from a contact of mine in the military that the Mugabe administration intends deploying soldiers in the DRC and traffic and movement is high at army bases like Manyame as troops and vehicles are mobilized for the foreseen deployment.
An advance detachment was already sent to the Congo about a week ago, and it is being said that the detachment’s main aim at this juncture is to protect Mugabe and his cronies’ interests there.
My contact’s friend from the Airforce of Zimbabwe was deployed in this detachment and he is worried that he might also be deployed and end up losing his life in a senseless war. The soldiers will be paid in hard currency at a time when the country is on its knees and funding of the war will probably put the last nail on the ailing economy’s coffin.
Now its out on the open to be seen by everybody that Mugabe’s foreign and domestic policy is only concerned with protecting his interests and those of his supporters, and none whatsoever in the interests of the nation at large. The beleaguered regime finds the protection of personal interests more important than national interests and now intends to divert the all concerned stakeholders attention to a war that has no benefit to the ordinary man on the street instead of addressing the problems at home.
It has to be noted that the DRC involvement in the DRC war is another strategy by Mugabe and the Junta to win over the hearts of the discontent army as the lure of the US dollar will be difficult to resist considering the peanuts the soldiers are being given in ZW$ at the end of every month.
With this move Mugabe also possibly intends to win support amongst members of SADC, whose member states also find patronage more important than national interests as witnessed by their resolutions on Zimbabwe at the just ended summit and their stance over the past decade when problems began for Zimbabwe.
It remains to be seen how the public will react when this information is made official, or if the Junta will do all they can to try to keep it under wraps. But the cat is already out of the bag.
November 14th, 2008 14:45
Good?
I see five obstacles to a transition to a more democratic government:
1. Mugabe himself refusing to give up power
2. The politbureau covering their own interests
3. The MDC being more idealistic than pragmatic
4. The police
5. The military
Perhaps if the military gets sent out of the country, this could represent an opportunity to remove one of these obstacles. Mugabe doing so could be a signal that another is politically manageable. The police may be controlled through clever use of funding tools (control of the reserve bank). Mugabe has always been able to handle the politbureau. That just leaves the MDC itself.
I’d suggest the MDC look to join the GNU, and with the necessary constitutional changes, look closely at the rules for succession. If it were constitutionally required that the Prime Minister and President are always from different parties, and that the Prime Minister, appointed by the parliamentarians from the non presidential party, become president on event of the president being unable to govern, Mugabe would have a reason to fear the MDC. The MDC, meanwhile, would be taking the risks that Morgan might not be prime minister, and that if they did gain the presidency, the new prime minister would have to be ZANU PF.
Just some brainstorming…
November 15th, 2008 02:57
Ben, or whoever you are, you waste peoples’ time by writing a confused and totally misguided piece which completely distorts the situation in Zimbabwe. You sound to be an uneducated ZANU(PF) member trying to be analyst by propounding rubbish. There is no need for us to give answers to your foolish beliefs and give you serious notice. Do you really believe when the army goes to Congo, Chiwenga et al will all literally follow and be removed from the situation back home? Be serious comrade because all the other points you mention do not deserve comment as you are either naive or trying to be mischeveaous or both.
November 15th, 2008 17:39
@mkaranga –
Hi Mkaranga,
My name really is Ben – I’m not sure that’d be much of an alias if I were trying to be sneaky about anything. I’m an American who lived in Mutare for a year, and care deeply for my friends there, who I stay in touch with. I follow the news from Zimbabwe, and think about how I might respond were I in their place.
I respect that you seem to know a lot more than I do about the facts on the ground and the people involved in Zimbabwean politics, but you’re wrong to peg me as a ZANU stooge. My sympathies actually lay with the MDC, but my primary dream would be a generally improved life for the great majority of Zimbabweans, who are currently suffering.
I think it’s really too bad that we can’t have an open discussion about the best way forward, recognizing the reality that Mugabe controls all the means of enforcing his refusal to allow a peaceful transition of power.
What do you suggest the MDC do about its lack of control of the military or police, and its lack of influence on the part of the politbureau?