The Wikileaks hurricane seems to be causing serious consternation and damage across Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
A few months ago, the storm seemed to be affecting the former opposition and its leaders in the MDC. There was a lot of excitement in ZANU PF circles mainly because they thought the storm would only affect the MDC and its leaders. But the elders were not wrong when they said whenever it rains the Heavens do not select who gets wet. If you are all outside without shelter, you will surely get wet.
Clearly, many people, whether they are ZANU PF or MDC, whether they are black, white or yellow, were caught out in the open by Hurricane Wikileaks which is surely threatening the careers and livelihoods of men and women in politics and surrounding professions.
We have now seen very clearly that many people, including those in ZANU PF no longer favour the continued rule of Robert Mugabe who is now in the twilight of life. What has shocked many of us is that big wigs in ZANU PF were eating with Mugabe during the day, whilst later on indulging in their nocturnal habits with the enemy. Mugabe will realise that he has no one to trust even in his own party.
The problem is that this might prompt him to cling even more to power until he dies in office. He knows that fellow leaders like Charles Taylor were betrayed by fellow leaders who had promised him protection. Mugabe will fear that his disciples will deny him at the last hour – the hour when he would need them most. It looks like he will now use all possible means to cling to power until the very end.
The people I feel sorry for the most however are the two army officers who were quoted in one of the Wikileaks cables. Brigadier General Herbert Chingono and Major General Fidelis Satuku, were quoted by US Ambassador in 2010 as saying that their boss, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga, as a "political general" who lacked adequate "practical military experience or expertise". The two officers were generally critical of the military leadership. Reports that they may now face Court Martial are unsurprising in a repressive environment such as Zimbabwe.
The top leadership of the military have always been pro-ZANU PF and Mugabe. They have always been too political and they have even publicly announced their support towards Mugabe and ZANU PF in the past. So there is nothing new really to what the two military men have said of their superiors. The superiors have said so themselves, declaring that they would not support or salute anyone who did not go to war – trying of course to disqualify Tsvangirai who has been a severe thorn in the flesh of the repressive regime for past decade or so.
Just weeks before the Hurricane Wikileaks arrived announced the ZANU PF regime was busy defending Brigadier General Nyikayaramba who was making clearly political statements against the MDC - a party that is in the GNU. Government propagandists were fighting tooth and nail in Nyikayaramba’s corner even if what he was saying amounted showing lack of confidence in the government because the MDC is part of government. If anything he was publicly interfering in politics and undermining government, something that is unacceptable anywhere else in the civilised world. A
lso Nyikayaramba was undermining the authority of his Commander in Chief who appointed Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai and his MDC ministers were appointed by Mugabe whose supporters never stop reminding us of his many titles including that he is the Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces. If Nyikayamba thinks Tsvangirai and the MDC are threats to national security, is he not also questioning the integrity and decision-making abilities of Mugabe – his Commander in Chief? Is he not questioning Mugabe’s leadership? Yet he was being feted as a hero! What then is the difference between Nyikayaramba and the two other military officers except possibly the colour of their political views? If two officers are wrong then surely so is Nyikayaramba? Why should military law be applied differently?
As I said Chiwenga himself has made no secret of his political colours. He has come out in support of Mugabe and ZANU PF. So what the military men said only confirms what he himself has said. You wonder why they are being penalised if it’s not mere vindictiveness on the part of an emotionally wounded superior or those who want to make him happy.
I feel sorry for those men but they will be subjected to a ‘show trial’ to warn all other soldiers. They will be made examples. It just goes to show that danger for soldiers in Zimbabwe is not just at the frontline when they have to duck bullets, landmines and grenades. They are everywhere in Zimbabwe. If there was freedom of speech and transparency the military officers would not have need to mouth off like they did to the foreign ambassador. It only shows the highly restricted space in Zimbabwe.
