Eucharia Mbachu
Washington D.C.

The debate around the current political and socio-economic crisis in Zimbabwe has moved from the economy itself at a staggering 4,530% inflation and huge decline in food production of some 72% as confirmed by the FAO in the 2006/7 agricultural year to the recent military coup attempt that apparently was nipped in the bud and has witnessed at seven least military officers in the courts.

According to the emerging facts, renowned Zimbabwean journalist Dumisani Muleya, in article published in UK-based Zimbabwe Independent of 29 May, cited a former army captain who had traveled to West Africa and then contacted the Zimbabwe Embassy in Ghana, Accra, warning them that he had sensitive information of an emergency nature but would prefer to disclose this once in a European capital from where he could feel safe.

Arrangements were soon made to get the (former) officer to Paris where he informed Embassy officials of an imminent coup by military and air force officers. Based on this government reacted and arrested 7 military personnel amongst which is reported to be army Major General Englebert Rugeje and second in Command of the Air Force Commodore Nelson Moyo. The alleged ring-leader is reported to be a non-descript Captain Albert Matapo , 40 years old.

However, while these are the facts, the knowledge of the incident came to the attention of the Zimbabwe Independent reporters while on a routine assignment in the courts where some of the arrested officers were seen in leg-irons. This paper is called an "opposition paper" by government and it is run by Wilf Mbanga and his wife, both Zimbabweans who were forced to go into exile in the United Kingdom as part of the manifestation of the crisis.

The point to note is that the state did not announce the matter and preferred to deal with the issue through the courts without making any formal or public announcements. This is an unusual decision in the country. There are also several points that are raised by this event. The first is an acknowledgement of the severity of the crisis in which a military coup is actually seen or viewed as one of the options.

This fact was reinforced by the recent public acknowledgement of the crisis by the Government of President Robert Mugabe and the members of the South African Development Community (SADC region) who had consistently buried their heads in the sand and refused to acknowledge the crisis.

As if in response to the fast-deteriorating situation of the military forces, last week the government awarded them a 900% salary increase, taking them to about Z$5 million, a figure that still falls far short of the reported $5.5 million required to remain above the poverty-datum-line according to the Consumer Watch.

Secondly, the alleged coup plotters reported according to The Herald “were to invite one of the faction leaders in the leadership race within Mugabe ’s party, Rural Households Minister, Emmerson Munangagwa , to take over the helms of government”. What this shows is that all sectors are aware of the existing factions in the political tussle going on and they feel not quite able to challenge the top post without drawing in one of the draw-cards.

Third, there has always been a debate as to how loyal and united the army will remain against the tugging winds of the crisis and the factions of the political party? Given these realities we must admit that some considerations to side with one or the other faction while preparing to usurp the powers of the incumbent entered the planning of the plotters. Finally, the institutions of the military, the police and prison services as well as the Attorney General's office and judiciary, are hemorrhaging: Since March, the Police Commissioner,

Augustine Chihuri has admitted to losing 3500 police and by June estimated another 5000 with yet another 1000 simply leaving posts and going AWOL(Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) from the 20,000 in response, government has announced intentions to "double" the force by 2008 in preparation for upcoming elections, a euphemism for repairing the damage.

The same is true of the army, an organization sitting at about 35000 and since returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo operations, had been restricted from resigning and yet, soldiers have since been forced to vote with their feet. Similar stories dominate of resignations from the AG's office and the Prison Service reflecting a civil service and security sector whose structure and professionalism has now been degraded through the political and economic crisis.

Clearly, the Zimbabwe crisis has firmly entered its last phase of resolution, given the talks authorized by South African Development Community (SADC) in which SA President Thabo Mbeki has engaged the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the ruling party ZANU (PF) in order to find a compromise solution and report back to SADC by the end of June. Next is the economy, in which the currency is reported to have now completely collapsed against hard currencies in the last week, reducing the economy and transactions to US dollarized exchanges.

Since 2000, the military has been the alternative to the ruling party's diminishing popularity and yet, the state is now in danger of its hitherto strong position threatened by the very arm it has so far depended upon. The factions witnessed in the political party now have rent as under the military, a central ring holder in the crisis demonstrating the last legs of the crisis that has gripped the country for the last seven years

Robot  Villager

# 1 The debate around the current political and socio-economic crisis in Zimbabwe has moved from the ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 19.06.2007 08:04