Zimbabwe — To all outward appearances, the Arab Spring is finding inhospitable terrain in which to blossom in Sub-Sahara Africa.
Column by Essie Ewing
Long-time Zimbabwe strongman, Robert Mugabe’s autocratic government has established, with Chinese assistance, an electronic eavesdropping unit, which has been tasked with hacking the electronic communications of those citizens deemed a threat to Zimbabwe sovereignty, according to well placed sources that are knowledgeable on the subject.
This latest action in the ongoing rivalry between Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union—Patriotic Front party (Zanu PF) and the opposition’s Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC- T), led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, is evidence of an escalation of the cyber war between the two sides.
Fear of an Arab Spring style uprising amongst his impoverished, discontented population is what prompted Mugabe’s Defence ministry to form the Interception of Communications Unit (ICU) outside the capital city of Harare.
It is widely understood that social media outlets like FaceBook and Twitter played a critical role in the co-ordination and planning of the uprising which led to the ousters of repressive regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
Evidence strongly suggests Mugabe seeks to counter that threat.
Security forces arrested 46 people for watching broadcasts of the fomenting rebellions in Tunisia and Egypt, and prosecutors charged them with treason. Treason is a capital offence in Zimbabwe.
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Additionally, a Facebook user, Vikas Mavhudzi, made history when he was the first person in Zimbabwe to be arrested for posting on Tsvangirai’s Facebook wall that he was overwhelmed by the events taking place in northern Africa, “What happened in Egypt is sending shockwaves to dictators around the world.”
Since his arrest, Mavhudzi has subsequently been charged with “subverting a constitutional government”. Since his arrest there have been other reports of Facebook arrests occurring.
Zimbabweans living abroad have been very active in providing the online impetus for political change in their native country. These expatriates, members of the Zimbabwean Diaspora, are highly educated.
Zimbabwean broadcast journalist and political pundit Lance Guma proficiently uses twitter to keep his homeland abreast of political developments.
What is new is the growing use of social media outlets on the ground, among ordinary Zimbabweans, who have begun to express their displeasure at the regime from the cyberspace within Zimbabwe itself. Nandi Mbondiah is one such detractor.
She is a self-styled social activist and mother who maintains a steady broadside of anti-regime tweets that may see her put in prison if she were to be caught.
A recent tweet posted by Mdondiah went viral after she posted, “Prayer trending in Venezuela — Dear God, please . . . give us Chavez back.”
Although Mugabe is known to eschew the tweeting platform, his allies in Zanu PF are not so reticent.
Reportedly, a Zanu PF politburo member masquerading as Amai Jukwa on twitter, has released cyber media blitz designed to deride and degenerate the opposition. Coupled to this media effort, however, is the recently formed ICU, which is designed to monitor the electronic messages of Zimbabweans in search of subversive content.
The regime has been well known for its repressive tactics, voter intimidation and its willingness to engage in outright violence in the attainment of its goals and this move is viewed as another front in the escalation of the political wars being fought on the cyber platforms of public opinion.
Whether Mugabe will prevail in extending his reign, which he has shown no willingness to abandon, remains to be seen.
