PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday admitted the existence of Zanu PF militia groups unleashing terror against political opponents, but absolved the ruling party of the crime, describing the militias as “bandits” abusing the party name.
By NOKUTHABA DLAMINI/NQOBANI NDLOVU
Mugabe, who made the remarks yesterday while addressing thousands of ruling party supporters at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North province, urged similar violence to be meted out against the terror groups he claimed were tarnishing the ruling party’s image.
The President’s admission of the existence of militias unleashing violence against political opponents comes at a time of heightened tension as the country inches towards the 2018 elections.
Civil society, opposition political parties and clergy have expressed worry the polls could be marred by political violence.
This came after a Zanu PF militia group — Children of Zimbabwe War Veterans’ Association (Cozwa), which is believed to be a creation of the G40 faction, has gone a gear up in trying to appease Mugabe and his wife First Lady Grace Mugabe saying everyone should support the First Family, and anything else is treasonous.
Cozwa is led by one Munyaradzi Shoko and Fiona Ricket. The group is going around the country coercing youths to support their cause and allegedly use social media platforms to vent their anger against perceived opponents within the party.
The pro-G40 youth group including Shoko and three other Zanu PF youths last month shot a video while they beat up a suspected MDC-T supporter for joining a Tajamuka protest pushing for electoral reforms.
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The two-minute video which went viral showed the trio driving around in a yellow Hummer H3 vehicle that had Mugabe and First Lady Grace’s portraits, drawing mixed reactions on their conduct.
“I heard that there are groups that are moving around in the name of Zanu PF, beating up people in the name of Zanu PF, we don’t want that! We should not allow those small groups to spoil our name. Whenever you see them, get them out of the road and kick them hard, give them the kind of punishment that they deserve,” Mugabe said in his long and winding speech that resulted in many, especially schoolchildren, seemingly showing disinterest as hunger and the searing heat also took its toll on them.
“Beat them and call the police afterwards. We cannot have people moving around and spoiling the party name in that way,” Mugabe added.
Zanu PF is torn between two factions — one reportedly sympathetic to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and another going by the moniker G40, whose leading lights are Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and under-fire political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere among others angling to take over from the 93-year-old leader.
Mugabe also mocked MDC T leader Morgan Tsvangirai saying he had few supporters and no policy or programmes to woo Zimbabweans to vote for him.
The veteran Zanu PF leader boasted he had massive support across Zimbabwe and it was therefore bewildering why some Zanu PF factions wanted him to step down, asking “who are you?”
“I want to say to those of us who are leaders, look at what the youths are able to do, no fighting amongst them, they are firmly united. They could not achieve this without unity, no backbiting, no factions, no desire at the moment to be successor when the President is still there. The youths are saying no, the women are saying no, the majority are saying no. Who is saying yes? Ungubani wena (Who are you),” Mugabe said.
He added: “I jump about because you are all with me. I am also with you. We are united. I cannot be President if I don’t have followers, not just two followers like in the MDC-T but followers across the country.
“The MDC T has practically no programmes to offer, and if people listen to the MDC T what you get is just to call for regime change, let’s go for elections, let’s form coalitions to remove Mugabe and if that happens what do you do for the people? What are your programmes for the people? Zero, of course zero, they are a zero party.”
MDC-T vice-president Elias Mudzuri this week lost his property worth thousands of dollars following an alleged arson attack. Mudzuri blamed Zanu PF supporters for the arson. The MDC-T last week lost a vehicle in another suspected arson attack on opposition activists.
