Violence strategy will only bolster MDC-T support

Comment & Analysis
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer John Makumbe says Mugabe’s  strategy (of violence and repression) is backfiring because it is making the MDC-T a saint while Zanu PF is turning out to be the spoiler in the face of Sadc and the international community.

He said harassment was meant to frustrate the MDC-T out of the unity government.

“When this happens,” he said, “Mugabe will appoint his own ministers and call for elections under the current political environment, which favours him.”

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the crackdown was designed to dampen the spirits of those fighting for a democratic dispensation in the country.

“The onslaught is meant to weigh down democratic forces, hoping to make their life difficult and in the end discourage them from pushing for a new and free political establishment in the country,” Chamisa said.

He said the new wave of arrests of Mugabe’s critics and opposition activists must be seen in the context of the pending elections.

“They are desperate and panicking,” Chamisa said. “Remember all weak characters are violent and all unpopular regimes are violent.”

Mugabe’s violence strategy has forced the MDC-T to insist on the drafting of a roadmap to elections that comprises of the security of the voter and the outcome of the poll, he said.

But another political analyst who requested anonymity said Mugabe was not in total control of what is happening as Zanu PF hardliners, aided by Joint Operation Command (JOC) members make crucial decisions.

Mugabe (87) is battling advanced age and persistent ill-health.

The analyst said JOC, an organ for the co-ordination of state security matters in the country, has embarked on a scorched-earth policy in a bid to protect ill-gotten wealth and avoid prosecution for human rights abuses.

“Civilian authority is no longer making decisions in Harare,” the analyst said.

“JOC is running the show and they don’t hesitate to use violence to protect whatever they have been grabbing over the years.”