Mugabe tightens security

By The Standard | Nov. 6, 2011

By CAIPHAS CHIMHETE PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has tightened security around himself and his family in recent months following massive demonstrations against autocratic regimes in several African countries in the past months, authoritative sources said.

The uprisings saw the demise of autocrats that never dreamt of the day when the political tide would turn against them. The sources said Mugabe has beefed up security details — that include police, CIO officers and soldiers — making his already huge entourage bloated, especially when travelling out of town.

The sources said the enhanced security was also necessitated by the fact that Mugabe no longer trusts his cronies following revelations by whistle-blower website, WikiLeaks, that most of them wanted him to go.

Some questioned his ability to continue to lead due to advanced age and failing health. Mugabe’s reinforced security was evident last week in Mazowe, about 40km outside Harare, where he officiated at the ground- breaking ceremony for the multi-million dollar Grace Mugabe Foundation Primary School.

The school was built on the same land that the First Lady grabbed from local residents who had built their houses on it. Some of the 62 affected families had built their houses while others were at foundation level.

Security details on Thursday were almost everywhere in Mazowe when The Standard news crew visited the area.Armed and unarmed police officers and soldiers were deployed at a dirt road that turns from the main road along the Harare-Mazowe road from Blue Ridge Shopping Complex, almost 10km from the venue of the ceremony.

Heavily armed soldiers were also deployed in the mountains near Mazowe Dam and by midday some were visibly tired as they slept under trees.The Standard news crew was prevented from covering the event by security manning the entrance who accused it of writing negative things about the orphanage and the First Lady.

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Residents of Mazowe were afraid of walking freely because of the heavy security presence. Some of the residents said they were told to minimise their movements a day before the event because the First Lady was visiting the area.“I have not seen anything like this,” said one resident.

“How can one family have such security details around it? Is Mugabe really under threat?” The resident stopped talking after a police officer emerged from a service station shop where he had replaced the guard, who usually keeps check at the door.

They were taking turns to sit in the shop. Other details were deployed at the hotel and two shopping centres along a road that leads to Iron Mask Farm, a prime agricultural farm that the First Family grabbed from a white commercial farmer.

Sources said Mugabe’s security was enhanced soon after demonstrations that rocked Malawi in July. The fall of leaders such as Muammar Gaddaffi of Libya, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has shaken the 87-year-old leader, who has been ruling Zimbabwe to the core.Efforts to get a comment from the Minister of State for State Security in the President’s Office Sydney Sekeramayi were fruitless as he could not be reached on his mobile phone.

. . . as he loses control of Zanu PF

BY TATENDA CHITAGU PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is fast losing control of Zanu PF, as poor health and old age catches up with the veteran politician.Party officials and MDC-T officials said there was abundant evidence to show that the 87-year-old had lost his once octopus-like grip on the party.They said his failure to deal with political violence and rampant corruption were clear signs that Mugabe was more of a figurehead in the presidium than anything else.

They noted Mugabe’s failure to deal with officials named by whistleblower website, WikiLeaks as having collaborated with the US officials behind his back as another sign of weakness.

The observers said cliques of powerful and rich individuals in the army, police and central intelligence organisation have virtually taken over Mugabe’s roles both in the party and at national level.

They added that it would not be in the political interest of Zanu PF for Mugabe to stand as the party’s presidential candidate in the coming election. Former Zanu PF Masvingo provincial secretary for information Kudzai Mbudzi said the party’s waning political fortunes will worsen if Mugabe stands for another term.

Mbudzi said the party should come up with another presidential candidate if it still entertains hopes of defeating the MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai, now Prime Minister in the inclusive government.

“It is therefore, more informed, instructive and with clear wisdom of purpose for Zanu PF to put forth another candidate in future presidential elections,” he said.

Mugabe is expected to be endorsed as the Zanu PF candidate in the coming polls next year or in 2013. MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said despite displaying apparent political strength on the surface, Mugabe is increasingly showing that he has no spine to deal with rotten apples in Zanu PF.“Mugabe is a weak leader, he cannot stop some elements within Zanu PF from misbehaving,” said Mwonzora.

“Take, for example, the violence that rocked parliament. He was busy denouncing violence while Chipangano was unleashing violence. He cannot control some bad elements within his party.”

Tsvangirai recently admitted that Mugabe was no longer in control. He said security agents were behind a “coup’’ that is plunging Zimbabwe back into political violence.

Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, who on several occasions denied that Mugabe was no longer in charge, could not be reached for comment. But Zanu PF senior politburo member and chief negotiator in talks with the MDC movements, Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, recently said his party could not afford to substitute Mugabe in the next elections.