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Zimbabwe: Army General Threatens Coup If Mugabe Loses Election
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SW Radio Africa (London)
26 September 2007
Posted to the web 26 September 2007
Lance Guma
As Zimbabweans digest the implications of current talks between Zanu PF and the MDC, army Brigadier General David Sigauke sparked a reality check after threatening a military coup if Mugabe loses the coming election. According to news site Zimonline Brigadier General Sigauke told soldiers at a graduation ceremony over the weekend that Zimbabweans should vote wisely to defend their 'sovereignty' failing which the army would intervene. Zimonline quotes him saying, 'as soldiers, we have the privilege to be able to defend this task on two fronts, the first being through the ballot box and second being the use of the barrel of the gun should the worse comes to the worst.'
He went on to say, 'I may therefore urge you as citizens of Zimbabwe to exercise your electoral right wisely in the forthcoming election in 2008, remembering that 'Zimbabwe shall never be a colony again.' His comments echo similar ones made by former army commander, retired General Vitalis Zvinavashe, who told journalists at a press conference that the army would not back anyone who did not have a liberation war history. The remarks were made on the eve of the 2002 presidential election and were viewed as an attack on opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
The situation is not helped by the fact that dozens of former army personnel have been deployed to run several government parastatals and institutions. The Attorney General's office, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, National Railways of Zimbabwe and the Grain Marketing Board are all headed by former soldiers. Farai Maguwu, the Director of the Civic Alliance for Democracy and Governance, told Newsreel there are many soldiers who have committed crimes against humanity and amassed a lot of wealth along the way. He said it is these individuals who feel threatened by a possible return to normalcy in the country.
Maguwu doubts General Sigauke's position is the official stance of Zanu PF and says there are camps in the party pulling in different directions. He claimed the camp led by retired General Solomon Mujuru is unhappy with the MDC for making concessions to Mugabe because they felt this has now put him in a better position by reducing regional and international pressure. Maguwu believes Mugabe will come out the winner, just as the 1987 unity accord swallowed the opposition Zapu into Zanu PF.
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