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Zimbabwe: Mugabe Puts Military On Alert in Case of Riots
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Dumisani Muleya
Johannesburg
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has put his security forces on alert ahead of elections on Saturday to quell the disturbances that are expected if he wins.
The move reveals anxiety within the corridors of power that there might be anti- government riots similar to those that rocked Kenya after that country's disputed elections in December, if Mugabe and his ruling Zanu (PF) win.
Security sources said Zimbabwe's military and police forces have been told to be ready to act after the poll results because the government fears there could be street protests.
Sources said yesterday Mugabe was most likely to scrape through with at least the required 51% of the vote.
But if Mugabe fails to get 51% there would be a run-off which many analysts say he will lose to either opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai or formed finance minister Simba Makoni. Tsvangirai says Mugabe is likely to rig the elections as he did in 2000 and 2002.
Sources also said Zimbabwe could take delivery of jet fighters from either China or Russia this week to prepare for the feared violence. A team of Russian military experts arrived in Harare this week to discuss delivery.
Zimbabwe has bought arms from Russia and, mostly , China to strengthen its arsenal which was largely depleted by involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo civil war between 1998 and 2002.
The opposition has said there is overwhelming evidence of manipulation of the polls through ballot fraud, voters' roll tampering and gerrymandering. Mugabe's regime denies the charges.
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"The army, police and other key security agencies have been put on alert because government fears that there could be an eruption of protests and violence after the elections," a senior government official said.
Opposition and civil society organisations, and SA's African National Congress, have condemned thinly veiled threats of a military coup by pro-Mugabe diehard army generals. Mugabe has warned he would crush any anti-government demonstrations. State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa also said government would deal with protesters.
Police said on Tuesday that they would ruthlessly deal with any anti-Mugabe mass action.
Does anyone seriously expect Mugabe to step down if he actually by some cosmic accident loses the election? Having troops at the ready should also be seen as just another way he reminds the voters who has the power--and who will keep it regardless of the outcome. --Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds, a novel of the Congo
well as i see it no he will not give up the power he craves so much. been born and razed in zimbabwe i have seen the destruction of an emerald land.I even worked for a minister who was up and coming.This particular minister would hang his own grand mother to please Mr Mugabe in fear of the reprisals that would follow if he did not. Mr Mugabe knows that when he is eventually defeated he will be tried and hung for the killing of thousands of people in Matabele land just because they were Matabele and nothing else.I owned... [Read Full Text]
Forgive my submission: But I have had no way of submitting our Message since allAfrica removed their E-mail address due to abusive E-mails: Below is our message: To: The Assignment Editor,
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: Representing the Plight of the People of Matabeleland
Who we are? – Our introductory Message and Announcement
We are working as a body called Umhlahlo we Sizwe sika Mthwakazi - The brainchild of the victims of Matabeleland – a people who have endured one of the worst Government sponsored cruelty, ethnic cleansing, suppression and torture- carried out by the Mugabe-ZANU PF Regime of Zimbabwe Agents.
well as i see it no he will not give up the power he craves so much. been born and razed in zimbabwe i have seen the destruction of an emerald land.I even worked for a minister who was up and coming.This particular minister would hang his own grand mother to please Mr Mugabe in fear of the reprisals that would follow if he did not. Mr Mugabe knows that when he is eventually defeated he will be tried and hung for the killing of thousands of people in Matabele land just because they were Matabele and nothing else.I owned... [Read Full Text]
Now that it is clear rigging is to take place and the army has been deployed to quash any protests what next . what should the citizens do ?
t what did he do to Smith when we attained Independencce?He will go quietly I tell you.Lets be civilized.We will loose bloodbaths and chaos by realising this or else he will behave like cat put into a corner.Lets move forward,Mugabe is our Hero!Listen to Dabengwa.Don,t forget there are surrogates like Didymus Mutasa,Chombo,Manyika,Chinotimba.
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