SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
5 January 2009
A manhunt has been launched by police in Masvingo for a group of soldiers who went on a violent rampage through the high density suburb of Rujeko on New Years Day.
A group of about 10 soldiers clad in full military gear, deserted from their headquarters outside Masvingo last week and launched door to door attacks on residents in Rujeko. The rampaging group viciously assaulted residents, leaving at least five people, including a three year-old child injured. The group also looted many shops in the area while demanding that foreign currency be handed over to them. It's understood the soldiers told those they assaulted that they were tired of working without being paid and had 'every right' to take the money from the public. One of the soldiers was arrested while an estimated nine others are believed to have crossed the border into neighbouring South Africa.
The attacks come a month after another group of rogue soldiers went on the rampage in Harare and looted goods before seizing cash in both foreign and
local currency from members of the public. The Harare soldiers' rampage was the first sign that the loyal armed services were beginning to turn their backs on the regime, but the group was quickly paid off by the government with cash bonuses to dampen the tension at the time.
Analysts had warned that the incident would not be the last of its kind because of the country's daily worsening economic crisis, which has seen the total collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar and the American dollarisation of the economy. Tension has therefore reportedly been growing among the armed forces that are still being paid in local, worthless money.
Meanwhile, as Robert Mugabe's power base continues to appear weakened, paranoia that a coup against the government is being plotted is at an all time high. This after a heavily armed group of armed security agents swooped down on an outdoor training camp outside Harare last week, under the pretext that training of insurgents was underway there.
The Kudu Creek camp site, which trains boy scouts, tourists and others in the art of outdoor living, became the site of a full military invasion last Friday night, when security agents raided the grounds. It's understood the area was cordoned off by four teams made up of about 40 people, with some agents arriving in helicopters.
The four teams comprised of heavily armed officers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the military police, Central Intelligence Organisation and the Air Force. According to media reports the operation was led by two senior air force officers, Air Vice Marshals Henry Muchena and Martin Chedondo, who arrived at the place in a helicopter.
They alleged that the camp owners, Angus Thompson and Gary Nestead, are former members of the Rhodesian Security Forces 'Selous Scouts' (a controversial special-forces regiment of the Rhodesian Army which operated from 1973 until independence in 1980). The pair, who have run the Kudu Creek camp for five years, are believed to still be behind bars.
The Mugabe government is said to be preparing to present evidence to the SADC security organ, that the MDC is orchestrating a coup. SADC last month sent investigators to Botswana to investigate this claim.
Critics have queried why SADC is prepared to investigate what is generally regarded as a completely fictious allegation, but are not prepared to investigate the illegal abductions that the Zimbabwe security forces continue to be involved in.
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