http://allafrica.com/stories/200608160338.html

Dumisani Muleya
Johannesburg



ZIMBABWE'S embattled President Robert Mugabe yesterday threatened opposition party members considering joining mass action to oust his regime, hinting they could be shot by security forces.

As the prevailing political and economic crisis worsens, Mugabe issued his latest chilling threat, saying he would order the military to shoot down opposition supporters, including members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), if they tried to oust his regime through mass action.

Publicly displaying growing fear of a possible uprising, Mugabe said his army was ready to "pull the trigger" against opposition groups planning to topple his regime through streets protests.

Mugabe's threats come amid worsening social and economic conditions. Maize meal, the staple food for the majority of Zimbabweans, has run out and fuel shortages have resurfaced. Shortage of foreign currency, electricity, drugs, and basic commodities have steadily worsened in recent weeks.

Mugabe's government has in the past acted on similar warnings. In 1998 the army shot dead at least 10 people during food riots.

"We want to remind those who might harbour any plots to revolt against the government: be warned, we have armed men and women who can pull the trigger," Mugabe told thousands gathered to commemorate the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day at Rufaro Stadium in Harare to honour former soldiers.

Mugabe's threats yesterday follow menacing remarks on Monday during the Heroes' Day celebrations in Harare that opposition parties planning to stage antigovernment marches would be "crushed".

The Zimbabwean ruler has been intensifying his tactics since the MDC leadership warned in February they were planning to tackle Mugabe's regime in the streets.

As if to buttress the threats, Mugabe, who is the commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe army, said he would boost its capability.

Mugabe has over the past six years increased the police and military's power, and parastatals are headed by top military men. Having kept Zanu (PF) in power, Mugabe has also set about reserving top jobs for his Zezuru ethic group.

Just simply amazing how he can go from freeing a country of colonization to supreme dictator. Simply amazing..........After all he did to free the country you would think that he would want to protect the people more than anything instead of cling to power or am I missing something?

to be fair, people are talking about "mass action". That could be anything from strikes and demonstrations to an outright coup (not likely). But I imagine any leader would be talking about the army if people started thinking that way.

A Freudian slip Im sure .....but...."any leader would be talking about the Army if people started THINKING that way"

safetyblitz wrote: Show me apolitician on this whole goddamn planet with such an ideal......and I will show you the true 'Leader of The Free World'.

In fact is there any country now which is not under the control of a Supreme Dictator of some kind?

'Elected by the people for the people'.........Doesn't exist mate.

Respect

check the record of African revolutionaries, Kwame Nkrumah, Tomas Sankara, Sekou Ture, Lumumba... they all had to deal with "trojan horses" planted right in the midst of their communities.all in the list lost the battle to the enslaved mentalities because they slacked where control of such types is concerned.

there's no way to deal with such people than to be harsher than harsh, otherwise how are you going to protect/preserve a revolution? what would have become of Castro's revolutionif he had been linient to such subversives?

and it's not like there is a country on this planet that would not react like Mugabethreatens to if faced with such absurd, obtuse demands and threats, especially given the record of Tsvangirai and hisMDCwith colonialism painted in yellow on its backside... and we all know howthis political partywas founded and where the money comes from.

fact of the matter is I think it's about time Mugabe got rougher with those people. how I wish he had zapped that Tsvangirai when he was in prison so he walked out an idiot. Russians did that tit-for-tat with Yuschenko. that's how the other side handles such characters so give them a taste of their own medicine.

we have to be rough with people who are a danger to their very selves otherwise we fall with them. imagine what would have happened to a Tsvangirai like crook if he was an American national with unpatriotic links to a country that doesn't mean America well...

@DM and all. Be warne its a bit long...

Wanted to give you some feedback from some brothers of mine who came back from Zimbabwe in the last say four months or so and one of them who is very well connected through all ranks of the government and had some very very interesting things to say about the land policy.

In fact he spoke at a very well attended meeting which was publicized on our Community Events forum but I was not around. A highly regarded radical and intellectual and leader and probably one of the most highly regarded within particular circles and seen by the wicked attendence.

He met with all the key people regarding the matter of land distribution not only in Zim, but also South Afirca, Namibia and Mozambique. He said all of them had exactly the same problem as Zim and why they are all sympathetic because it is a bitch of a complex problem. He also said if you saw the SA draft policy on the issue it could fill a room with paper because it is so complex because this is a very difficult issue. In Namibia they don't even have any money whatsover to pay off the white boys and get back their land.

Having said that I have always been a critical supporter of Mugabe and nothing my people tell me actually changes that and if you seriously study revolutions or have actual serious experience of particular things you can work it out for yourself. As Toulone said study any revolution, and not only in Africa, but the French and Russian revolution which was the basic starting point in educating radicals and security personnel and learn the lessons...

All revolutions face these issues and have to handle or manage them. In all instances powerful external forces have an absolute commitment to overturn the new regime and will use any means necessary. At the same time particular groups within the population will see themselves as being losers of change or alientated by crude and insensitive policies or things which are just plain wrong. Revolutionaires are allowed to make mistakes like anybody else, problem is there is a well resourced enemy waiting to pounce.

Another factor, and I said this from my first post on this subject many years ago debating with Geoff and Kunjufu, there is the issue of buearcratic politics, incompetence and discrimination and personal scores being settled. Mugabe as commander in chief must take responsiblity, but the reality is he may be able to do little to control it. Study the great Terror in the French revolution. Once people feel encircled then an uncontrolled bueracracy is a very very strong possibility.

The commander in Chief cannot know or does he want to know about every low level decision being made by his police and security forces. How can he? Not possible. Therin lays the paradox which allows particular abuse to take place, but of course he has to accept responsiblity as the boss no doubt.

Mugabe has not helped himself, but again without making excuses again this is understandable. Look at how they handled the remmoval of people from that area after he made the deal with the Chinese absolutely appalling. Especially when you consider other countries eg Caribbean countries who had exactly the same problem. But the context is different, because they do not have an enemy breathing down their necks and we are talking about an African bueracracy who aint too sharp on the people skills element of decisions. Just send in the boys and move people out like animals. Appalling and not going to win you support from people already pissed off. But the government had made a deal which has to be honoured.

Finally, all governments and organisations have to use security forces and use them hard in particular situations. Let me give you a scenario.....

Blacknet is the most succesful venture of its kind and holds an imaginary international event which draws AFricans around the world, business people, intellectuals and leaders, ordinary folk you name them. Blacknet is leading the building of black power and hope for our people and everyone is talking about them.

Imagine if you will Blacknet has a rival, who has a different set of values and agenda and sees their growth as a threat. Other disidents include people who were quite rightly banned or thrown out of Blacknet for conduct unbecoming. They have wives and children and friends so we cannot expect them to spread love about Blacknet.

On given day Blacknet head of Security and Intelligence (Safety Blitz) finds out that serious efforts will be made to seriously disrupt Blacknet's largest and most ambitious international function to date. The intelligence is solid and hard. Included in this group are British intelligence ,Jewish intelligence because many of us have no love for them and they monitor our discussions etc.

Safety Blitz also knows that white people are actively working to resource and even advise on the tactics to be used to disrupt the event and bus loads of ex Blacknet dissidents are to be brought to this imaginary conferenceto add fuel to the fire.

Kunjufu is the elected President and Commander in Chief of Blacknet..What do you think his orders will be to SafetyBlitz? What do you think we the supporters and members of Blacknet will expect from our Head of Security and Intelligence and his colleque the Head of Armed Forces and Policing (Drunk Monkey)?

Do we expect those forces to stop our event? Or do we have the right not to expect our government to put its foot down hard and clear and send the message for all to see?

Does it mean all the people on one side are good and all their decisions are right or even just and all those on the other side are the enemy and all of one type and kind and the same motivation? Only if we are children. Do I disbelieve everything Drunk Monkey in his normal out of role contexttells me and accept everything my own people or contacts tell me. Of course not.

The difference is this. Some people take the understanding of these problems seriously, either because they have to and that is their jobs or they want to understand and others do not. Equally, some cannot conceive these things away from an idealistic point of view about black progress and revolutionary process, while others can appreciate if from experiece and having serious responsibilties which keep you awake at night about the moral and technical issues about the decisions you will have to make.

I have been in the above position twice and it is not nice, but decisions have to be made to send in the troops in numbers and hard and ruthlessly. You cannot confiscate every possible camera in the conference or area. You will not be able to suppress all the pictures of women getting batons straight in the face or with blood pouring out of wounds or of someone being dragged by their locks looking the worse for a serious beating. As much as you would like, it is not possible. Nor the stories that will be published about Commander in Chief Kunjufu and his autocratic and violent approach..and the nature of the Blacknet regime and its supporters.

The simple test if people genuinely believe in democracy is for the external enemies of Zim to back off and remove the type of internal conditions and defensive psychology which the government has or any organisation has when it knows for a fact somebody is trying to bring it down.

Let the people within Zim decide their fate and I can guarentee you even die hard loyals to the government will show a different face. But when what people have fought and died for is threatened by an outiside force, higher loyalites will come in play and always will.

Because anybody who has met Mugabe even for a short while and is no fool will know two things, he has superior intelligence and is absolutely fearless. So he is the man a whole heap of people will back and go down with. Because as far as that man is concerned Zimbabwean independence from western domination is not a discussion point. If he goes down that goes with it andin his mind and that simply is not going to happen.

He will do whatever he has to do to win. I for what it is worth would do exactly the same but I pray and hope with greater sophistication and skill



Peace.

FB