ZwNews Chief Correspondent
Concern is brewing in Zimbabwe’s political and humanitarian circles over the August killings of unarmed civilians by the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) which has documented record of being ready to do so in order to keep the status quo in power.
On the other side, the so-called commission of inquiry set up to investigate the cold blooded murder has so far grossly failed the impartiality test.
It is not only the fact that it is a case of history repeating itself, a vicious cycle of; nor is it the actual killing that made bad reading. History has it on good account that wars are not won on the battle ground; but on paper, strategy. It is therefore the willingness to kill for power that have been brooded and made known over the years, that explains more on the bad personalities and hands Zimbabwe is currently entangled in.
In the years gone by senior ZANU PF officials and army personal had repeatedly warned that the party and its leaders were prepared to spill innocent blood for the love and sweetness of power.
The writing was clearly on the wall, and in bold capital letters.
The actual killings, and the subsequent efforts to cover up by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has left some to reshuffle the archives, in search for clues and answers. The President’s commission of inquiry has so far, exposed its mandated mission, that was officially not made public, by Mnangagwa; ‘clean my blood stained hands, erase my footprints; blame the opposition of everything.
The perpetrators had the tenacity of lying from how much they paid for the groceries, to were they had spent the night. Starting from who killed, to the actual cause of life taking.
The so-called inquiry team got a rude awakening when it heard from families of victims that the state made frantic efforts to cover up on the murders.
During the hearings, the commission heard that state doctors tried to hide the victims’ causes of death.
During post-mortem the state doctors said the victims had died of stab wounds; before being forced to correct the death certificates, by the victims’ families who said they were not going to bury their deceased relatives unless the real cause of death ‘gun shots’ were correctly captured on the death certificates.
Be that as it may, the actual killings came not as a surprise, at least to those who are widely read, in as much as the Zimbabwean history and current affairs is concerned.
It has always been a well documented statement that when the ruling party’s grip on power is threatened, blood including those from innocent souls will be spilt.
Before the 2002 general elections, the late army boss, Vitalis Zvinavashe said the military was ready to block at all cost the opposition rule in Zimbabwe. He was supported by the then ZNA Commander now Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, now minister of Agriculture Perrence Shiri who was then Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander, as well as the former Commissioner General of Zimbabwe Republic Police, Augustine Chihuri.
Prisons chief Paradzai Zimondi was not to be outdone, in 2007, he Publicly declared he would take up arms if ZANU PF loses elections.
Following up on the sentiments, scores of opposition supporters and members were murdered at the hands of the state.
In 2008, Chihuri repeatedly warned the late Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai that the state security agents would not let puppets to take charge, as Tsvangirai was alleged to be. During that time, Chiwenga had this to say, “Elections are coming up, and the army will not support or salute sell outs and agents of the west.”
In the same year, another top brass in the army, Engelbert Rugeje said; “We are soldiers. We don’t beg things, but we force. On Friday we are going to force people to go and vote, not for any candidate of their choice, but President Robert Mugabe.”
He was deployed in Masvingo.
All these were documented by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), and others human rights organisations.
In 2011, A report by the Zimbabwe Peace Project said that the army were deployed in rural areas to attack and intimidate opposition supporters.
Fast forward to 2016, top ZANU PF official and Masvingo Minister of State Josiah Hungwe said Mnangagwa was ready to shoot for power.
While Zimbabwe’s dirty history on human rights, was well documented, Mnangagwa had promised to do away with the past brutal ways of governance, however, the recent events has exposed him of the liar he is. His current Commission of inquiry has been widely condemned as a compromised lot whose mission is to cover up on the killings, while trying to blame the opposition.
The CiCZ had the following to say regarding the commission; “Our position is that, the Commission of Inquiry appointed by Mnangagwa to look into the shootings is highly compromised, and can not be expected to objectively investigate the army killings.”
