The Military’s toxic role during the 2008 Elections This week, we continue with publishing to punish those who voted for the Move- edited excerpts from a report published ment for Democratic Change (MDC), par- by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition titled ticularly in areas perceived to be tradition- The Military Factor in Zimbabwe’s Polit- al ZANU-PF strongholds of Masvingo, ical and Electoral Affairs. Below is Chap- Mashonaland, and Manicaland provinces. ter 4 of the report. Please also see accom- One victim, quoted in the report described panying story at the bottom of the page. armed soldiers going from house to house in the township of Chitungwiza searching lthough the role of the mili- for MDC supporters and beating them: tary was covert and subdued “I did not know my assailants, but in the lead up to the March they were in army uniform and drove 2008 elections, it became de- an army truck. They were boasting Acisive and toxic during the presidential of being given a three-day assign- runoff election campaign period between ment to ‘bring hell’ to the people.” April and June 27. The military had overt- THE PRESIDENT’S MEN: President Robert Mugabe (right) is pictured here with Army Chief, Gen- $UP\ RIÀFHUV KDYH EHHQ SHUVRQ- eral Constantine Chiwenga (centre) and Intelligence boss, Happyton Bonyongwe.-dailymail.co.uk ly taken over and had become the arbiter ally involved in a number of ‘re-educa- of Zimbabwe’s fate during this period. tion’ meetings at which local residents ÀHGDSHDFHIXOHOHFWLRQFHQWHUHGSURFHVV (HRW), also implicated the military in In early June 2008 MDC leader Morgan are forced to renounce opposition and of transition away from authoritarianism widespread electoral abuses. In a report, Tsvangirai noted that the country had swear allegiance to the ruling party af- and towards democracy was interrupted.” HRW stated that the scale of military attacks witnessed a de facto coup d’etatand was ter being beaten and tortured. The Army Between April and the June 27 run- exceeds anything seen previously during now effectively run by a military junta. however continues to deny any involve- off election, the security forces took a Zimbabwe’s long history of electoral vio- In an attempt by the military to re- ment in the violence and speaking on central role in violently campaigning for lence. Soldiers carried out scores of attacks verse Mugabe’s defeat by Tsvangirai in this Army deputy public relations of- the ZANU-PF candidate, Robert Mugabe. in Harare and surrounding townships. WKH ÀUVW URXQG RI SUHVLGHQWLDO HOHFWLRQV ÀFHU 0DMRU $OSKLRV0DNRWRUH VDLG During this period soldiers were deployed The military takeover has meant an explo- the military effectively overthrew the “The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in all the ten provinces across the coun- sion in the level of violence in Zimbabwe. electoral process and unleashed violence wishes to raise concerns over articles be- try with the aim to ensure that ZANU-PF Names of top military commanders ac- and intimidation on a wide scale. The ing published in the print and the elec- wins the presidential election at all costs. cused of masterminding the ruthless cam- military emerged at this time as the bed- tronic media on allegations relating to A report by the Zimbabwe Human paign to keep President Robert Mugabe rock and political commissar of ZANU- the alleged political violence, assaults, Rights NGO Forum indicates orga- in power include Air Vice Marshal Henry PF. Following a defeat at the polls by the harassment and robberies perpetrated nized violence and torture increased Muchena, Air Commodore Michael Kara- MDC in March 2008, ZANU-PF’s evalu- by men in army uniforms … the army in association with the various parlia- kadzai, Air Vice Marshal Abu Basutu, ation noted the obvious, that the party categorically distances itself and any mentary by-elections that took place. Major General EngelbertRugeje, Retired structures were virtually non-existent of its members from such activities.” However, there was an absolute Major General Gibson Mashingaidze and and lacked capacity to mount an effective The military’s meddling in politi- increase in organized violence and tor- Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba. campaign, hence the strategy to turn to cal and civilian affairs has been strongest ture from the middle of the year 2008 According to the HRW report, wit- the military for a campaign of coercion. in Mashonaland East, where soldiers at as the campaign for the Presidential QHVVHV LQWHUYLHZHG LGHQWLÀHG QXPHURXV Political scientist Eldred Masunungure Joko Army Barracks have taken army election gained momentum up to pres- VHQLRU PLOLWDU\ RIÀFHUV DV EHLQJ GLUHFWO\ noted on the runoff campaign period: drills to villages. In Manicaland prov- ent day. As the violence generally in- involved in the violence. The report fur- “The April to June 2008 interregnum was ince traditional chiefs were summoned creases, so does the number of cases ther claimed that documents leaked by a militarized moment. A ZANU-PF that to an “indoctrination workshop” where in which members of the army are im- GLVJUXQWOHG DUP\ RIÀFHUV QDPHG RI had been de-stooled as the ruling party the Brigadier-General Douglas Nyika- plicated as the primary perpetrators. them, each assigned an area to oversee in in Parliament was not prepared to be dis- yaramba told them to support ZANU Investigations by international human Operation Makavhoterapapi? or Operation lodged from State House… In the process, PF or be deposed from their positions. rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch Where Did You Put Your Vote?, a campaign the winds of democratic change were de- The face of Zimbabwe’s military brass s Robert Mugabe’s the late Vitalis Zvinavashe, Chi- ers. Since the formation of the death for opposition opponents. when he took over from the late health reportedly dete- wenga echoed the unwritten law unity government, police have Human Rights Watch has re- Josiah Tungamirai. He is nick- Ariorates and renewed among the military chiefs that arrested many MDC ministers. peatedly condemned the squalid named “Black Jesus” because of LQÀJKWLQJ JULSV =DQX3)·V WZR they “would never salute anyone Popular opinion in the living conditions in the prisons the power he wields in deciding factions, Zimbabwe’s military without liberation credentials”. country is that Chihuri was also but reform is yet to take place. whether an individual lives or openly declared its support Chiwenga is the chair- the mastermind of the controver- dies. As the commander of the for the 87-year-old president. person of the Joint Operations sial Operation Murambatsvina Douglas Nyikayaramba: Brig- North Korean-trained Fifth Bri- As a result, the unity gov- Command, a body that includes in 2005, which sought to de- adier general, Zimbabwe De- gade army in the 1980s, Shiri ernment has been rattled. Alli- Zimbabwe’s military, police and stabilise the MDC’s growing fence Forces was linked to the Gukurahundi DQFHVLQ=DQX3)KDYHVKLIWHGDW intelligence services, but it’s per- urban support base under the The brash and outspoken Nyi- massacres in which an estimat- the likelihood of a military coup ceived bias in favour of Zanu-PF pretext of building new houses kayaramba has not hidden his ed 20 000 people were killed. d’état and, with elections loom- has led the opposition Move- for the homeless. But the police dislike of either the MDC or At the height of Zanu- ing, it has increasingly become ment for Democratic Change commissioner’s bias towards Morgan Tsvangirai. As head PF’s land seizures in 2000, he evident that the military leaders 0'& WR ODEHO LW D ´PDÀDµ Zanu-PF has served to solidify of Mugabe’s election team in is believed to have orchestrated will not be sidelined. Zimba- &KLZHQJD·VLQÁXHQFHLQ=LPED- Mugabe’s grip on power, because 2002 and blamed for rolling out the invasion of several white bwe’s next ruler might have to bwe’s politics cannot be underes- the police brutality has been a Mugabe’s 2008 re-election cam- farms. He is also an alleged court it for survival. The Mail & timated. Calls for him to remove day-to-day reminder to citizens paign, the brigadier has become EHQHÀFLDU\ RI WKH DLUOLIWLQJ RI *XDUGLDQORRNVDWWKHÀYHSRZHU his uniform to become a politi- of who is really in charge and a barometer of the temperature diamonds in the Democratic brokers in Zimbabwe’s military. cian by Prime Minister Morgan calls the shots in government. within the military camp. Politi- Republic of Congo during the Tsvangirai may prove less en- cal analyst Eldred Masunungure FRQÁLFW ,W LV ZLGHO\ EH- Constantine Chiwenga: Army ticing, because as army com- Paradzai Zimondi: Command- described him as “an indicator of lieved that the country’s most commander, Zimbabwe De- mander he has a vantage point er, Zimbabwe Prisons Service the desperation within Zanu-PF”. GHFRUDWHG ZLQJ PDQ FDQQRW Á\ fence Forces that makes even the MDC wary. It is no coincidence that Zim- Nyikayaramba recently revealed Shiri’s close family ties Nicknamed “Zim 2” because babwe’s prisons are “hell on that Mugabe would win the up- to Mugabe, his involvement of his ranking after Mugabe, Augustine Chihuri: Commis- Earth”, according to the MDC’s coming elections, described in the Joint Operations Com- Chiwenga (56) is the latest in sioner general, Zimbabwe Re- Roy Bennett, who was arrested Tsvangirai as a “national securi- mand and his place on the Eu- a long list of loyalists touted to public Police on treason charges. After all, it is ty threat” and scoffed at sugges- ropean Union sanctions list succeed the president and hope- In the past decade, Chihuri the perfect place to throw dissent- tions that Mugabe should be re- make it most likely that he will fully neutralise Zanu-PF’s tense has effectively turned the po- ers after the police arrest them.