20100820
africanews

Zimbabwe's opposition has been warned to wary of contributions by President Mugabe's Zanu PF in the ongoing constitutional revision exercise. If taken serious, then Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T should trade carefully and possibly not rush into elections.
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Despite having full knowledge of the atrocities they have committed so far in their 30 year plunder of the nation, Zanu PF are strongly advocating for the return of the death sentence.

Obviously the sentence is not meant to work against their own but MDC-T or Arthur Mutambara’s MDC officials during the run up to the next coming elections.

The three parties are in agreement that elections should be conducted soon after the new constitution is ushered in. If the Zanu PF’s view is incorporated in the new supreme law then the nation should expect a fresh legitimised wave of violence and intimidation through the police and the courts before elections. This will effectively silence and eliminate the opposition once and for all.

Treason, murder and any other trumped up charges attracting a death sentence are in store for Morgan Tsvangirai and his lieutenants if the status quo remains. Most of the MDC-T leaders are not new comers to the old and recycled tactic although the mechanism is getting perfected.

A Zanu PF oiled state machinery of Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe National Army, Intelligence and youth militia is still operational and intact, rendering any intentions to hold peaceful elections a non event.

Already the police have begun turning victims of political violence into accused, resulting in the arrest of at least five top MDC-T officials in Masvingo this week. Instead of arresting war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda for inciting violence in Bikita, an MDC-T Member of Parliament for Bikita South, Jani Vherandeni, was incarcerated by Masvingo Central Police, for making enquiries.

In Manicaland a province east of Harare, scores of MDC-T activists are nursing serious injuries whilst their colleagues are rotting in police custody simply for opposition a Zanu PF position during a constitutional outreach programme.

Let bygones be bygones, President Robert Mugabe half heartedly pleaded on behalf of his party thugs during his address on Heroes Day at the national shrine in Harare.
“For the sake of our children and prosperity, I want to urge all of you to note that the process of reconciliation is national. It does not seek to ferret out supposed criminals for punishment but rather calls on all of us to avoid the deadly snare of political conflict,” President Mugabe said.

A few days later the Vice President, John Langa Nkomo shocked merry makers at Presidential Affairs Minister Dydimus Mutasa’s 75th birthday bash in Rusape when he said Zimbabweans should forget past squabbles which led to bloody clashes during the 1980s.

“Squabbles between Zanu (PF) and PF Zapu in the 80s should be water under the bridge. We need peace, unity and tranquillity to prevail so that we can move forward as a nation. If we say an eye for an eye, Zimbabwe will be blind," Nkomo said.

Clearly President Mugabe is not ready to let the law take its course against his own people for taking hundreds of lives in organized political violence sparked by Zanu PF's devastating electoral loss in the 2008 presidential and general elections, even if they are calling for the return of the death sentence.

The failure by the current regime to address systemic problems of governance and organized political violence is a direct cause of the ongoing crisis. And it dates back to the 80s.

The resurgence of political violence and intimidation, during the ongoing nation’s constitutional revision exercise is an indication that the nation is still sick and cannot possibly hold any transparent elections, despite assurances by South African President, Jacob Zuma and Southern Africa Development Committee in Namibia recently.

An analyst has urged the government to start making investigations and arrests and dismantle the lethal state machinery, before the new constitution is gazetted.

“If Zanu PF is sincere by advocating for the return of the death sentence in the new constitution, they should start by accounting for their previous actions.
Amnesty has to be accompanied by accountability,” he said.