• Bizarre union, Grace and Joice
• Mandi Chimene
• Mujuru’s terror
• Attacking Chiwenga

By Shamiso Joylene Mtandwa | In a bizarre union of two sworn enemies, former Zanu PF Vice President Joice Mujuru has joined First Lady Grace Mugabe to attack Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, Constantine Chiwenga.
 
Mandi Chimene
Chiwenga came out to publicly put down Manicaland Provincial Minister Mandi Chimene after she had publicly attacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mandi is a Grace Mugabe proxy in the unraveling factional battles to replace President Robert Mugabe. Mujuru has inevitably taken sides with Grace, the latter who ironically kicked her out of Zanu PF for precisely the same crime of seeking to succeed her husband. Incidentally, Mujuru who is riding on the recent wave of support propelled by the desire by Zimbabweans to unite opposition forces to fight Zanu PF, is herself a beneficiary of the same military that has kept Zanu PF in power prolonging its stay in power when she was Vice President.
 
Mujuru’s terror
Zimbabweans are embracing Mujuru and her group with caution as they have not totally forgotten their role in the terror campaigns that hit the country in previous elections, so telling is this that Movement for Democratic Change, Vice President Nelson Chamisa was cautious not to greet Didymus Mutasa in public at their weekend joint rally.
Chamisa pulled away from greeting Mutasa whose evil dark days are well etched in the memories of many, when under his watch innocent citizens were mercilessly butchered. He even boasted about it. Mujuru’s hands are not clean either. Even as she will milk sympathy out of her late husbands death, she remains on the US sanctions list and her works are well documented in the looting of diamonds as well as the terror unleashed on innocent Zimbabweans in Mashonland Central. Vocal activists like Elliot Pvebve are crying for justice saying they have proof of Mujuru’s in the blood letting that took place in that province.
 
Attacking Chiwenga
In a statement Wednesday, ZimPF spokesperson, Jealous Mawarire, said Section 211 of the Constitution compelled the defence forces to respect people’s fundamental rights and freedoms and be non-partisan.
“As Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF), we take great exception to the involvement of senior management of the Defence Forces in partisan political activities, particularly the recent spate of statements and threats against political party leaders, activists, church leaders and the broader civil society,” he said.
Chiwenga has in the past few days, threatened Zanu PF politicians who have been fighting to block Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s succession ambitions.
He has further threatened ordinary Zimbabweans who have embarked on peaceful protests against President Mugabe’s failing leadership.
The country’s most powerful soldier was also quoted in the state broadsheet on Wednesday rubbishing claims by ZimPF politicians that Mugabe’s contribution to the country’s liberation war was minimal.
Mujuru, who was ousted as both country and Zanu PF vice president during the height of the ruling party’s implosion in 2014, at the weekend presided over statements that her former boss was not a genuine war veteran as he has no known guerrilla name.
Mawarire said Chiwenga had no right to attack Mujuru for calling President Mugabe to order for denigrating the role played by other war veterans during the liberation struggle.
“General Chiwenga abdicates his role as the commander of the Zimbabwean army assuming new roles as Mugabe’s spokesperson, Zanu-PF spokesperson, spokesperson for the war veterans, all rolled in one,” he said.
The journalist turned ZimPF member said Chiwenga’s threats against political party activists were tantamount to abuse of his military office as he was intimidating citizens genuinely exercising their political rights to belong to political parties of their choice.
“We respect General Chiwenga’s rights as a Zimbabwean, his freedom of expression and his right to associate or join a political party of his choice, but we implore him to do that within the confines of the law and outside his official designation as commander of our armed forces” he said.
Mawarire challenged Chiwenga to resign from the defence forces and join active politics “wherein he would subject himself to the vagaries of political criticism without the luxury of falling back on military force against perceived political opponents.”