Chiwenga In Arms Deal
22 May 2022
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By-The opposition CCC has voiced over reports that Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is currently in Indonesia, will hold talks with an arms manufacturing company to buy military hardware for Zimbabwe.
These reports come as Zimbabwe is preparing for elections next year.
Some of the elections held previously were marred by violence with 2018 and 2008 harmonised elections being typical examples.
Chiwenga, a former army general, landed in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on 15 May on government business to attend a water conference set for 18 and 19 May.
On Tuesday, Chiwenga with his entourage visited Indonesian Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin.

The state media news agency Antara later reported that Chiwenga was set to visit PT Pindad in Bandung. Reported the news agency:
Chiwenga will be offered weapons and arms to modernise the Zimbabwean military, as well as other heavy equipment to improve the Zimbabwean mining industry.
Zimbabwe usually buys military hardware from Eastern Europe, China, Brazil and African countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Egypt.

Before the European arms embargo, it bought arms from Britain and other European countries.
Gift Siziba the CCC deputy spokesperson, told the NewsHawks that, “it is worrying that the regime in Harare would want to buy arms as a priority for a country with so many urgent problems when it is not at war.” He added:
We are not Somalia. We have relative stability, so the country doesn’t need arms as a top priority. The real challenge is the economic crisis due to a political situation flowing from lack of legitimacy for Mnangagwa’s leadership.
He said the alleged bid to acquire weapons reflected how the Mnangagwa administration is desperate to cling on to power after losing elections.