The charge is high treason!

The machiavellian plan that lies behind today's raids

Harare, Zimbabwe, April 25, 16.30

Sources high in the Zanu-PF police and security forces confirmed for me today that behind today's widely-reported raids on the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and other offices lies a plot to arraign leading opposition figures on trumped-up charges of high treason.

Targeted for arrest and subsequent accusation are the MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti, the party spokesman Nelson Chamisa, and the executive director of the independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) Rindai Chipfunde-Vava.

My sources tell me that the effect will be to ensure that, even if the courts eventually throw out the charges, the MDC and the ZESN will be effectively paralysed. And with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Botswana and fearing for his life, Zanu-PF will be free to continue their campaign of intimidation and terror.

Fortunately all three of the targeted indivuduals - Chamisa, Biti and Chipfunde-Vava - were tipped off about the raids and have gone into hiding. The arrests that were made mainly involved victims of militia violence, who were at the MDC offices to seek sanctuary.

The charge against Biti and Chamisa will be that they committed treason by "falsely informing the nation, with intent to cause distress and promote public uprising and violence, by declaring the MDC presidential candidate winner of the election."

The charge against Chipfunde-Vava will be that she committed treason by "publishing corroborating evidence to MDC claims that their candidate had emerged as clear winner."

The hunt for the three is on-going. Arrests of other party activists can be expected, on similar charges. And, I'm told, huge arms dumps will shortly be "discovered", and their existence blamed on the MDC.

This last plot will send a shiver down some backs. It was the same technique used by Mugabe against his rival Joshua Nkomo in the early 1980s. It led to a state of emergency being declared, and subsequently the slaying of tens of thousands of innocent Ndebeles.

Comments

[Michael]

Ah, and here we see the true ZANLA colours, whenever something doesn't go your way lie, cheat, steal, murder and worse ..... and as Mr Moyo says, the last plot, if proven to be accurate, should not only send shivers down the spines of Zimbabweans, but of the international community, who are just as guilty through their policy of 'talking about it' with no immediate action of any form.

Its time for the UN to step up to the plate and finally show they have the balls to actually follow and enforce the humanitarian principles on which they were founded.

[macpayne]

I think I'm gonna be sick...

The news items coming out of Zim have all the markings of a wannabe novelist's first fictional manuscript, with a painfully sophomoric plot, child-like schemes, and transparent characters... all too predictable and outlandish to even be acceptable as fiction. But, unlike a bad dream, or a bad novel, this is real. In the year 2008, we allow this stuff to continue?

Yes, the UN should become directly involved... immediately. There would be loud cries denouncing "western interference", but if the sorry SADC continues to sit on its hands and do nothing, then what good are they?

The rest of the world is watching, while the SADC performs their parts as fools... court jesters... and by their ineptness and complicity, all of southern Africa becomes a comedy on the world stage. Shame on you. Shame!

Again, what good are they?

[zimboy]

Last time I looked participating in elections wasn't grounds for treason, except in an absolute monarchy... Who will rid us of this old man?

[RMacleod]

Unfortunately the Chinese ship carrying arms for Zimbabwe did not after all return to China but has docked at Lobita, Angola.

It has been mooted in a press report, Angola will send para military police to Zimbabwe to assist the Zanu PF forces.

[Michael]

If that happens I can see a horrid little (or not so little) war on the horizon, and a split Africa ..... not exactly what we want to see

[DC]

Michael, if there is to be war Africa will be split - but not how (I think) you imagine it.

It will be split between those who "don't interfere in African internal affairs" and those who support (either openly or discreetly) ZANU-PF.

Either way, the MDC (i.e. Zimbabwe) loses.

[RMacleod]

Good news at last from the New York Times and the Angolan official news agency.

JOHANNESBURG — In a slap to Zimbabwe, its longtime ally Angola announced Saturday that a Chinese ship bearing arms for Zimbabwe would not be allowed to unload the weapons while it docked in Luanda, the Angolan capital.

[Michael]

I reckon it will be a 3 way split personally, add 'external influences' to it and that would just about complete it ..... unfortunately that third one would be the worst of all, because there is usually hidden motive behind external influence.

Mind you, that prospect is slightly further away now with the quoted article from RM ..... which is a good thing.

[RMacleod]

The violence is certainly escalating and there are reports of MDC retaliation especially in east Mashonaland.

Both Mnangagwa and Sekeramayi apparently arrived in Angola on Friday, probably in an attempted to get the arms cargo unloaded.

[RMacleod]

It is interesting to note, two ex commanders of Zanla forces have made the following statements. The pressure is definitely increasing.

In a statement released today, Wilfred Mhanda, aka Dzinashe Machingua, and
Happyson Nenji (Webster Gwauya), expressed their utter disgust and outrage
at the unmitigated reign of terror currently visiting unarmed rural people
in the country.

"The perpetrators of the orgy of violence are the state security forces
themselves complemented by non-state actors in the form of rogue war
veterans, youth militia and Zanu PF enthusiasts," the two repsected war
veterans said.

[MacPayne]

RMac, what is the reference for the quote, please? Surely, such statements wouldn't appear in the Herald!

[RMacleod]

To Macpayne-ref is'zimbabwejournalists.com'
posted 28th April 2008 at 01.22 GMT.

[Leigh Sagar]

When more than half of the population are conspiring to get you out of power, it's called democracy.