"THE BATTLE MUGABE WILL NEVER WIN!" by Rev M S Hove

PRELIMINARY REMARKS:

It is very vital that the whole world should know that ZANU-PF has always had two faces. There is the face that is shown to the world and the face that the common man on the ground sees and brushes and inter-acts with.

We who have been part of ZANU-PF for all our adult lives can testify that ZANU-PF is a very dangerous organisation indeed. I will try to follow the bumpy journey that we have had with Mugabe and ZANU-PF since before the Independence of 1980.

It must be emphasized that Mugabe and ZANU-PF have always existed as some sort of under-dog. That is the underline that must never be ommitted.

BEFORE 1980.

When the Rev Ndabaningi Sithole broke away in the early 60s (from the main Organisation, ZAPU), the new Organisation, ZANU survived and thrived by demonising Dr Joshua Nkomo. He was presented to the people as a dangerous Ndebele who would revive the Ndebele Kingdom.

As with all propaganda, there must be some element of truth for the propaganda to stick. The majority Shonas had suffered untold hardships in the previous Century from raids by war-like Ndebeles. So anyone who could revive that experience in the hearts and minds of the people had a very easy task.

So it was very risky for Shonas to remain in Dr Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU. In fact, those that did deserve a lot of respect. There are numerous I could mention but I do not intend to list them in this particular submission. I cannot also list the numerous events where ZAPU supporters were tortured and murdered before Independence. The trend was for Shonas to support ZANU and forget about Dr Joshua Nkomo if they wanted to live and survive.

From 1973 when I completed the General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) ie Form Four, I was a member of the United African National Council (UANC) which was led by the Methodist Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa. This UANC was the internal Organisation which grouped all the nationalists ie ZAPU, ZANU and the former ANC. The strategy was for the Smith Regime to treat the UANC in a softer light yet in fact it was representing the very same “banned” ZAPU and ZANU.

From 1974 I was staying my with my parents and my father was the Pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the black township of Rimuka in the small farming and mining town of Kadoma (then Gatooma).

Recruitment for guerilla fighters for both the ZANLA and ZIPRA (military wings of ZANU and ZAPU respectively) was done underground within the UANC. The young men we recruited went mainly to Mozambique to the ZANLA bases.

I remember vividly that we contributed monies in Kadoma to give the “boys” when their representatives came to us in Rimuka Townnship. We used to gather at the SQ's (Single Quarters) at Mr Nyamhuri's house (or more correctly , room).

Mr Nyamhuri was so committed to the struggle and I held him in the highest esteem.

What I didn't know and what didn't really concern me then was whether he was ZAPU or ZANU. To me these Organisations had been “swallowed” by the UANC and what was there was just the UANC and the UANC alone. But because of what I will relate later, may I mention that he was a fervent supporter of Dr Nkomo's ZAPU.

I was a Sub-station Attendant with the then ESC (the Electricity Supply Commission) and I was very angry with the racism of the white Rhodesia Front regime.

I had completed my Cambridge School Certificate with a First Division and I was angry that I was only taken by the ESC as a $7.92 a week Sub-Station Attendant yet white youths were getting in as Apprentices getting $40 a week.

I hated Ian Smith and I was committed to the Armed Struggle.

In March of 1975, 21 of us were picked up and I spent three weeks detained at the Rimuka Police Cells.

Detective Sergeant Zimani then told me that they were doing their jobs and they would continue with their jobs even in the event of Black Majority Rule. He specifically said, “Tichangoshaina zvakadaro. Tiri kushaina ende tichangoshaina.” (We will still thrive. We are thriving now and will still thrive then.)

HOW TRUE HE WAS AND IT BECAME EXACTLY AS HE HAD SAID!

Detective-Sergeant Zimani was a very smart, handsome light-skinned man. Many years later I worked in ZESA (The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority) with a nephew of his who informed me that Mr Zimani did continue working a Senior Detective in the renamed Zimbabwe Republic Police and retired due to old age.

BACK TO MY STORY:

In the middle of April, 1975, some of were released but some were sent to the High Court in Harare (then Salisbury) and one was sentenced to death and two were sentenced to Life Imprisonment. The crime was “the recruitment of terrorists for military training.”

The young man who was sentenced to death was a very handsome, intelligent brother whom we had learnt to love, trust and admire. His name appears in the lists of people who were sentenced to death in the Salisbury High Court in 1975.

I escaped Death or even Life Imrisonment myself because I was 19 years old and it was assumed that I had been misled by the older people.

After my release I got a job as a Temporary Teacher at Mupamombe Primary School in the same Rimuka Township and I remember I was earning a healthy $59.75 per month.

I started in the Second Term and I hoped I would settle for a quiet uneventful life.

Sometime beginning of the Third Term, seven young Form One Students came to me and they said they wanted directions to go to Mozambique. I told them I was sure they needed to go to Malvenia and see from there. They asked me for financial assistance and I truthfully said I had none. I, however, wished them a safe journey and that was the last I heard from them.

On the 10^th of November (the same year 1975), Detective-Sergeant Zimani came to my Grade 5B Classroom with the Headmaster and I was told the Police needed me and could I get my jacket and everything. I was driven to Chakari Police Station where I spent exactly five weeks. Among the numerous visitors who periodically came to visit me was the same Nyamhuri who I had shared a cell with earlier in the year.

HERE IS WHERE I'M GOING TO:

On the 16^th of June, 1984, when I was now a District Secretary in ZANU-PF, I had to supervise the beating up of PF-ZAPU members and one of them was my same compatriot, Cde Nyamhuri. The full story of this particular black day is available in my “THE THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES OF A FORMER ZANU-PF CADRE” and the link thereof is available at www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com .

What made ZANU-PF members go on a rampage beating up and killing PF-ZAPU members? What made brother to turn against brother and children to turn against their parents etc etc??

I have related how the Rev Sithole's ZANU persecuted Dr Nkomo's ZAPU. Although there was some loose Alliance called the Patriotic Front, Mr Robert Mugabe (now heading ZANU) was so determined to lead the new Independent Zimbabwe. He fooled all who thought his Alliance with Nkomo was genuine.

There was great disappointment when Mugabe led ZANU to contest the Elections on its own in 1980.

He had made his task easier by assassinating a very respected Karanga General Josiah Magama Tongogara who was of the view that Mugabe and Nkomo should go into Zimbabwe as one united entity. The General held the ZAPU leader in high esteem and paid with his life for that posture.

FROM 1980 ONWARDS:

 It was so logical that Dr Joshua Nkomo and Mr Robert Mugabe should fight the Smith Regime as a one united front. At that time the battle was actually against the Internal Settlement Leader (Bishop Abel Muzorewa.)

The whites were contesting on their own for the 20 reserved seats. The 80 were “up for grabs” for the black Political Formations.

But to simple persons like myself, it would have been a wonderful climax if the Nationalist Movements were to share their victories together.

ALAS, ROBERT MUGABE HAD OTHER IDEAS!

Dr Nkomo's Campaign Team couldn't campaign in numerous areas.

Masvingo, Manicaland and many parts of Mashonaland. Many lost their lives. The situation became so bad Lord Soames was under pressure to disqualify Mugabe's ZANU-PF. In retrospect many wish he had done just that. But it would have been impossible to hold the Elections without Robert Mugabe.

ZANLA had left 4000 fighters in Mozambique who had not been declared at the Assembly Points and these would have destabilised the Elections of 1980 and whatever would come from them. So in spite of the violence, ZANU-PF was allowed to contest and “won” 57 seats, Dr Nkomo 20 with Muzorewa getting 3. The seats were given out using the proportional representation ie using the percentages of the votes gained.

But I later learnt that the ZAPU members and the ZIPRA combatants never really felt relaxed and happy in the new Zimbabwe. At that time ie 1981 to 1987, I was under the impression that ZAPU was a dangerous organisation which was plotting to “overthrow” Mugabe's ZANU-PF Government. Me as a Minister of the Gospel, I managed to talk to many ex-ZIPRA cadres who told me horrifying stories.

Many good persons were being locked up, ZAPU offices were being shut down all over the country.

The farms which the demobilised ex-ZIPRA Combatants had bought with their “De-mob” monies were confiscated by the State and even after the so-called “Unity Accord” of 1987, they have never been returned. These were called “Nitram Farms.”

The persecution of all of Mugabe's real or imaginary enemies during his 28 year reign of terror can never be fully quantified.

In my submission “IS ROBERT MUGABE THE MASTER-ASSASSIN” (refer www.bobchargesheet.blogspot.com), I tried to list all the persons I knew had been assassinated by Robert Mugabe's CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation.) I'm daily surprised by other additional names.

I had not listed Professor Masipula Sithole who allegedly had a heart attack while on a plane to the United States.

I had not listed Dr Swithun Mombeshora who had a very strange death. At that time we thought he just died in his sleep. Now we know more and I need to update my records.

WHY MUGABE CANNOT WIN THIS TIME:

The very cadres that Mugabe and ZANU-PF used in various evil and nefarious activities are too scattered this time. Some left the country due to the Economic hardships, some now support Tsvangirai's MDC, others support the Makoni-Mutambara Alliance and numerous are giving Interviews all over the world and a few like myself are blogging and are collecting information which heavily incriminates the same Mugabe and ZANU-PF.

Mugabe can never rig Elections this time and hope to get away with it. Within the most close networks are angry and disgruntled Operatives who were made to persecute their own friends, relatives etc. There is no Operative who doesn't have relations that suffered in one way or another during Mugabe's stranglehold on power.

The few that sing Mugabe's praises are the desperate ones who fear serious retribution in the event of another Government getting into power. These operate in difficult circumstances because their own colleagues leak vital information to the Opposition Forces hence making “Operations” very difficult, if not impossible.

How can MDC sypmathisers “rig” at 23 Polling Stations? Are we, therefore, alleging that those registered as ZANU-PF Polling Agents were actually MDC members?

That's very frightening!

So who is really ZANU-PF?

If members of the Politburo can break away just a month before a very vital Election, who is the committed ZANU-PF member?

In other words, can anyone be sure who supports Mugabe and who does not?

So how does Mugabe hope to win a re-run, if there is one? Does Mugabe not risk the danger of a worse loss?

Are Mugabe's advisers sincere? Or are they also Opposition sympathisers?

UNDERSTANDING THE ZIMBABWEAN PRESENT SITUATION:

After numerous Political Parties “fell” by the way-side, ZANU-PF made the blunder of being arrogant and complacent. It is important to mention that those that “fell by the wayside” were actually strangled by ZANU-PF.

Margaret Dongo, Chief Justice Enoch Dumbutshena, Edgar Tekere, Bishop Muzorewa etc etc. Graves were dug as their members were clubbed to death or were sent to other violent death.

Corruption then crept in and spread like a cancer.

When Cde Edgar Tekere mentioned in a Politburo Meeting that “we are getting too corrupt”, the reply was: “You see that door.....leave through it and form your own Political Party.” He did form ZUM and what happened to Cde Kombayi and numerous others is there for all to read.

Please go to my www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com and look for “APPEAL TO ALL JOURNALISTS AND WRITERS”, and “THE THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES OF A FORMER ZANU-PF CADRE.”

Mugabe was now a “Demi-God” who could neither be advised nor even approached by anyone. His own relatives, Phillip Chiyangwa, Leo Mugabe etc became filthy rich while the generality of the populace sank into deeper and deeper poverty. State funds were diverted to non-productive and dangerous adventures. The DRC war.... the Pay-outs to angry Ex-Combatants, the “Gracelands” projects by Grace Marufu-Goreraza-Marufu...... the list is endless!

When the Movement for Democratic Change was formed, then Mugabe and ZANU-PF decided to take the most risky leap ever taken....in the dark!

HOW THE “LAND GRAB” BECAME THE VERY LAST STRAW!

I was an Accounting Officer (Revenue) in the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority when the “Land Grab” began. As o former Credit Controller in the same Organisation, I knew who our “Big Customers” were. Farmers, Mining Companies and other big Industrialists gave us the big revenue.

Farmers had their own Transformers and used millions of Kilowatt-hours (Units.)

When the “Land Grab” began, revenue fell drammatically. ZESA never became the same after that. Remember many “big” customers were paying in Foreign Currency , if it was known they exported certain products eg beef products, flowers etc etc.

With the collapse of the Commercial Farmers, everything then followed like that Domino Set-up! Centres suplying farmers with implements also collpsed. Banket Farmers' Centre, Chinhoyi Agricultural Supplies etc etc. Each town had closures. Norton lost Farmers' Centres. So did Kadoma. Name every city and town!

The Cold Storage Commissions around the country closed for lack of beef products. My fellow-contrymen who had gone into the farms were selling beef at black market places and had no regard for business acumen since they had “inherited” the farms with all the beasts etc for free! All that was there to do was to thank Mugabe and ZANU-PF for the “Third Chimurenga.”

The Dairy Marketing Commissions closed down. No-one brought megalitres of milk. The new farmers were sitting on stools and milking just enough for their families. No bulk deliveries to town. The little that was being sold in towns was being sold at market stalls. Nothing much to talk about!

The Commercial Banks were holding numerous title deeds as Security for short-term and long-term loans that the Commercial farmers taken to supply their ventures with financial injections. Overnight they lost millions as Mugabe declared those Title Deeds just equal in value to “toilet paper.” Who knows how much was lost by the Banks due to this misguided “Revolutionary” move?

The new farmers who took over the farms were mainly “Cell Phone” administrators who did not live full-time on the land. Whenever they bought, say, fertilizer, they never knew if their Farm Managers used that fertilizer or actually sold it at cheaper prices and pocketing the ready cash. Which farmer can succeed if they send inputs and implements and not supervise how they are used?

Fuel that was sold to the new farmers at ridiculously low prices never reached the said farms.

The new farmers found it far more profitable to re-sell it to transport operators rather than take it hundreds of kilometres to their farms.

The whole tragedy that sorrounded the “Land Grab” can never be fully revealed.

It is not fully true that “Sanctions” are the only ones to blame for the Economic Crisis in Zimbabwe. The factors are so numerous, what's required for Zimbabwe is a completely new start!

The strongest ZANU-PF supporter knows that Mugabe and ZANU-PF can never preside over the re-construction of the country's Economy.

THE CONCLUSION:

I rarely have a formal conclusion in all my submissions.

This one, however, deserves a proper conclusion.

As I write this submission, its Sunday 13^th Apriland I'm receiving SMS's from Zimbabwe and from around the world. Those in Zimbabwe inform that Mugabe's last card is to replace the genuine Ballot Papers with those already printed which have the same serial numbers as the ones previously counted.

It works like this:

If an MDC supporter was given Ballot number BX 14567 and voted for the MDC, a new Ballot Paper with the number BX 14567 must be thrown into the Ballot Box with an “X” for ZANU-PF and the original one (which had an “X” for the MDC) destroyed.

No new Ballot Papers can be added otherwise it would destabilise the original total.

This is completely stupid, though, because the Information is already being circulated. Otherwise how else would I know about it from here in South Africa?

But it is incredible to believe that with the rigorous checking and cross-checking, it would have been possible for 23 Polling Stations ( or even one) to make a gross error where a certain number of votes could have been passed as Tsvangirai's yet they were actually Mugabe's.

The allegation means that all the four Boxes were miscounted. It implies that the alleged 23 Polling Stations; the votes for the President, for the Member of Parliament, for the Senator and for the Councillor were all miscounted.

All this happening (allegedly) in the presence of the candidate for ZANU-PF (who can never be absent), the candidates of the other parties, the Polling Officers, the Presiding Officer, the ZEC representative, the ZESN representative and the visitors from other “friendly countries.”

This allegedly happened at not one but 23 Polling Stations!

This allegedly happened in Zimbabwe where the State Officials normally support ZANU-PF.

This allegedly happened with the help of the Foreign observers.

So one can as well allege that it happened in all the 9000 Polling Stations. Who can dispute that?

At what stage were the anomalies discovered? After the results had been signed for and the results posted outside the Polling Stations? Then for four full days, nobody had noticed it? Then someone checked the figures of the 9000 Polling Stations and discovered that there 23 which were suspect?

Are there more to come?

Which idiot in the whole wide world would believe that trash?

If we expect to receive Donor Confidence to re-build our country, why engage in desperate tactics?

If we hope for Investor Confidence, why sink to such low levels?

AS EVERY SINCERE OBSERVER AND ANALYST KNOWS, THIS TIME MUGABE HAS FOUGHT THE BATTLE HE HAS NOT ONLY LOST......BUT CAN NEVER, EVER WIN. THIS DOES NOT MEAN HE WAS WINNING FAIR AND SQUARE EVER BEFORE.

ONLY THIS TIME THE MACHINERY LEAKS (AS BROTHER WILF MBANGA ONCE OBSERVED) LIKE A SIEVE!

Respectfully submitted,

Rev Mufaro Stig Hove.

www.zimfinalpush.blogspot.com