A DIRECTOR at Zanu PF’s Chitepo School of Ideology has courted controversy after uttering threats of war against Zimbabweans seeking the democratic removal of the ruling party.
Retired Colonel Resten Magumise, a director of academic studies at the propaganda school, said the ruling party would never be removed through the ballot.
He was giving a lecture to over 1 300 councillors who attended the Zanu PF indoctrination programme over the weekend.
“When you go and vote, ask for the ability to self-control so that you won’t sell out the land of your fathers,” he said.
“It’s sacred land. There was spilt blood. We are saying this because the issue is nearing its end. There are spirits of those whom you don’t know that are in the forests . . .
“And then you say we will sell this country with a ballpoint. Anyway, we are still there. We will protect and fight. I have said this in short . . .
“We don’t want to have skulls of your children scattering on the plains if things go wrong. The country was brought by the barrel and the ballpoint will never change that. Yes, you have heard it. We refuse it . . .”
Zimbabwe has held disputed elections over the years, with the army also mired in the controversy surrounding the elections.
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In the past, some army commanders have also publicly stated that the country will never be ruled by the opposition.
On the eve of the 2002 presidential election, the late commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Vitalis Zvinavashe issued a statement saying the army would not accept an opposition victory.
In June this year, current Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander Lieutenant-General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe said the army was deeply involved in politics and would ensure that Zanu PF rules forever.
Political analysts said Magumise had gone rogue as threatening voters was against the right to vote as enshrined in the Constitution.
“It shows that Zanu PF took up arms to fight the colonial regime solely due to the power greed of its leaders who themselves wanted to rule the country.” political analyst Tendai Ruben Mbofana said.
“If Zanu PF had genuinely fought for democracy, then the party would have understood that this also meant accepting not being wanted by the people and being voted out of power.”
Political analyst and convener of the Sapes Trust, Ibbo Mandaza, said Magumise’s utterances confirmed the country would never have credible elections without electoral reforms.
“There is nothing surprising at all given the nature of Zanu PF politics as evidenced by electoral issues over the years,” Mandaza said.
“There is no way Zimbabweans can be held at ransom indefinitely. Elections are not the solution to resolve the political crisis we are under.”
Mandaza said Zimbabwe needs a political settlement through a national transitional authority.
“But it should be made up of independent people who are not politicians. Even some people like us who are pushing for that must not be part of that authority,” he said.
