POLITICAL SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE: Dear Mr Mugabe: I DO not know how to put this, Sir. I have wrestled with my conscience and come to a rationally logical conclusion that after what transpir...
The tight circles of "securocrats", who sit on the Joint Operations Command (JOC) committee, are now believed to be in day-to-day charge of Zimbabwe's government. They ensured Mr Mugabe did not step down after his defeat in the presidential election's first round in March 2008 and are now masterminding a campaign of terror to suppress the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and guarantee victory for Mr Mugabe in the upcoming elections this year. The government indefinitely suspended all work by aid groups and non-governmental organizations, accusing them of breaching their terms of registration. Mr Mugabe is a useful figurehead who still commands the deference of other African leaders, notably Former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. But the western diplomat said Mr Mugabe's power had ebbed away and Zimbabwe was now run by a "junta". "This is a military coup by stealth," he said. "There are no tanks on people's l...
The Fifth Brigade was an elite unit of specially trained Zimbabwean soldiers. The Fifth Brigade was formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1988 after allegations of brutality and murder during the Brigade's occupation of Matabeleland. It was reformed later and was active in 2006 at least. In October 1980, President Robert Mugabe signed an agreement with the North Korean President, Kim Il Sung, that they would train and equip a brigade for the Zimbabwe National Army. In August 1981, 106 North Koreans arrived to train the new brigade. The members of the Fifth Brigade were drawn from 3500 ex-ZANLA troops, including two unintegrated ZANLA battalions, at Tongogara Assembly Point. There were a few ZIPRA troops in the unit initially, but they were withdrawn before the end of the training. It has been reported that there were also some foreigners in the unit, possibly Tanzanians. The training of Fifth Brigade lasted until September 1982, when Minister Sekeramayi announced training was complete...
“We did not say Zim elections were fair”—Zuma’s Minister Upon realization that ZUMA had not adequately applied his mind to the evidence pointing to vote rigging in Zimbabwe, the South African President, was forced to take back his former statement, which had indicated the vote was FREE & FAIR. Additionally, the revelations that ZUMA was bribed by ZANU PF are definitely not working in his favour. Compounded by the fact, that blessing a MUGABE victory, would only help Malema`s Project of Economic empowerment the ZANU PF way, must have caused some collywobbles within South African political elite. Someone must have opened ZUMA`s eyes to the impending dangers to South Africa by declaring the Zimbabwean Election as FREE & FAIR. ZUMA would have had a tough time in selling Mugabe`s legitimacy to the World, now that he realizes that he is alone in congratulating Mugabe, now he has been forced to take back his self-indulgent statement. Let’s hope it’s soon he retur...
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