Shiri tells corrupt Moyo "to man up and face the music" - crow forgetting itself. By W Mukori

In Shona folklore, the crow is frowned upon for its short memory; the minutes it turns its back on anything, it has forgotten all about it! Well in Zimbabwe it seems it is not only the crow that suffers bouts of memory lose; our top brass security chefs have a very selective memory because when it comes to politics and corruption they remember nothing!

“We (military) are not playing any role (in politics),” said Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda. “That field is for the political parties, in this particular case I guess you are talking about Zanu PF. In Zanu PF the military has no role to play in terms of succession politics, and that is the long and short of it.”

How many times has the country’s security chiefs including the late Zvinavashe, Police Commissioner Chihuri, Perrance Shiri from the Air Force, Douglas Nyikayaramba and Sibanda himself said they would never salute anyone with no liberation war credentials? These men did not just say something in support of Mugabe’s no-regime-change mantra; they played their full role in ensuring there was no regime change.

It is a matter of historic record that all the country’s security services played a major role in the wanton violence, of beating, rape and even murder to force the people to vote for Zanu PF, and other vote rigging activities which are now a feature of our political system. Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri was even written a doctorate thesis boasting of how the Police have frustrated and defeated agents of regime change.

The security chefs had one good reason to prop up Mugabe and Zanu PF and stop regime change at all cost – they were part and parcel of the corrupt ruling elite and getting their share of the political power and influence and, of course, the looted wealth. Regime change not only threatened Mugabe and his political cronies’ hold on power but the top brass security services chefs too as a new regime would not necessarily keep all of them in their top posts complete with the share of the looted wealth.  

As Mugabe and Zanu PF’s popularity plummeted with the worsen economic situation more and more ordinary Zimbabweans demanded regime change. Even the most naïve and gullible of the security Chefs must have seen through the lie of calling ordinary villagers demanding meaningfully free and fair elections regime change agents!

Zimbabwe’s security services have been central in Mugabe’s 36 years dictatorship; the Police, CIO and Army have been the menacing dogs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm tearing out the throat of all who dared challenge Mugabe’s will. Mugabe has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans for selfish political gain; he would have never done this without a doggedly royal security services chiefs!

Since the Army, Police and CIO are the ones providing all the security and cover for all the corruption and looting that has destroyed the nation, it is interesting that the security services chefs readily acknowledge that corruption is a problem.

“My take (on corruption) is no different from what my Commander-in-Chief has already said: ‘Anyone who is involved in corruption should carry his own cross.’ And that is our position as the military as well,” Lt-General Sibanda to Sunday Mail reporter.

Air Marshal Perrance Shiri has also condemned corruption saying corrupt officials must “man up and face the music!”

ZNA Chief-of-Staff Major-General Douglas Nyikayaramba throw in his threepence worth claiming corruption was now a serious “security threat”!

Just as they would deny their involvement in politics they all deny being corrupt themselves. Professor Jonathan Moyo, Minister of Higher Education, is one of the many political leaders facing corruption changes and thus the target of the “man up and face the music” volleys. He returned the fire and reminded the Army Chefs that they must explain the billions of dollars the Army is getting from Marange.

Even Mugabe, Commander-in-Chief is himself up to his eyes in the corruption and looting. Africa Partnership Canada said Mugabe pocketed $2 billion from the looting in Marange is 2012 alone!

It is to be expected of our brainwashed crows in uniform to continue to deny the people their freedoms and basic human rights in their daily work to safe guard Mugabe’s continued rule especially during the coming elections and yet swear they are apolitical. They will continue to enjoy their extravagant lifestyles of leisure and luxury far beyond their state salaries and condemn corruption with the feigned innocence of the pot calling the pan black.

The only reason people like Sibanda, Nyikayaramba and all the other security buffoons are now admitting there is corruption is because they are hoping that by forcing the likes of Professor Moyo take the blame and punishment for corruption they will save themselves from close scrutiny and punishment. They will pretend to be the crow and so cannot remember ever saying or doing anything that can be considered political bias much less being involved in any corrupt activity. The security sector corrupt to the core and it cannot be trusted to reform itself!

Zimbabwe’s security services have been heavily politicized and corrupted by Mugabe for his own selfish political gain; just as he has done the same thing with all the other State Institutions like the Judiciary, Public Media, etc. for the same selfish reason. This is why we need to implement the comprehensive structural and institutional democratic reforms if we are to restore the democratic freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free and fair elections in this country.