Deputy Minister of youth Development Hon Thamsanga Mahlangu. He is no Cellphone thief after all the court has ruled.From the arrest and labeling of Premier Tsvangirai to Mahlangu it is all political-judicial persecution of political foes sanctioned by the octogenarian Sadc imposed on our country as President after he was vanquished in the March 2008 Presidential elections he staged and managed singlehandedly.
Premier Morgan Tsvangirai defeated Robert Mugabe in the March 2008 Presidential election and Mugabe has in his cynical ways admitted to that effect now that his tail is up after SADC aided him in restoring his legitimacy as President.
When negotiations for power sharing were stalling over Zanu PF hard-liners’ accusations that he had away too much power to the Premier the Sadc imposed President of Zimbabwe rebuked his critics by reminding them that Zanu PF lost elections to the MDC-T and was in a negotiating position only because of his initiative to reclaim the Presidency he had lost militantly.
Not a single one of the internal Zanu PF critics of the iron fisted party leader ever summoned the courage to respond to that admission because they knew that he their criticism had irked their “Supreme Leader” as they now regard him in Zanu PF.
They kept silent because they knew that Mugabe had told them that he did not need the election losers in his party ranks telling him what to do and what not to do as he had better reliable and more effective advisors from the military establishment that had guaranteed his retention of his Presidential Office even after admitting losing elections for the post to Morgan Tsvangirai by a massive 5% points in March 2008.
Instead the humiliated critics vented their bottled anger and desperation against the MDC-T in a desperate attempt to redeem themselves before their Supreme leader.
The Junta axis involving Didymus Mutasa, Patrick Chinamasa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nicholas Goche, Saviour Kasukuwere, George Charamba, Gideon Gono and the Military Commanders that Mugabe relies on for power retention strategies devised the judicial persecution strategy aimed at manufacturing crimes of insurgency, banditry and anything that would put the MDC-T and its Civil Society allies leadership into disrepute to strengthen Mugabe’s hand in the coalition government.
The most priced victims of that dirty political initiative were identified as the MDC-T Party President, elected MDC-T Legislators, Top MDC-T Activists, Advisors and Administrators.
Treason charges against MDC-T Secretary General Hon Tendai Biti now the coalition government’s Finance Minister were dropped while impending violent conduct trial of Advocate Eric Matinenga now Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister was downgraded to a sideshow in order to facilitate the formation of the coalition government that was being stalled by these arrests and abductions of other MDC-T and sympathetic Civil Society activists.
The strategy was to create false confidence within the MDC that Zanu PF had succumbed and was willing to relinquish its hegemony on power over three decades when in effect the strategy was to allow MDC-T to recall its key functionaries strategically located outside the country who were keeping the international community appraised about developments in the country and ensuring the country remained a top agenda for discussion at every material international gathering.
Once inside the country the top externally based activists and MDC-T party functionaries would be easier to manage through the judicial persecution initiative it was reasoned.
That is why Roy Bennett is still facing the banditry and insurgency charges to ensure he does not have a chance in the world to leave the country and initiate programmes that will expose Zanu PF excesses in the coalition government.
Hebson Makuvise who was the Party’s key strategist in Europe has now been recalled and is awaiting posting as Ambassador to Germany but not before he was detained and thoroughly quizzed by State Security Agents for over 48 Hours on his arrival in Zimbabwe to attend the Premier’s inauguration and put under 24/7 surveillance.
One of the reasons why there has been limited movement in the posting of Ambassadors has been to delay Makuvise and other MDC aligned postings in countries that Zanu PF used to mislead through its Ambassadors.
Makuvise nearly missed qualification for consideration as an Ambassador as Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede did everything to frustrate him getting back his Zimbabwean Passport as it had been discovered he had a UK Passport and thus had renounced his Zimbabwean citizenship by taking up dual citizenship.
Intelligence sources with insight to goings on in the Zanu PF wing of the coalition government but discontented with the direction the party wants the country to travel tipped Makuvise of the grand plan to disqualify him from Ambassadorial consideration and he swiftly reclaimed his Zimbabwean citizenship by renouncing the British Citizenship as provided by the Zimbabwe laws.
While he surprised the Registrar and his henchmen with the renunciation papers the Junta axis was thrilled that now they at least could keep Makuvise under leash as any international travel he intended was to be in terms of the Zimbabwe passport which was within their capacity to be withdrawn if need arises for such drastic action.
The same tactic was used to sanction Tsvangirai’s travel plans during negotiations to form the coalition regime and he was put on an emergency travel document plan to restrict him from travelling to Western nations Mugabe and Zanu PF blamed for sponsoring the MDC-T to achieve regime in Zimbabwe.
It was only when Tsvangirai boycotted further discussions with Mugabe and Zanu PF and holed himself in Botswana that SADC intervened and forced the Mugabe fronted Junta to issue the Premier the passport he deserved.
That forced compliance together with other decisions and undertakings by Sadc facilitated the return of Premier Tsvangirai and traction towards implementation of the GPA.
Within Zanu PF though, Tsvangirai was now a highly prized political trophy as they had completed the dossier that was to form the basis of his immediate arrest and detention if ever he and his party opted out of the GPA.
Yet many others in Zanu PF who felt the MDC-T’s entry into government would condemn them to the political dustbin were rooting for an MDC-T refusal to enter the government and create openings or them to be drafted in by President Mugabe.
Both camps were devastated when against all the odds stacked against the MDC-T its National Council resolved to participate in the coalition government.
The Junta strategy could no longer be applied to detain Tsvangirai who was the designated coalition Premier. In like manner the opportunities redundant Zanu PF aspirants were eyeing in government went up in smoke with the MDC-T National Council’s resolution to take up their positions in government.
It was at that juncture that it was resolved to frustrate the MDC-T involvement in government with a concerted judicial persecution initiative which saw over 45 activists and sympathizers abducted and detained incommunicado.
Then the idea was to cause Premier designate Morgan Tsvangirai to re-think his participation in government as he was being personally labeled as treasonous as Jonasi Savimbi,a tag Mutasa and Chinamasa still hold onto despite it having been invalidated by developments that followed the consummation of the government.
MDC-T MP’s were wantonly arrested between September 2008 and March 2009 at the same time Mugabe moved with lightning speed to appoint Provincial Governors, Senators,
The AG and RBZ Governor from within his party ranks to avoid imminent consultations with the Premier that would have been mandatory if appointments were made after affirmation of the Premier.
Little did his advisors realise or more accurately care that the appointments were against the spirit and letter of the GPA that had already been signed and was awaiting implementation.
By making the appointments Mugabe had created a conflict point in relations within the coalition government and the issues are now coming home to roost in the disengagement initiative by the MD-T.
Tendai Biti,(Harare East), Trevor Saruwaka (Mutasa Central), Lynnette Karenyi (Chimanimani West), Shuwa Mudiwa (Mutare West), Meki Makuyana (Chipinge South) and Mathias Mlambo MP for Chipinge East. the party’s treasurer Senator Roy Bennett Roy Bennett, Blessing Chebundo (Kwekwe Central), Eric Matinenga (Buhera North) MP, Reggie Moyo (Luveve ), Thamsanga Mahlangu (Nkulumane) Albert Mhlanga (Pumula) Ghandi Mudzingwa (Premier’s Office), Kisimusi Chris Dhlamini (Director of Security) together with another 40 party activists have been arrested on charges related to violation of National Security, Treason, Banditry, Rape, Electoral Fraud, banditry, insurgency and theft of arms and cell phones.
All the charges are framed by a multidisciplinary crack security team of Central Intelligence, Police and Army intelligence officers.
The team only heeds orders from President Mugabe, Army Commander Constantine Chiwenga, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri and Happyton Bonyongwe the Director of Central Intelligence and Attorney General Johannes Tomana.
That is the reason why all Ministers including Home Affairs Co-Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutseyekwa are powerless to stop the vindictive actions of this crack team against perceived or real enemies of President Mugabe and Zanu PF.
Most of the cases the team handles are imaginary cases where they have either planted incriminating evidence on a targeted suspect or where Zanu PF has waylaid induced and or provoked its opponents to break the law.
So it was when Deputy Minister Mahlangu was trapped in the theft of a $25.00 Cell Phone from Zanu PF’s notorious commander of farm invasions and questionable War Veteran Joseph Chinotimba.
All the arrests, abductions, incarcerations and judicial persecutions against the MDC-T are nothing more than a well planned Zanu PF political initiative to discredit MDC-T leadership.
It matters not that most cases will fall through on trial in court but in a country where accused persons are generally presumed guilty until proven innocent the intention is clear that the stigma of arrest and humiliation in court appearances will leave lasting aspersions on the minds of the electorate on the caliber of leadership from the MDC-T.
Sadly though the opposite is true in that whichever MDC-T the judiciary persecutes is turned into an overnight hero of the fight for freedom from Zanu PF misrule.
The more the Tomana advised security officers harass the MDC leaders the more faith the electorate has in the victims whom they accept as true liberators without question.
Even where the State secures a conviction on the trumped up charges or on the merits of the cases the generality of the populace remains firmly behind the convicts and or victims.
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