Zimbabwe army at it again...
Written by Administrator Friday, 15 June 2012 12:55
…as Finance Minister cites unauthorized recruitment
Finance Minister Tendai Biti disclosed to Parliament on Wednesday 13 June 2012 that the Public Service Commission had illegally recruited 10 000 staffers among them 4 600 soldiers. The secret recruitment of soldiers comes a few days after reports alleged that Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa had threatened to unleash generals on Biti for refusing to release $2.5 million for the army’s operations. Zimbabwe's army is reportedly experiencing some food shortages after having allegedly recruited new soldiers without authority from the cash-strapped treasury.
It is heart aching for Mnangagwa to demand $2.5 million for the employment of 4 600 more soldiers at a time when the majority of those who are already in service are getting a wage that is below the poverty datum line. The statement is irresponsible and lacks rationale and professionalism.. The recruitment comes at a time when Zimbabwe is struggling to recover from a decade-long economic decline that critics blame on long-serving President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which has over the years cash strapped the national treasury through reckless and heartless looting and corruption. It is calamitous for small country like Zimbabwe to be spending a large share of the $4 billion budget for 2012 on wages when the majority of citizens are toiling and moiling without food and other essential services.
Elections are expected in Zimbabwe within a year, and there are major question marks over the military's neutrality. If one looks at the 2008 presidential election, the military ran that campaign on behalf of Mugabe and Zanu PF. Now that there is this mass recruitment exercise, it raises questions on whether there is a grand plan to have military officers in all the country’s provinces for the upcoming election.
The country has already started recording an increase in cases of politically-motivated violence one of which includes the murder of Cephas Magura, MDC-T Mudzi North Ward chairperson. It is during such critical moments of crisis that the country must rely on the likes of Defence Minister Mnangagwa, as a senior government official to denounce unruly behavior instead of fuelling it. The Defence minister must know that there are other means of solving challenges other than by threats, intimidation and unjustified army recruitments.
The illegal recruitment also comes barely a month after ZNA’s Chief of the General Staff, Major General Martin Chedondo, told State media that the army is taking up a new recruitment policy that will see the army recruiting from villages. The policy according to Chedondo entails that the army will now recruit persons who do not meet Defence Forces normal minimum requirements in what analysts say is a preparation to meddle in politics ahead of elections.
The army has reportedly been on a massive recruitment drive targeting unqualified youths raising fears they might be used like the now defunct national youth service recruits, commonly known as Border Gezi youths, to violently campaign for Zanu PF. Zanu PF allegedly used the youths, also infamously known as “Green Bombers”, to intimidate its opponents and the programme had to be disbanded after the formation of the inclusive government in 2009.
Defense chiefs have publicly backed Mugabe's candidature ahead of elections and have vowed never to salute a leader who does not have liberation movement credentials. Analysts argue that the statement by General Chiwenga was meant to vilify the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, the Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
A year ago, state media reported a top military General Constantine Chiwenga as saying military involvement in politics was justified because Tsvangirai was a security threat fronting Western interests. Chedondo, who has allegedly been accused of uttering treasonous statements following his declaration of the army’s allegiance to Zanu PF, also appeared to threaten villagers that may resist the recruitment. Martin Chedondo last month openly declared that:
“A national Defense force the world over is there to protect the national politics, national integrity, the executive and other systems that form part of the Government, By virtue of this, defense forces automatically become a political animal”
Military recruitment exercises ought to be genuine and must not be abused by partisan Army Generals like Chedondo. . The military should rise be non-political and must be there to protect citizens from violence, intimidation and harassment.