GNU Parties Fight Over Security Sector

Paidamoyo Muzulu

28 April 2011

PARTIES in the inclusive government are fighting over control of the security sector which has pervasive powers straddling over many government departments and agencies and is crucial in the administration of elections.

Zanu PF negotiators Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche last week dug in on security sector reforms being demanded by the MDC formations ahead of any fresh elections.

The sharp differences among the coalition partners were exposed during negotiations to finalise an election roadmap as demanded by the Sadc Troika of the organ on Politics, Defence and Security last month in Livingstone, Zambia.

Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma representing the MDC-T, and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Moses Mzila Ndlovu of MDC-N were calling for reforms of the Central Intelligence Organisation and Joint Operations Command which they accuse of usurping cabinet powers by refusing to implement government directives.

“The MDC-T tabled that the there should be an enactment of an Act of parliament to regulate the operations of CIO,” the roadmap says, “while MDC-N said security sector reforms were an election issue as referred to and covered under article XIII (i) of the GPA that says ‘state organs and institutions should not belong to any political party and should be impartial in the execution of their duty’.”

The call by the MDC formations comes barely a month after President Robert Mugabe confirmed using the CIO to spy on his political opponents within and without Zanu PF. Mugabe made the startling revelations at the burial of former CIO deputy director-general Menard Muzariri at Heroes Acre.

Zanu PF argues that talk of security sector reforms is an attack on the security institutions and has never been a GPA issue.

“This issue is neither a GPA one nor an election issue and is being raised as an attack on the institution. The issue falls to be resolved in the constitutional making process,” Chinamasa and Goche said.

The MDC formations further requested that Joc issued a public statement declaring that it will unequivocally uphold the constitution and respect the rule of law in the lead up to and following any election or referendum, but this was shot down by Zanu PF.

Zanu PF argues that political parties have no right to direct uniformed forces to issue political statements.

However, ahead of the 2002 presidential poll, all the country’s security chiefs publicly declared that they would not recognise a president without war credentials. This was a direct threat that they would not recognise Morgan Tsvangirai to become president even if he had won elections.

Zanu PF further denied that communities had been militarised and that army and police personnel were coordinating state-sponsored violence.

“We deny that there are serving members of the military doing political work and we invite evidence to be made available. We protest to the use of the word demilitarisation. It is a war term and not applicable to the alleged circumstances.”

Zanu PF further denied that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was staffed by state agents and Zanu PF sympathisers saying staff recruitment was above board and there was no need for staffers to be hired anew.

These disagreements and other outstanding GPA issues will now be referred to South African facilitators who are mediating on behalf of Sadc. A report with clear implementation and timelines would be compiled for presentation at the Sadc summit in Namibia next month.

AllAfrica – All the Time