The IMF USD1bn could be used to fund a military crackdown before and during 2023 election

18^th September 2021

The rumours going around on social media indicate that ZANU-PF are a bit concerned with the events

in Zambia where an opposition party leader beat the incumbent (Edgar Lungu).  Before the announcement of the election results, it appeared Lungu was trying to rig the result but within days the results were announced and Lungu had no choice but to accepted defeat.

The way politics in Africa works is that the incumbent usually has complete control of the military, police and judiciary who are the people who uphold and enforce the electoral result.  What happened in Zambia is that this state apparatus deserted Lungu in favour of the opposition leader. This is something that definitely bothered Mnangagwa which is why it took him long to congratulate Hichilema. In ZANU-PF’s eyes, the unthinkable happened i.e., the military rejected a sitting president, similar to what happened to Mugabe in 2017 but in a general election.  ZANU-PF was hoping that the Zambian military and state apparatus would rig the election and ignore the public vote, something Mnangagwa and company have been doing since 1980. This is why the regime’s loudmouths have been jittery and going on the offensive on social media.

Seeing the events in Zambia unfold, will definitely compel Mnangagwa and his generals to prepare the military and state apparatus to act in his favour come 2023. This will include paying the generals huge bonuses, buying them new cars, and giving them free money via tenders. In addition, the military and police will most likely receive new weapons and kit which they will use to crackdown on the opposition.

What this means is that we in the opposition need to keep an eye on how this USD1bn is being spent and publicising to the world about any dodgy spending of this IMF money by ZANU-PF. We have had enough of ZANU-PF and we want them gone!!!

 

#ZanuPFMustgo
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Written by

Nontokozo Malaba Ncube
ROHR Zimbabwe Activist

 

About the author;-

Nontokozo Malaba Ncube is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is also a member of the opposition MDC Alliance party. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on nmncube44408@gmail.com