Who were the targeted criminals surrounding Mugabe?
IHAVE been checking on those detained at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, but I failed to locate one criminal who is among those that were “surrounding” the late former President Robert Mugabe before he was ousted in a coup in 2017.
This is the million dollar question being asked by many Zimbabweans who are seeking information on what really transpired when they were caught in the frenzy of removing Mugabe.
It is true that people wanted Mugabe to go because he had caused untold suffering to many Zimbabweans. He had stayed for far too long, presided over a ruthless government and failed to manage the succession matrix.
Zimbabweans are now asking whether the targeted criminals were Makomborero Haruziviishe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Joanah Mamombe who have been languishing in prison on frivolous charges. In November 2017, we saw the late Sibusiso Moyo clad in army regalia announcing on national television that Mugabe was safe and that they were only “targeting criminals surrounding” him. We wonder if these criminals were the G40 kingpins such as Jonathan Moyo, Walter Mzembi, Saviour Kasukuwere, Patrick Zhuwao et al. I understand these lads were not even armed with a bow and arrow, but surprisingly tanks were rolled onto the streets of Harare.
It has become clear that there were two sets of criminals in the house and the other “criminals” were outside waiting to pounce on their prey and hijack the gravy train. There were thieves catching other thieves who spared each other as they continued looting the country’s resources disguised as lawfully rulers.
We celebrated the unceremonious departure of Mugabe who did not allow the soldiers to shoot at point-blank range for all his faults. He claimed that soldiers will confine themselves to barracks and we sanitised the arrival of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration which is now decimating the opposition. People were used to fight factional battles in Zanu PF.
Today, the country is worse than what it was before the coup. If the coup had really achieved its mission by now, Zimbabwe would have started reaping its fruits.
As we celebrate 41 years of independence on April 18, let us not forget that several innocent brothers and sisters are languishing in prison for demanding a better Zimbabwe. For many Zimbabweans it is not yet uhuru.