Walk in step with people’s defence force

SINCE Wednesday last week, Zimbabwe has been in the spotlight and in the spotlight for the right reasons.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces expressed their concern at the deteriorating socio-economic and political situation in Zimbabwe, saying unless drastic measures were taken to arrest the situation, they would be duty-bound to step in with corrective measures.

They duly did so 24 hours later, announcing in a live TV broadcast that they had stepped in to weed out criminal elements around the President in order to curb a potentially volatile situation that would have led to violent confrontation.

The ZDF assured people of the protection of their rights urging them to go about their business unhindered with a caveat to limit unnecessary movement.

And this is what happened, Zimbabweans went about their business.

War veterans, who are stake and stock- holders in the Zimbabwean revolution, called for a non-partisan gathering of Zimbabweans at Zimbabwe Grounds to express solidarity with the ZDF, Zimbabweans turned out in their millions, in peace.

At the end of the march, the story read, millions of Zimbabweans had turned out at Zimbabwe Grounds and others in the CBD to march peacefully; there were no reported cases of violence; no looting, no damaged cars, no arrests; just hordes of Zimbabweans exercising their democratic right to peaceful assembly.

We hail the ZDF for affording such a peaceful environment and urge the citizens to stand guided by the ZDF who started the ongoing operation. Let’s not be swayed by spoilers and political opportunists who want to put timelines to what is basically none of their business.

When they announced the beginning of the operation, the ZDF made it clear that theirs was not a military takeover of Government; they also reaffirmed their allegiance to their Commander-in-Chief, President Robert Mugabe.

And in his address to the nation on Sunday night, President Mugabe acknowledged that the ZDF had not challenged his authority, but had given him the requisite respect.

Said President: ‘‘The operation I have alluded did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order. Nor was it a challenge to my authority as Head of State and Government. Not even as Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. To the man, the Command Element remained respectful, and comported with the dictates and mores of constitutionalism.”

Yes, Zanu-PF — the party of President Mugabe began its own processes of recalling him and urging him to resign — again that is their own business which they are pursuing according to the dictates of their party and national constitutions.

Nowhere has Zanu-PF or the ZDF advocated violent confrontation as some opportunistic groups are trying to do on social media. We urge peace-loving Zimbabweans to ignore the opportunists and continue walking in step with the people’s force, the ZDF, till they announce the finalisation of their operation.

There is nothing, but grief to be earned from provoking the law.