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PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe seems to be making the same mistake that was committed by Ian Smith - that of undermining the importance of voters.

 

Smith made the unforgettable statement that Zimbabwe (Rhodesia then) would never be ruled by a black person in his life time and “not even in a hundred years time”.  

 

But that statement was contradicted in1980 when the black government came to power. Smith went on to live for more than 20 years with a black man at the helm. Mugabe now says, “Zimbabwe will never be ruled by the MDC.” Mugabe downplayed the strength of the MDC. He never thought they could, not only offer him a formidable challenge, but defeat him in an election as well.

 

In as much as both parties did not receive the desired majority (so ZEC says), the given percentages should reveal to Mugabe that he is not an indomitable power. Who rules and when he or she rules depends on the electorate. For Mugabe to shout ‘never ever’ is a sad repetition of history. Smith said the same, but found himself living under a regime he never thought would rule the country.

 

People voted Mugabe out and it boggles the mind that again he will soon be shouting empty rhetoric at gatherings of non-critical audiences and waving his dangerous fist around. He needs to realize that the wishes of the people are mightier than his fear of retribution for past sins. He has caused the torture, mutilation, assault and death of Zimbabweans. To want to remain in power is to want to terrorize the country further. His gluttonous desire for power should not be allowed to fester more than it has done already. He has managed this far thanks to his cunning and manipulation of the security forces.

 

Mugabe has been using various strategies to coerce the top army and other security chiefs to support him. Senior security and military officials are living large in a sea of deprivation. Each time the Zimbabwe government buys new cars for ministers; these commanders get new cars as well. This is a new car almost every two years. If you were one of them, would you want to have a situation where a new dispensation takes away that kind of comfort?

 

But there are several other privileges. One colonel I know has two cell phones and a landline – all bills being settled by the government. Many of these people are “veterans of the war of independence”. School fees for their children is paid by the government, even up to university level, most of them outside Zimbabwe .

 

This year, the Zimbabwe government expanded the Fort Hare University scholarship scheme to cover several other universities, including Nelson Mandela Metropolitan, Cape Peninsula , Witwatersrand, Walter Sisulu, KwaZulu-Natal , Venda , Rhodes, and Johannesburg Universities . Some 481 students are said to be benefitting. Remember this was a vote buying measure; the parents of those kids were bought over to Mugabe’s side. And these students swell the ranks of informers that spy on behalf of the regime among Zimbabweans in South Africa .

 

How much does a student need in South Africa per year? Here’s a very realistic estimate. Fees are R12 000 to R25 000 depending on programme of study and university. Accommodation is at least R12 000 per year. Food is at least R10 000 per year. Put in some other expenditure such as travel and clothes and you are looking at R35 000 minimum. This adds up to a total of R16 835 000! Consider also that this is minimum expenditure on first year students only. This gives an indication of how much the regime is prepared to spend to buy votes.

 

The role of the military and security agencies in Zimbabwe’s plunge to state lawlessness and state violence may need to be expounded on. For senior officers the benefits of supporting Mugabe’s violent agenda are too evident: promotions to senior positions; offer letters for multiple ownership of farms; vehicles and other expensive gadgetry and use of security servicemen as labourers and security guards.

 

Then we have the mayhem perpetrated by the war veterans, Zanu-PF activists and Zanu PF youths who are induced into violence on behalf of Mugabe by the donation of a few goodies in the midst of hunger and poverty. Moreover there has been an increasing militarization of the state with military and security personnel now driving operations at parastatals and government departments.

 

This development is a reflection of Mugabe’s growing reliance on the military to maintain his iron-fisted grip on power. Prior to any major election, these military and security men are dressed in civilian attire and sent out to campaign for the ruling party. Those unfortunate to have fallen foul of these men have both physical and emotional scars to show for the “treachery” of supporting the opposition.   

 

Persons at the forefront of Mugabe’s reign of terror need to be reminded that he always gets rid of those whose services he no longer requires. It is unfortunate that most of the people being used by Mugabe to perpetuate his stay in power do not realize that he will easily discard them.

 

Finally, the perpetration of politically-motivated violence against people in general and against those agitating for a better Zimbabwe in particular needs to be fully documented. Individual cases of violence among the thousands resulting from each major election should be available when a new dispensation sets in.

 

It is therefore imperative that every able person in Zimbabwe puts pen to paper to record all details of human rights abuses they witness.