Zimbabwe Defence Minister says there is no threat to national security

Zimbabwe Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, who is now one of the potential successors of President Robert Mugabe, says there is no security threat to Zimbabwe at the moment.

Threats to national security, if any, are managed through the Joint Operations Command which brings together all national security agents to progressively review the security situation in the country, he said.

Sekeramayi was responding to a question in the Senate from Senator David Chimhini who asked at which point his ministry intervenes when managing acrimonious discord that may compromise the security of the nation particularly from threat statements by war veterans, the army and youths.

War veterans and senior army officials have vowed that they will not surrender the country to people without liberation credentials.

The remarks are reportedly aimed at the G40 faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front which is pushing for First Lady Grace Mugabe to ascend to vice-president first of the party and then the country to replace Emmerson Mnangagwa.

G40 seems to be winning the battle which could see the war veterans who have literally run the show since 2 000 being sidelined and perhaps for good unless they reassert themselves.

President Robert Mugabe yesterday said he would have no hesitation firing Mnangagwa while his wife called senior party administrators cowards for failing to deal with Mnangagwa.

Q & A

HON. SEN. CHIMHINI asked the Minister of Defence to explain to the House the point at which the Ministry intervenes when managing acrimonious discord that may compromise the security of the nation particularly, from threat statements by War Veterans, the Army and Youths.

THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. DR. SEKERAMAYI):  There is no real threat to national security at the moment from the groups mentioned by Hon. Chimhini.  However, threats to national security, if any, are managed through the Joint operations Command system (JOC), which brings together all national security agents to progressively review the security situation in the country.  When a determination is made by the JOC that a security situation has arisen where appropriate, security measures need to be taken and a collective informed position is adopted to guide appropriate action to be taken by assigned national security agents.

 Action to be taken may be in the form of a joint statement by the Security Forces as was in the case of recent clashes between elements of the Army and the Police.  Such statements indicate a common position of the Security Forces on the development and appropriate action they will take to resolve the situation

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