Zimbabwe minister said to be in contempt of Mnangagwa

In the wake of media reports (“Army won’t let Chamisa rule: Minister”) ascribed to Deputy Minister Terrence Mukupe who is also a Zanu-PF candidate in the forthcoming Harmonized Elections, both the ruling Zanu-PF Party and its Government wish to make it very clear that the said sentiments attributed to the Deputy Minister, if true, are both reckless and most unfortunate, as they do not represent the official position and attitude of the Party, Government and the Defence Establishment.

Apart from being unconstitutional and therefore against the laws of the land, the reported claims amount to direct contempt of His Excellency the President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa, who is the sole Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF). Hardly a month ago, His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of ZDF warned against undermining the constitutional position of the Security Establishment through involving or dragging members of the Uniformed Forces into the country’s party electoral politics and/or activities.

Through this directive, he unambiguously restated an iron-clad rule which ranks high among the pillars of our Constitution, and which finds validation in the various Acts governing operations of various arms of the National Security Establishment. Consequently any pronouncements which have the effect of undermining the supreme law of the land, and the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Force, or of suggesting that our well-respected Security Organs will act in a partisan manner in relation to the country’s politics, apart from being unauthorized, are unlawful, reckless, improper, uncalled for and thus totally condemnable. Besides, they imperil national peace and stability, and amount to a frontal challenge to the tenets and practices of democracy as understood and practised worldwide.

Read against our two environment and the impending polls, such pronouncements have the negative effect of raising doubts on Government’s commitment to a free, fair and non-violent plebiscite, as well as to its readiness to respect and uphold the will of the People of Zimbabwe as expressed through their electoral choices and decisions. This is untrue, and flagrantly runs against what His Excellency the President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa, has pledged and is determined to deliver both to the people of Zimbabwe and to the international community. Without regard to political party or affiliation, all campaigning candidates should respect the Defence Establishment and its Command Structure by avoiding embroiling our Uniformed Forces into partisan party politics and activities. The roles of the Uniformed Forces which are national and non-partisan, are clearly spelt out in the laws of the country.

Hon. Ambassador S.K. Moyo

Acting Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and ZANU-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity

23/05/18

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