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Zimbabwe: Army and police desert beleaguered Mugabe

WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.

Original Post Date: 2007-02-21 Time: 00:00:00  Posted By: Jan

[I like this very much. This is an excellent sign. Let’s hope their analysis of Mugabe’s weakness is correct. Even if much of the army is still in tact this reflects the same kind of jittery concern that is brewing among Mugabe’s own scum as they fear the retribution of what would happen when Mugabe loses.

The key will be for Mugabe to prove he is still the man in power. Mugabe is no fool and should not be taken lightly. Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. But… the signs are very good. Something significant is clearly developing here. I like it a lot.

I do not think Mugabe will just collapse. There will be no easy victory… when the blood starts flowing… rest assured… it will be the MDC’s blood. But this is the only way to start.

Even if… Mugabe survives 2007, there will be: 2008, 2009, 2010, etc… with an ever crumbling economy, etc. It seems he is heading into deep waters and new possibilities are arising. I can’t tell you how much this excites me. I’m not holding my breath though… let’s see what happens on a day-by-day basis. Jan]

Widespread desertions from Zimbabwe’s army and police are weakening President Robert Mugabe’s security forces as large strikes loom because of the country’s deepening economic collapse.

With inflation now at a global record of 1 600 per cent, the Observer can reveal that soldiers and police officers who cannot feed their families are leaving their posts in large numbers.

Flyers of army officers who have gone missing are posted in the hallways of the King George VI headquarters in Harare and the 1 Commando quarters near the airport, according to journalists.

“There are Awol notices up in the barracks, our reporter saw them,” said Bill Saidi, editor of the Standard newspaper. “Discontent is very high up to mid-level officers. They do not earn enough to buy basic groceries. They are suffering the hardships all of us suffer now, yet they are the ones Mugabe depends upon to be ruthless in putting down any opposition. It adds up to trouble for Mugabe.”

Unhappiness is also rife among police. More than 10% of officers have resigned and will leave next month, according to a report by police commissioner Augustine Chihuri, leaked to the Harare press. Many are joining the flood of the more than two million Zimbabweans estimated to be in South Africa.

Mugabe can ill afford weakening security forces as popular unrest is growing. A strike of doctors and nurses at government hospitals is in its eighth week and threatens to spread to teachers and civil servants. Trade unions are considering calling a nationwide general strike, despite the beatings and torture meted out to labour leaders last September.

Headmaster

Meanwhile, in an interview published on Saturday Mugabe accused Britain of refusing dialogue with its former colony, and said he expects ties to improve after Prime Minister Tony Blair steps down. Harare’s official Herald newspaper said the dictator, at odds with Britain since ordering the seizure of white-owned farms in 2000, had asked former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa to try to broker talks with Britain, but later asked him to step down because the task was “insurmountable”.

“Blair behaves like a headmaster, old fashioned, who dictates that things must be done his way: ‘Do it or you … remain an outcast’,” Mugabe is quoted as saying. “But we are hoping that with the departure of Blair, there will be a better situation and they can be talked to.”

Mugabe, ruler of Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, claimed Britain has been trying to oust him. But the United Kingdom says Zimbabwe’s long-running political and economic crisis is a result of rights abuses, vote-rigging and skewed policies, which have nothing to do with London.

Zimbabwe is also plagued by widespread power blackouts, often lasting more than eight hours. A breakdown in municipal water treatment is blamed for an outbreak of cholera in Harare’s Mabvuku township. Life expectancy has plummeted to 36, the world’s lowest, the economy has shrunk by 50% since 2000 and inflation hit its record last week. The International Monetary Fund predicts it will soar to above 4 000% this year.

Yet Mugabe’s supporters — now trying to raise more than $2-million to stage lavish celebrations to mark his 83rd birthday on Wednesday — appear unperturbed. The funds and advertisements praising him will come from the same state-owned utilities that are failing to provide clean water, electricity and transport.

“Mugabe is acting as if nothing is amiss and everyone should be happy to celebrate his birthday. He is not picking up the signs of growing unrest,” said Saidi. – Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2006

Source: Daily Mail & Guardian

URL: http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articlei…/p>