[Mugabe is taking precautions, ensuring that the army is beefed up and ready to rock and roll. As I have said… its the only thing he understands… and all US and Western diplomacy is a waste of time.

The Dongfeng vehicles seem to be based on a type of Humvee design. They can be seen here. www.sinodefence.com/ army/transport/hmmwv.asp
Jan]

Harare – President Robert Mugabe’s government has taken delivery of a new consignment of arms from China, six weeks before the crunch March 31 parliamentary elections. The Mugage government has resorted to China and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries for arms after the European Union slapped it with an arms embargo in 2000 over human rights abuses. Zim Online is authoritatively informed that a new consignment which includes assault rifles, military vehicles and other support material, has been secretly shipped into Harare via the Mozambican port of Beira. Army sources said the government was due to receive more than one hundred Dongfeng vehicles before the election. The Dongfeng vehicle is a Chinese innovation on sale in Europe as well. Army drivers have been taking lessons on a few trial Dongfeng vehicles already in Harare. “Our army has received the equipment as part of a deal to fully equip it ahead of the March parliamentary elections,” said a source within the army’s procurement unit at the defence headquarters in Harare. He said Mugabe was not taking any chances and would want the army to be fully equipped ahead of the parliamentary elections just in case he needs it to keep him in power.

Zimababwe Defence Forces commanders have repeatedly vowed not to allow anyone who did not fight in Zimbabwe’s 1970s liberation war to take power. They have virtually implied that they would stage a coup if Morgan Tsvangirai, who did not fight in the liberation war, wins elections. Most of the army’s equipment had become worn down after it was used in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The government could not properly restore it after the EU imposed arms sanctions. The government is now replacing it with new Chinese equipment. To keep the army on his side, President Mugabe has awarded soldiers substantial salary and allowance increases. Officers in the army have also been given a larger slice of seized white farmlands. The exact amount spend on the latest arms consignment could not be established but it is believed to run into several billions of Zimbabwe dollars. The Zimbabwe National Army’s public relations directorate refused to confirm nor deny the latest shipment saying such information was confidential. Asked for comment, Defence minister, Sydney Sekeremayi, said he did not discuss military issues with the media. “I’m sorry I do not discuss military issues with the media and over the phone,” he said, before slamming his phone.

From Zim Online (SA), 22 February
Source: WWW.ZwNews.Com