A regular visitor wrote this to me:-
I was sitting thinking about something and wanted to ask you a question regarding Zim. What is the the MDC™s policy regarding the government of Zimbabwe, are they simply going to be more of the same (as Mugarbage) or are they seriously democratic in outlook and declared approach?

[Yes, the MDC is purely for playing the game by the rules only elections, etc. They™re trying the Liberal approach versus a Dictator, which I frankly can™t see succeeding by itself. If they get clandestine help from Western Intelligence agencies “ ok, that levels the playing field a lot more. But I can™t see even that totally winning it for them.

I actually met with about 3 MDC MP™s 3 years ago when I helped the CZA. I gave them my book, and told them my feeling. In all my discussions, and in every news item I™ve seen the MDC wants to play the democratic game. The furthest they will go, and they were planning this back in 2003 too, is to say that they will engage in civil protests. The pervading theory I heard, via the CZA, was that civil strife, strikes and unrest would topple Mugabe. Some even felt Mugabe would not last as much as 2 weeks of such action. I was highly sceptical and told them so.

The civil strife in Zim has not gone anywhere as far as they hoped. They hoped to cause chaos and millions would run into the streets. But that did not happen.

So my feeling is, that that kind of approach is very limited. It is good for propaganda purposes, and good as a means of pressure, but it may require that people actually be shot dead in the streets. I don™t like the idea of advocating that innocent people be killed outright, so I am not in favour of that.

But as much pressure as possible must be brought to bear on Mugabe.

Another possibility is some kind of sanctions.

But my feeling is that until the MDC adopts a more militant stance, there is no real hope.

This is why, months ago, I advocated a separate Armed wing being formed, separate from the MDC, but with a nod and wink from the MDC.

I also don™t really believe in terrorism but some kind of insurgency could be the opening round and could get the ball rolling with people learning the military skills needed.

I really don™t believe the MDC will get far until some more serious kind of force is used. I think that Mugabe NOR HIS SUCCESSORS IN ZANU(PF), will be removed unless there is bloodshed. But the minute one uses the military option, no matter how small the scale, Mugabe might just engage in real atrocities, probably far and wide. It is probable that he might even engage in a series of massacres in an attempt to scare the daylights out of the population.

What would have been nice in Zimbabwe, would have been if the MDC could get some kind of military force together, and then seize one or more key towns or cities in that country, to create a œFree Zimbabwe within the borders of Zim. The MDC has such a large following, that I think they could look at an operation to seize a whole town by surprise. They would however have to be prepared to fight an extremely bitter battle to try and hold that town, right from the beginning.

I actually have sat and thought about this quite a bit. Seizing certain portions of Zimbabwe are easier than others. But if one could seize a town with some infrastructure, then it could be the capital of a “Free Zimbabwe” and the rest of the population can flee into that region and they would get away from Mugabe. One could then recruit troops, en masse, organise work gangs to start working farms, etc. By merely offering the masses an alternative to Mugabe’s Socialism, he would probably end up with hardly any supporters… and it would get them away from the possibility of being MASSACRED by his troops.

This of course would result in a Civil war, but it would avert the need for an insurgency. However this may be too big and bold a move to begin with. Maybe, if combined with various ops to blow up bridges, it might actually make it easier for a portion of Zimbabwe to be held by the anti-Mugabe forces. By blowing up bridges, one could cut the country in two, thereby preventing him from immediately being able to send mobile forces to attack them.

Whenever I sit back and have a good think about the situation in Zimbabwe, I can’t help but conclude that there is a war, just waiting to be won.

I can’t help but think back to David Coltart’s email wherein he basically said that violence only favours Mugabe. I think that is complete nonsense. Violence only favours Mugabe because his opposition refuse to actually acquire the skills and materials needed to fight him. I think it is complete nonsense to think that Mugabe is somehow invincible. By leaving him in that position one is merely proving that Dictatorship can and does work. All this talk of “democracy” in Zimbabwe is just a lot of hot air. There is no democracy there, and there has not been

I apologise for continuously thinking in military terms, but that is simply because I feel all other avenues are completely lame and a total waste of time. I™ve been saying so since 2000, and I have yet to be proven wrong.

But as I say, officially, the MDC has NEVER advocated violence, or anything more than a Ghandi-like œpeaceful resistance. And to be frank, I don™t think any of that will work in Zimbabwe, ever. Zanu(PF) will only be driven out of power through force. Jan]