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: 2001-12-20 Time: 20:06:22 Posted By: Jan
Financial Gazette (Zimbabwe)
By David Masunda Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Zimbabwean army generals urged President Robert Mugabe to quit and anoint
a successor on the eve of the governing party’s Victoria Falls conference
to enhance Zanu PF’s chances in next year’s crucial presidential
election, it was learnt this week. Authoritative sources said the top
generals, under the umbrella of the Joint Operation Command (JOC), met
Mugabe in one of their regular briefings just before the conference at
the weekend to “reflect” on his and Zanu PF’s chances in the election set
for March. The JOC comprises General Vitalis Zvinavashe, Commander of the
Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Constantine Chiwenga,
Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Marshall Perence Shiri of
the Airforce, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri and Elisha Muzonzini,
Director-General of the spy Central Intelligence Organisation.
In the meeting, the sources said, the generals expressed feelings that
Zanu PF’s chances in next year’s poll could be enhanced by a new unifying
candidate given the rampant factionalism which has torn Zanu PF and
resulted in its dwindling national support base in recent months. Mugabe
has vowed to crush his opponent, the Movement for Democratic Change’s
Morgan Tsvangirai, in the ballot, but analysts say the 77-year-old
President no longer has the stamina nor the appeal to woo a restless and
angry electorate. According to the highly placed sources, it was pointed
out to Mugabe in the meeting that his support base in former Zanu PF
strongholds such as Masvingo, the Midlands and Manicaland had dwindled
and that he could only bank on the Mashonaland vote. Other sources said
the generals’ feelings are shared by a number of senior Zanu PF officials
and it was hoped that the suggestion of a new candidate would be tabled
at Victoria Falls but it never even made it to the party’s provisional
agenda.
It was not immediately clear how Mugabe responded to the JOC concerns but
the sources said the Zanu PF leader, whose candidacy was endorsed at
Victoria Falls, tried to address the issue of factionalism and dwindling
support by urging supporters to close ranks and rally behind him.
According to other sources, if Mugabe had accepted the gentle nudge to
quit, he would then have used the conference to announce his departure
from active politics and appoint a team of four senior Zanu PF officials,
one of whom would be picked to contest the presidential election. The
four mentioned were Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo, former Zanu PF
Matabeleland strongman Dumiso Dabengwa, party economic czar Simba Makoni
and Speaker of the House Emmerson Mnangagwa, his own blue-eyed boy.
Although details of the proposed succession plan remained sketchy, the
sources said Nkomo, as party chairman and the most senior of the quartet,
was likely to have been chosen to succeed Mugabe. Another suggestion was
that the four would then agree to take turns at the helm of the party and
the country in six-year-term turns. The plan, which apparently has the
blessing of many party heavyweights, is viewed as the best antidote to
contain the rising groundswell locally and internationally against
Mugabe’s iron-fisted rule of 21 years. Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe’s
independence from Britain, is largely blamed for the collapse of the
economy and the deterioration of law and order in the southern African
country. It is believed that his orderly and managed departure would have
pleased Western donors and Zimbabwe’s key supporters such as South Africa
who have become increasingly concerned about the ageing leader’s style of
governance.
Meanwhile, it also emerged that Zvinavashe recently summoned former Zanu
PF Masvingo provincial chairman Dzikamai Mavhaire in the presence of
Shiri to hear first-hand the state of the party in the strife-torn
province and ask for his support to help Mugabe’s re-election. Mavhaire
and former party leader and mentor Eddison Zvobgo have boycotted campaign
rallies for Mugabe’s re-election in Masvingo since Mavhaire’s executive
was booted out in a controversial party poll earlier this year. The two
failed to attend the Victoria Falls conference.