By Chantel Takudzwa Zambukira
Political analysts have dismissed recent utterances by former ZANU-PF big wigs Dr Ignatius Chombo and Professor Jonathan Moyo in which they said the military will not allow the opposition to take power even if it wins this year’s elections.
Exiled traditional chief Felix Ndiweni who has been one of President Emerson Mnangagwa’s fiercest critics said the military head honchos are in for a surprise if they were to reverse the will of the people because low ranked soldiers are suffering together with the rest of the masses and will most likely resist attempts to use them against the general populace.
“We will not be surprised at all if it is the military that will assist the opposition come 2023 elections,” said Ndiweni in response to tweets by former ZANU-PF members Dr Ignatius Chombo and Professor Jonathan Moyo who via their social media handles suggested that the military will be within their rights if they are to prevent the opposition from unseating ZANU-PF after this year’s harmonised elections.
Political commentator Effie Ncube wadded into the matter by taking a swipe at Chombo and Moyo accusing them of agenda setting and encouraging military dictatorship in the country.
“Zimbabwe is not a military barrack. We are not under marshal law but we are a Constitutional republic where sovereign powers are vested in the people. While the country has failed to live up to expected democratic standards, this does not mean accepting and normalising the unlawful. It is therefore the people and not the soldiers, who must decide who governs them. Anything else is unconstitutional and illegal. Those who think they can forever stay in power by means other than the will of people expressed through regular, free and fair elections are deceiving themselves. It won’t last. The people shall govern.” said Ncube.
Below are the tweets from Dr Chombo and Professor Moyo.
Dr Chombo said,
“Chamisa himself knows he is too small to be saluted by these men of war. These generals are waiting for their turn on presidency and this can only happen when ZANU-PF is in power so even if ZANU-PF loses the elections, why would they let it go without a fight.”
“REGIME CHANGE is un-normalisable as it means a foundation or existential reconfiguration of the state, as opposed to a prescribed electoral change of administration.The US, eg wants regime change in Zim through sanctions and regime change in Russia through the war in Ukraine.
When Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump, there was no regime change but merely a change in the administration which did not and could not change the existence configuration or systems of government of the US as a state. Something that the US wants to see in Zimbabwe through Zidera.
Since 1960, Zimbabwe has had two regime changes: Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) on 11 November 1965 and after independence on 18 April 1980,” said Moyo