Karoi army 'war' drill raises crackdown fears

Karoi army 'war' drill raises crackdown fears

STAYING PUT: President Mugabe's portrait is hoisted in the air as soldiers and police officers take part in an exercise in Harare to prepare for the country's Independence celebrations on April 18

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By Lebo Nkatazo

FEARS of a looming major military operation grew in Zimbabwe this week following revelations that 5000 troops assembled in Karoi last week for a drill described as “brigade administration”, which included real life scenarios in a war situation.

Zimbabwean authorities have withheld the release on presidential election results from the March 29 polls, and top army commanders have warned they will not salute any other leader other than President Robert Mugabe, revered by many as a liberation war hero.

A court was due to rule Monday on an opposition bid to force the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to release results of the election which the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims was won by its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

At least 5 000 troops from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) took part in the mock combat training which involved setting up administration zones complete with hospitals, jails for prisoners of war, and an information centre.

Troops were also asked to master a map of the site and get in formations to repel imaginary enemy attacks from Chirundu, Zimbabwe’s most northern town on the border with Zambia.

Colonel Brave Matavire, the deputy commander of 2 Brigade, insisted the exercise was “routine”, and all the five brigades in the ZNA’s ranks go through it every year.

“This is an exercise aimed at fully acquainting our forces with all the facets of administration of a combat area so that when a war breaks out, it’s something they know already,” Colonel Matavire said.

As the election stand-off continues, Zimbabweans have reported growing military build up around the country. Army helicopters have been flying over Harare and police have been deployed on the streets in a massive show of force.

Last week, police banned all political rallies around the country as President Mugabe prepares for the fight of his political life after 28 years on uninterrupted rule.

Despite MDC claims that Tsvangirai won the presidential vote, independent election monitoring groups, using election data posted outside polling stations, say he got more votes than Mugabe but not enough to carry him over the 50% threshold.

Zimbabwean law says that in the event that no candidate gets a clear majority, the two candidates with most votes must enter a second round of voting within 21 days of the last election.

But chances of an election on April 19, a day after Zimbabwe’s Independence celebrations, have diminished with delays in announcing results, fuelling fears that President Mugabe will resort to repressive methods to contain rising public anger.

A High Court judge assented to an opposition motion on Sunday to stop the ZEC from recounting results in at least 23 constituencies which Mugabe’s Zanu PF party hopes will overturn the opposition’s slim parliamentary majority.

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