Recently, the international community has expressed much outrage at the administration of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party for the latest action. Not long ago, opposition candidate and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, Morgan Tsvangirai was detained again for a third time. This seems to be part of an effort to break the will of the MDC prior to the June 27 runoff elections.
Also, the deputy leader, Tendai Biti was arrested upon arriving back in Zimbabwe’s capital of Harare, from a week long trip to South Africa. Biti has been charged of “treason” on speaking against the State, which is governed by Mugabe. However, Western diplomats have said that Mugabe has ceded power to General Constantine Chiwenga, the head of the country’s military forces.
Chiwenga also runs the shadow organization known as Joint Operations Command (JOC). The country’s military has been accused of using fear, intimidation, and violence to force the people to vote for Mugabe in the runoff election.
Also, it is revealed that Mugabe is not willing to give up power. In short, Mugabe does not know the meaning of losing “fair and square.” Asides the fear of being murdered, people now face the risk of being brought into a civil war if they do not vote for Mugabe.
Mugabe threatened to bring Zimbabwe into civil war. He said: “If this country goes back into white hands…we will return to the bush to fight.”
One Western diplomat has said: “It makes one very dubious that there can be any meaningful negotiations on national unity. What sort of message is the JOC sending to people?”
Like Mugabe and his wife, Grace, Chiwenga and his wife, are too subject to travel sanctions to North America and Europe.
So forth, the international community has expressed outrage at the actions of Mugabe’s government. At the same time, Mugabe threatens to plunge the country into a bloody civil-war.
Tsvangirai had won the elections. But, he did not win enough to avoid a runoff election.