Regard For Human Life Hits Another All-Time Low in Zimbabwe

As a means to keep Robert Mugabe in power, a military junta seems to have taken over. It seems that Zimbabwe is sharing the same fate as Burma, which is also run by a military junta. Western diplomats have said that Mugabe has ceded power to the shadowy organization called Joint Operations Command (JOC) run by General Constantine Chiwenga, the head of Zimbabwe’s military forces.

It is said that Mugabe remained in power because of support by the JOC.

Opposition candidate and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party Morgan Tsvangirai said that the country has been run by a junta. He adds that the people of Zimbabwe has been exposed to government supported brutality and violence.

The violence is deemed a means of using fear, intimidation, and violence to force the people to vote for Mugabe in the runoff election on June 27. There have been many attacks on members and supporters of the MDC. The UN and many human rights groups accuse Mugabe and his supporters instigating most of the violence.

Men went in three trucks to the Mhondoro district. They were seeking Patson Chipiro, the MDC leader of that district. But, they settled for his wife, Dadirai, a former pre-school teacher.

They chopped one of her hands and both of her feet. Dadirai was thrown into the house as the men threw a petrol bomb inside. She was mutilated before being burned to death.

The wife of a local councilman in Harare was also burned to death. She was pregnant at the time. The son had died in the flames.

This is the most recent act of violence that seems to have been orchestrated by the Zanu-PF Party. So far, many within the Zanu-PF are bent on preventing Tsvangirai from getting into power.

Tsvangirai had won the elections; but, did not win enough to avoid a runoff election. Jendayi Frazer, the top US diplomat to Africa, accuses Mugabe’s administration of trying to steal the election and remain in power.

Thabo Mbeki, South Africa’s President has taken the help of being the mediator. However, Mbeki has been criticized for his reaction towards the violence. Tsvangirai said that Mbeki was no longer fit to mediate.