via Zim on high alert over RENAMO threat | SW Radio Africa by Nomalanga Moyo November 4, 2013
Minister of Defence Sydney Sekeramayi says Zimbabwe is closely monitoring events in Mozambique where RENAMO insurgents are said to be regrouping.
Sekeramayi said the Zim government was “closely monitoring the situation in Mozambique because we do not want the escalation of hostilities in that country.
“Our main concern is the security of our railway and pipe lines, so we do not want any instability in Mozambique,’’ he said.
Recently, Foreign Affairs deputy minister Christopher Mutsvangwa told the press that Zimbabwe could intervene in Mozambique if the hostilities in that country escalated.
But during a tour of the Crooks Corner-Sango Border Post minefield near the Mozambican border on Thursday, Sekeramayi said although the Zim army was on high alert, no troops had been deployed in Mozambique.
“There is not a single Zimbabwean soldier who has been deployed in Mozambique as we speak. In the event that we decide to deploy our troops there, we will inform the nation,’’ Sekeramayi told the state-controlled Herald newspaper.
It is unlikely that Zimbabwe will unilaterally send troops to assist the Mozambican government to deal with the insurgency, and analysts say any such intervention will have to be under the auspices of either the Southern African Development Community or the African Union.
Besides, even if the Zim government wanted to, some say it neither has the economic resources nor the military hardware to be of any meaningful use in Mozambique.
Reports also indicate that the Zimbabwe Defence Industries, which produces the country’s military hardware, is broke and on its knees.
Dr Martin Rupiya, a former officer in the Zimbabwean National Army who has operational experience in Mozambique, says it is unlikely that the political tensions in Mozambique will escalate to a point where it becomes necessary for regional countries to step in.
“I think (rebel leader) Afonso Dhlakama has taken the wrong route in abandoning the 1992 peace treaty with the FRELIMO government.
“There is no stomach for reigniting the war in Mozambique, and RENAMO should have negotiated with FRELIMO to have their issues addressed.
“Already the US and Portugal have condemned this step so there is no support for what they have done,” Rupiya said.
According to Rupiya, one of the demands by RENAMO is that they be allowed to share power “not necessarily through elections but through a presidential decree”.
He said he did not think Zimbabwe will intervene, adding that statements by the government to that effect were just precautionary measures.
He added that the fact that the Mozambican government was yet to approach SADC with a request for help showed that it had the capacity to contain the RENAMO insurgency.
RENAMO was formed in the 1970s and encouraged by the then white-ruled Rhodesia’s intelligence service, which recruited Mozambicans opposed to liberation movement FRELIMO.
When white rule ended in Zimbabwe in 1980, RENAMO was adopted by South Africa’s apartheid military to try to thwart black nationalism on the borders from Angola to Mozambique.
COMMENTS
There is everything wrong with our learning curve as Zimbabweans, when it comes to interfering in internal conflicts in neighboring countries. In the 80s and early 90s we fought to prop up the socialist government in Mozambique, led by Machel and his successors. When peace came to Mozambique we only managed to get our soldierts out and got nothing. We lost so many lives defending the worst government for the people of Mozambique. As if that was not enough we sent our troops into DRC. At least our top army officers, Munangagwa, Tshinga Dube, Philip Chiyangwa and Billy Rottenbatch looted. I remember a number of army Chefs bought homes for cash in affluent surbubs, from the DRC loot. While these looters benefited the country got nothing in return for loss of human life and permanent war injuries. For me to say this is an understatement; as I lost friends, family and some best military brains like Colonel Gumbo.(who was eliminated for refusing to pass on the diamond looot to top military officials in Harare). There are thousand sons of Zimbabwe who persished in these uncalled for, unwarranted wars that Robert Mugabe pursued for his personal ego and ambition. Now they are starting to provoke Matsanga and his Renamo forces so as to find an excuse to loot our fortune in the pretext of war. If you keep your mouth SHUT Robert Mugabe, Renamo will not touch that pipeline. Yes Renamo will do anything possible to inflict pain on their government and that includes the Beira Port. So if there are disruptions in Beira, guess what Gagul(RGM), switch your imports and the small exports to South Africa and Namibia. This is no rocket science Baba Chatunga, its common sense that governments world wide make without sending gun totting boys into every area of conflict. Your mojo in SADC is gone Robert Mugabe, so your threat in Mozambique has ZERO impact. Let the Moscans deal and sort themselves out. WAR MONGER MUGABE!
What is the purpose of the railway line and pipeline when there is no industry to talk of in Zimbabwe. That railway line is as good as nothing. Who really is using it?
Mugarbage’s ZANU-Pf government can’t pay for anything this comes up the (aptly named) “Crooks Corner”-Sango Border line, so what’s the big deal. Mugarbage’s military is broke, out of gas, out of date and it’s generals too fat to fight anyway. And as a previous writer so aptly wrote, there’s no industry, business, agriculture or mining to speak of, so why does Mugarbage need a rail link!
The zanu z.n.a. Fears a good hiding from renaming who might just turn out to be zims liberators these renamo
It’s not true that an armed conflict in a nehbouring country has no security or econimoc effect in this country. The previous Mozambican coflict affected the Beira and Zobue (Malawi) links. Zimbabwean citizens were also murdered by Renamo in Zimbabwean villages near the border. I know one night Muzezuru School in Mudzi was raided and school books stolen. That night three people were murdered in Muzezuru and Musau areas. That was in 1990. How do we say that we should not be worried about war in Mozambique? All wars spill over, and we should be ready for appropriate responses to safeguard Zimbabwean citizens and interests, whether the president is Mugabe, Tsvangirai or Ndevhueziqamulamakomecho.
gebuza ndiye arirongo aadi kugadzisa dailoko pamusoro paizvozvo musi wa 21 october 2013 gebuza wakatumira mafrelimo kundorwisadlakama pa satunjira kudhuze negorongoza kusofala promvince ipapo pakarohwa imwe phuti inochyisa kosei achitumira masoja kundorwisa dlakama futi saka mugabe mira pasaid isusu taneta nefrelimo takuda kumbovona renamo kuti inotonga frelimo taneta nayo.