MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa has lauded the late former military boss and ex-President of Ghana Jerry Rawlings who died this week.
Chamisa said military juntas in Africa should take notes from Rawlings on how the military should defend rather than seek to replace civilian authority.
Chamisa made the remarks after signing the book of condolences at the Ghanaian embassy in Harare following Rawlings’ death. He said:
He teaches us a very important lesson particularly in Zimbabwe that it is important for the military to play a role that is progressive and defending the civilian authority and not replace civilian authority.
The fact that he was able to allow for a smooth handover-takeover and having allowed people to vote, we salute him and we hope that in Zimbabwe, we are not going to continue to see the replacement of the ballot by the bullet or the replacement of the voice of the people in villages and in communities by the sound of the gun.
Let it be about the people, about the civilians defining who they want to govern them and not the military.
Rawlings led a military takeover of the country on two occasions, first in 1979 and 1981, but went on to oversee Ghana’s transition to multi-party democracy before stepping down in 2001.