"Courts, Military And Police Belong To ZANU PF, We Won Almost Everything" - Minister
National Housing and Social Amenities minister Daniel Garwe has said courts, the military, police and even health workers belong to the ruling ZANU PF.
Addressing party supporters in Seke on Tuesday, Garwe who doubles as ZANU PF Mashonaland East provincial chairperson said the ruling party will do anything to ensure President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s re-election next year, according to NewZimbabwe.com.
His address was captured on video and the clip has gone viral. Garwe said:
Courts, military and police belong to ZANU PF; even health workers belong to ZANU PF. Actually, we own almost everything.
President [Emmerson] Mnangagwa said the country does not tolerate violence but if they (opposition) provoke us, definitely we are going to fight them and deal with them accordingly.
We are preparing a whip for all those who insult Mnangagwa as we are preparing for our 2023 elections. Don’t keep quiet if someone insults your President, we have to fight back and defend him.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a surge in cases of intra-party and interparty violence raising fears that the harmonised elections scheduled for 2023 will likely be bloody.
Two months ago, former State Security minister Owen Ncube made similar threats at a ZANU PF campaign rally in Mberengwa, Midlands province saying “2023 will be worse than 2008.”
Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust (ZEAT) executive director Ignatious Sadziwa said Garwe must be must censored over the inflammatory remarks to avoid “another” disputed election.
Election Resource Centre (ERC) director Barbra Bhebe said Section 67 of the Constitution guarantees the right to campaign freely and peacefully.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi accused opposition parties and CSOs of cooking up stories on political violence “to solicit undeserved sympathies.”
