Tue 2 Dec 2008
Members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) went berserk Monday in the city centre wantonly assaulting Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono’s foreign currency dealers and members of the military police amid revelations that the entire uniformed forces have been irked by the extension of the RBZ boss’ term of office.
A further five year extension to 2013 of Gono’s term at a time Zimbabwe’s economy is profusely bleeding due to the administrative blips and blunders of Mugabe’s fraudulently anointed governor has angered many in the security forces.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai recently lampooned the extension of Gono’s term as a wanton disregard of the provisions of the All-Inclusive government that does not accommodate such high-level appointments unilaterally.
Gono’s re-appointment is likely to create a fresh huddle for the GNU which is likely to suffer a still-birth.
A sizeable number of members of the uniformed forces reportedly walked all the way from Cranborne barracks into Central Harare Monday and went on a rampage manhandling Forex dealers who had wads of Z$1000 000 at a time hapless Zimbabweans are at pains to access a mere Z$500 000 from their respective banks.
Soldiers are reportedly tired of Gono and Mugabe’s usual scapegoat - SANCTIONS.
A source who witnessed the rampage on Forex dealers and members of the military police at the infamous Road port told ZimDaily the army officers wanted their victims to confirm the easy source of their wads of the “scarce” local cash some of which they confiscated on spot.
They concluded Gono was the Godfather of the forex dealers they called fraudsters who have also held the nation to ransom.
Zimbabweans and soldiers still vividly remember the Z$10 billion Jonathan Kadzura cash deal, and Flat-water debacle (“Flat Watergate”) – in which Gono turned against his own surrogates and Forex runners .
It should be remembered Gono recently famously released Z$ 7.5 trillion of tax payer’s money without any proper documentation or due diligence of the recipient of the funds. That money is believed to have fallen into the hands of the forex dealers.
Gono is known for creating and manufacturing enemies of the ’state’ particularly people he does not like, to divert attention from his total failures at the helm of overseeing the country’s coffers.
The public was also treated to free-for-all drama as the soldiers descended on junior details of the uniformed Military police severely and severally assaulting them accusing them of promoting lawlessness.
They accused the military police of descending on them and not arresting Gono’s men breaking financial controls with impunity.”
“We are Mudhara’s (Robert Mugabe) men but shefu has disappointed us by giving Gono a fresh lease of life at a time he has caused the suffering of many. He should have dismissed the IDIOT,” said a soldier at
Some members of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) have taken sides with the army saying at the moment the law of the jungle is the only way to go as
One official from the
The CIO agent said many in ZANU PF, especially in the Cabinet and Politburo are heavily opposed to Gono’s ruinous financial policies. The recent unilateral extension of his term of office by another five years to 2013 has only hardened their views.
The usually busy
The soldiers caused havoc from the
He hinted that Mugabe is digging his own grave and sooner than later, graveside orations will take their toll. Gono has however struck alliances with ZANU PF hardliners such as former Intelligence Minister Mutasa who continues to support him in exchange of getting Forex at subsidized rates from the RBZ .
Gono buys Forex from the black market, “sells” it at the official rate to the favored few “shefus” in Mugabe’s Zanu-PF .
Owing to the persistent cash crisis and an incessant brush with soldiers, the police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri was said to have begged the RBZ boss Gono to have an arrangement where army details are served at their army barracks.
The system was however abused by army chefs who regularly grabbed all the cash forcing junior officers to eventually resort to a confrontational stances with Gono’s men code-named ‘Vemabag’.
Gono, who was once rumored and fingered for being an agent of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and accused of selling high-level secrets enters the black market informally through his legion of dealers to raise foreign currency for the “president’s” unending international forays, payment for electricity imports, water-treating chemicals to contain Cholera, among other purported emergencies.
His alleged CIA links saw him escape the targeted sanctions for a long time. He was only added after he failed to deliver on Mugabe’s removal by sponsoring the infamous Tsholotsho meeting held at
The furore with the army has taken place at a time the RBZ has been accused of bribing the judiciary and magistrates with a fleet of 30 Isuzu KB LX 300 vehicles that are reportedly parked at the RBZ Sports Club pending their allocation to the law enforcement officers to influence punitive sentences on alleged defaulters of financial controls.
When contacted by the ZimDaily reporter, RBZ Public Relations declined to shed more light saying Gono was the right man to comment.
Gono’s mobile phone was switched off when ZimDaily contacted him for a comment.
(Source)
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