Congo and Mozambique instability: Classic cases of ZANU PF looting and plundering.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is way far than Mozambique. Respectively, they suffered, and still do, in terms of internal political turmoil, however, there is a tragic case. The crisis in DRC did not pose immediate threat to Zimbabwe security or sovereignty, yet Zanu Pf, blinded by greed, sacrificed a young vibrant economy, for fat Swiss accounts.  In terms of military logistics, making it a messy affair, a turbulence even threatening internal political stability. Bogging up military logistics leading to strategic capitulation of intervening SADC, Zimbabwe included was offset by the self-enrichment plaguing the executive, and the military generals, both of which, theoretically, are a new regime, they are old wine in new wine skins.  But what if selfish, personal motives dominated, still dominates the logic and choice of Zanu Pf interventions? This is the comparative utility of this article.

Zimbabwe deployed 10000 troops, at a conservative estimate of 3 million USD, a month, a figure that should be perceived skeptically as law, given Zanu Pf obsession with dearth of transparency, compounded by systemic media repression. Things now get interesting,  Zanu Pf made some class, it never dreamt would one day catch up with it. The religious and intellectuals are aware of the proverbial proverbs verse which says that, a fool’s mouth is his death trap, at the very least, a rod for his back. In this case, it is a death trap for Zanu Pf. A death trap bred with the dilemma of interventions spurred by politics of self enrichment, a stalemate, if one rather.

Zanu Pf gave a series of rather dump justifications for the costly military deployment which saw the economy becoming a casualty that never recovered. These were dumb excuses intended for presumed dumb, politically misinformed and uninformed masses, enabled by state sponsored media repression. Unfortunately, for Zanu Pf, the justifications for intervention in DRC are the same demanding intervention in Mozambique, which Zanu Pf is reluctant to offer.

Charamba who was in government then when the military of Zimbabwe intervened in DRC, is still in the Zanu Pf led government that is hesitant to intervene in Mozambique, which by the way poses immediate threats to Zimbabwe, had this to say, the intervention in DRC was “a matter of principle which dates back to the days of the liberation war here”. Ironically, the same principle is not applicable to Mozambique, breeding the question why, why DRC instability, not a threat to Zimbabwe, and why not Mozambique, a direct threat?? The answer is the greed of Zanu Pf. In addition to the so called liberation principle, there is more. The sovereignty of Mozambique, in Charamba’s own words. Sovereignty threatened by insurgency which ignites a neighbour whose jurisdictional powers are limited. Ironically, this fits the profile of Mozambique. Yet, Zanu Pf has not intervened.

The acute dearth of possibility of economic gains from natural-resource exploitation, the intervening Zimbabwe, at the behest of Zanu Pf, discourages Zanu Pf from intervening in Mozambique, despite the obviously increasing limited jurisdiction of Mozambique. Unlike DRC. This explains the rationale of lack of intervention. The rationale of self enrichment politics bedeviling Zanu Pf. Zanu Pf lacks the means and capabilities of looting the oil and gas in Mozambique, too complicated for a primitive party, yet, the desire is there, just that the impotence is a hurdle, the impotence of extraction, aftermath of Zanu Pf intervention.

Mozambique poor military responses to the insurgency, lack of support for Mozambique, will ultimately lead to instability of the whole region, with Zimbabwe, among the first casualties. Like Mozambique, Zanu Pf greed politics, which consequentially result in politics of marginalization and exclusion, as was the case of Kimwani tribe in Mozambique, frustrated youth, would be attracted to insurgency, gods forbid. Subsequently, the already deteriorating humanitarian crisis will be aggressively compounded and accelerated, a negative development from Zanu Pf state paralysis to the ultimate state failure, all premised by the primacy of greed by Zanu Pf.

In conclusion, Zanu Pf greed and self enrichment politics has seen its hesitancy and reluctance to intervene in Mozambique. The main reason is acute dearth of possibility of economic gains from natural-resource exploitation, the intervening Zimbabwe. This is worsened by the fact that Zanu Pf possesses neither the means and capabilities to extract the oil and gas, unlike the blood diamonds, in DRC. This is despite the fact that Mozambique poses a direct threat to Zimbabwe. In addition to Zanu Pf overlooking of the facts that the grounds for intervention in Mozambique are similar to those of DRC years ago, which even witnessed the economy becoming a casualty, that briefly recovered during the Governments of National Unity, with the genuine opposition steering the economy. Zanu Pf politics of greed, furthermore, are a source of manpower for the insurgents, given that they will have been marginalized, and excluded from political power and economic opportunities, a situation, through incentives, insurgents exploit.