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Zimbabwean security forces have a mandate to protect and safeguard the country’s sovereignty. It is the duty of the security forces to ensure citizens are protected against both internal and external enemies.
The Zimbabwe National Army, the police, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Prison Services and the Central Intelligence Organisation are all national institutions whose allegiance is to the State.
Governments come and go but national institutions remain. Zimbabwe is enjoying the peace and tranquility because it has competent security forces.
Any attempt to therefore destabilise the country’s security forces should be nipped in the bud. Many countries on the African continent are in turmoil today because they have allowed their security forces to be infiltrated by enemies who are causing destabilisation within. Many attempts have been made to infiltrate Zimbabwe’s security forces and the push has intensified now as the forces that are after regime change are getting impatient.
It is against this background that pronouncements meant to threaten security forces by remnants of Rhodesia like Roy Bennett cannot be taken lightly.
Bennett, who is in self-imposed exile in South Africa, wrote on his Facebook wall this week that he is compiling a register he termed a “Rat List” of security personnel who would not be part of his party’s government.
“I am putting together a ‘Rat List’ of those in the security services who have become political animals and who will be unfit to remain in their jobs in a new Zimbabwe. This list will be published in due course and updated where necessary,” said Bennett who is the MDC-T treasurer-general.
To begin with, Bennett is using hate language by referring to security officers as “rats” and political animals. It is the MDC-T which has on many fora complained of hate language, accusing the public media and Zanu-PF of using hate language yet they are the worst when it comes to hate language.
Bennett is obviously living in the past when whites could, with impunity, refer to blacks as baboons. He knows too well that members of the security forces are mostly blacks hence he refers to them as rats and political animals. Bennett is deliberately trying to sow seeds of division within the security forces by his so-called “Rats List” and “A List”.
According to Bennett, the “A List” is that of officers who have remained apolitical and professional and would be considered for promotions. He said the “A List” will remain confidential. “I encourage those in the services to contact me and give me their recommendations on who should be on the “Rat List” and who should be on the “A List” he said.
We are very confident that our security forces will not fall for this childish prank given their military background. These are men and women of high integrity because many of them fought to liberate this country. These are men and women who refused to be swayed by the then Rhodesian pounds dangled by the Smith regime to persuade them to abandon the struggle. The security forces that Bennett has decided to refer to as rats have committed one “cardinal sin” and that is to be open that they will not allow anyone to reverse the gains of independence, much to the chagrin Bennett and his kith and kin who dream of returning one day to occupy large farms in Manicaland and other prime farming areas of this country.
The security forces have been unequivocal regarding the stance on Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and the gains of independence. Bennett, a former member of the Rhodesian army, dreams of returning to what he calls a new Zimbabwe where the whites will once again be masters and blacks reduced to servants, or rats, as he calls them.
We want to say it loud and clear to Bennett and his kith and kin that Zimbabwe will never be a colony again. To security forces, we want to say please continue to safeguard our territorial integrity and do not be detracted by the unrepentant racists such as Bennett who are after destabilising the country.
Online Reporter