Analyst says breaking 'rural terror' key to success of deal

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
29 October 2008

Zimbabwe cannot move forward as long as there are vigilante terror groups
operating in the rural areas and blocking people from expressing their vote
freely in elections. According to Luke Zunga, a Zimbabwean businessman
exiled in South Africa, the current discussions over cabinet allocations
have to address this problem or will be completely meaningless. He believes
that for the deal to work, the MDC has to continue campaigning vigorously
for the Home Affairs, Information and Finance Ministries as a buffer against
the continued use of state terror.

Only through the control of finance will the MDC be able to stop state
sponsorship of militants in the rural areas. By controlling Home Affairs,
and with it the police, all perpetrators of violence will be arrested. He
also added that because of the divisive propaganda churned out by the state
media, control of Information is going to be vital in order to change things
around.

Zunga, who is also a treasurer for the Zimbabwe Diaspora Development
Chamber, even suggested, 'the appointment of a SADC police commissioner,
'whose tasks will be to eliminate rural terror structures and clean the
police,' if the deadlock persisted. He argues that at independence Zimbabwe
turned to a Pakistani army general to help with the integration of the
various armed forces from the guerrilla groups, 'so it's not new.' Any calls
for a re-run of elections supervised by the UN, 'will not necessarily
neutralize the rural terror gangs,' he argued.

Zunga feels the current SADC mediation team has over-simplified the
Zimbabwean problem into a conflict between two parties that need to work
together. He believes the problem lies deeper in the ZANU PF culture of
violence and intolerance. 'Our view is that President Mbeki is aware of the
rural control. If so, his support or recommendation for Mugabe to take
control of these ministries transfers the liability for the death and
starvation of these people to the doorstep of South Africa,' he added.