Bob clings to power – for now

While the world anticipates the future of Zimbabwe, for civilians it seems to be business as usual – even as the country’s military calls for President Robert Mugabe to be dethroned.

With Mugabe refusing to vacate his position as number one, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), which is on the ground in Zimbabwe, says it predicts a nonviolent outcome.

“Everybody is going to work and going about their business as usual,” ISS senior research consultant Derek Matyszak said. “There is still a strong military presence in Harare around the government buildings. The military is in control at the airport. They are also at the government broadcaster,” he added.

“Apart from that, the mood on the street is quite light. You see civilians cracking jokes with the soldiers. People are making jokes about Mugabe going.” Significant was the disappearance of police roadblocks, said Matyszak.

“One of the remarkable things that makes an enormous difference to the atmosphere in the capital are the road blocks which have disappeared. We don’t have police road blocks to go through every time we are on the road. So citizens are definitely noticing that difference.

“Can this matter get violent? That would only happen if there was a section of the military that is not prepared to follow Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Force Constantino Chiwenga’s lead in trying to protect Mugabe.”

Mugabe, 93, who has been under house arrest since Wednesday, made his first public appearance yesterday at a graduation ceremony in Harare.

– yadhanaj@citizen.co.za

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