Jabulani Sibanda on the loose

But can toothless JOMIC stop him?

Clemence Manyukwe, Political Editor

IN Masvingo, war veterans leader, Jabulani Sibanda, has managed to summon more than 100 chiefs and headmen to his meetings which have been blamed for advocating political strife leaving villagers who are at his mercy wondering who will break the spell. The Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), a body created in terms of the Global Political Agreement has decided to step up to the plate by summoning the liberation war fighter, but questions are being asked as to whether the body will be able to take the bull by its horns.
After leading the “million-men” march in the run-up to the 2008 general polls to ensure President Robert Mugabe’s re-election, Sibanda has proved that he has the energy and zeal to accomplish any mission he faces.
Now he is back ostensibly to “educate” villagers on the war veterans’ position regarding what they expect in the ongoing constitutional-making exercise.
But his path has been littered by allegations of violence, intimidation and death threats should the hapless villagers fail to push through what the former fighters are agitating for.
The homestead of one Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) member has since been torched as a result of rising political temperatures in Masvingo province the party said was done at Sibanda’s instigation.
In documents in possession of The Financial Gazette that are to be submitted to JOMIC, ZANU-PF says the act of arson was in retaliation to a case of adultery committed by the victim, but their rivals insist it was a matter of political violence.
The war veterans leader is also alleged to have said he would eliminate Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai — the MDC-T leader.
But can Sibanda — who in 2008 shrugged opposition from within ZANU-PF after some resisted his move to campaign as the party’s candidate in view of his suspension in 2004 as a result of the so-called Tsholotsho debacle — be stopped this time around.
This week, Wilfred Mhanda the leader of the Zimbabwe Liberators' Platform said from the look of things, only President Mugabe will be able to stop Sibanda in his tracks.
“Nobody, not even the police, will stop him. It has to come from the President,” said Mhanda, a former high-ranking ZANLA commander.
He suggested that Sibanda’s meetings are aimed at achieving ZANU-PF’s grand scheme of foisting the Kariba Draft down people’s throats in the ongoing constitutional-making exercise.
Allegations of people being “coached” what to say have marred the current constitutional-making drive, with fears that it will end up as a ZANU-PF/ MDC compromise document.
Sixty-five days have so far been expended on the outreach exercise, with the government seeking a further US$8 million to conclude the last phase of consultations that are expected to run for another 25 days.
But why is Sibanda targeting Masvingo?
“He started in Manicaland province and if he has not been to Matabeleland already, he will go there. It seems as if he is going to places where they feel the MDC managed to achieve greater presence in terms of performance in the last election,” said Mhanda.
However, in the absence of President Mugabe’s guiding hand in reining in the war veterans leader, JOMIC’s past record is not helping matters.
Deon Theron, the president of the Commercial Farmers Union, said of all cases of farm disturbances they had lodged with the body, hardly any were resolved amicably or satisfactorily.
The latest case, the farmer’s union leader added, gives JOMIC a chance to redeem itself after failing to resolve other disputes in the past year.
“Unfortunately in the past, their record has not been very good, but we will wait and see. It’s up to them,” said Theron.
But as JOMIC appears set to grapple with Sibanda’s issue, for the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Andrew Makoni, the route that the powers-that-be are taking does not represent a normal course of events.
The norm, according to him, is for the police to launch investigations to establish the veracity of claims made to enable prosecutors to determine whether or not the case can go to the courts.
“JOMIC is just a loose association of political parties whose decisions are not binding. It is not an institution and as it is I do not see his summoning having any meaningful bearing under the circumstances,” said Makoni.