Kubatana - Archive - Analyses and views on operation restore order - Bulawayo Agenda

Analyses and views on operation restore order
Gorden Moyo, Bulawayo Agenda
June 15, 2005

Introduction
The goings-on currently in Zimbabwe defy all logic. The wanton destruction of property and the looting of peoples wares by the overzealous security agents is the height of political lunacy only preceded by the genocide of the 1980s. This business of burning property, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the people, of terror campaign on the emotions of people with detailed display of military muscle and mighty, and of creating refugees cannot be reconciled with the stated objective of the same project. As has often happened in the history of despots, permission has been tacitly granted for acts of violence and plunder, even for murder, if they were carried out in the name of national interests and against the poor and those presumed to be anti revolution. The so called operation restore order only confirms a lot about the iron law and first rule of dictatorship that have been religiously observed and practiced by Zanu PF government since 1980.Although it still remains a subject of wide speculation and conjecture to establish the real motive behind this callous project of pauperizing the people, what is clear is that the authorities who ordain and supervise this show of shame and, this tragic charade of the so called Operation Restore Order are heartless political vampires intoxicated by power, greed and protectionist philosophies.

Contradictions galore
One of the amazing properties of a chameleon is its ability to change colors at the twinkle of an eye. Notably, the government of Mugabe is worse than a chameleon. By some strange and twisted logic, Mugabe-regime embarked on a seismic programme dubbed ‘operation restore order’ which has shattered thousands of lives of the urban poor, peri- urban settlers and some rural folks. Their properties have been burnt, their homes demolished, their goods looted and their hopes shattered. It is the same government which not so long ago campaigned about the emancipation of the poor people. The jingles and slogans of Zanu PF during the run up to the 2005 March elections were monotonously annoying with their superfluous messages about empowerment of the ordinary people. Ironically, it is the same mouth with the same tune that is now spitting fire to the same people. The government sung ‘hosanna to the highest’ just before elections as it campaigned to the people but now it is singing ‘crucify’ them. An endless comedy of errors is being acted out here. The properties are destroyed, monies stolen, goods confiscated, treasures looted, women and children abused. The police are pursuing with impunity policies of crass inhumanity against the people. In short, the so called operation restore order is a denigrative, pervasive, suppressive, unethical and cold blooded exercise. The affected people are the wretched of the wretched of the earth, suffering under the yoke of double edged sword that is, shortages of basic commodities on the one hand and homelessness on the other.

Lootocracy
The agents and executioners of the so called ‘operation restore order’ are engaged in what has come to be known as lootocracy. The poorly paid security agents have suddenly discovered an oil mine. They help themselves with the wares that they impound from the vendors. The loot includes foreign currents, clothes, furniture, food and electronic gadgets.

The police officers are partaking on these acts of vandalism not because they know the raison detat behind but simply because they harvest the wares not only for their masters but for themselves and their families. The continuity of the operation is thus, no longer fuelled by the authorities, it is now self perpetuating, self sustained like a snowball effect. The police are the immediate and direct beneficiaries of the operation hence they have all the reasons to make sure that its flames are continually burning. A subculture of thievery, vice, corruption and dog eat dog has been planted and irrigated within the police force by this operation. The authorities are deliberately encouraging the security agents so as to keep them under lock and key. In fact, the authorities are afraid of the possibility of a mutiny amongst its forces because of the incapability of the state to continue sustaining the heft salaries of security system in the country. There is a Ghanaian proverb which says that monkeys play by their sizes. I know I am boxing above my weight here but the truth has to be told and some one must say it. It will take a pretty long time to sanitize the police force. Well after the operation has declared over, the officers will continue to terrorize, pounce and help themselves on the peoples sweat. A system of lootocracy has been established, entrenched and enhanced by the Mugabe regime.

Adhocracy
The authorities have run out of ideas. The car has been running without water and oil, it has a knock. There are no signs or indications that there is a functioning government in Zimbabwe. No due care was ever considered for the affected people. The whole thing is just an ad hoc programme. In fact the government has over the past years specialized in adhocracy as evidenced by the granting of gratuities to the war veterans at the tail end of the 90’s, the invasion of the farms and now this ‘operation’. Adhocracy is a system that is practiced by a government that is sitting at the departure lounge, an insecure, threatened, at war, frightened by its own incompetence and illegitimacy, and afraid of its own people.

The victims of the operation restore order were/are never fore warned of the impending disaster. They are ambushed and ransacked like trapped animals. Consequently, the vendors, informal traders, hawkers, slum dwellers, families and general public are traumatized, pauperized and ‘refugeesised’ by the government.

Pre-emptive strike
The notion that the Operation restore order is aimed at ending the parallel market is dismissible with the contempt it deserves. The elders have long observed that ‘one does not burn down the house in order to kill the snake inside’. The truth of the matter is that the fanatical police officers have been licensed and commissioned by a terrified and frightened government to carry out what has come to be known as the ‘pre-emptive strike’. After the electoral fraud of March 2005, the government has been going through a series of panic driven strategies. The immediate post election period has seen Zimbabwe sink into a deep economic abyss, political quagmire and social perversity. The Zanu PF spirit mediums and prophets have sensed the imminent impending danger coming like a tsunami to sweep its evils away. The ‘operation restore order’ is therefore a futile and desperate attempt to pre-empty people-power. Unfortunately the economy is not in Zanu PF’s favor; hence the people-power is unstoppable, unwishable and irreversible like the tsunami. The operation restore order is an ill fated response which can only delay the revolution but not stop it. Instead of ‘infecting’ people with fear, hopelessness and do- nothing-syndrome, operation restore order has actually become an instrument of mobilizing the masses. The masses that had reached their political orgasm during the 2005 election have been honed and revitalized by this program.

Mass stay away
In response to the operation restore order the people engaged on a two day stay away. Admittedly the stay away did not reach the fever pitch that would have sent the regime scurrying away but in its boardrooms and bedrooms the ruling clique is going through a nightmare after a nightmare. These people have been trying very hard to turn the masses into animals, animals are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions and they pass no criticism. However, the people have resoundingly refused to be cowed down. All tricks aimed at taming them shall surely fail. Those prophets of doom who believe that military parades will create everlasting shivers in people are making analytical errors. The democratization processes are issues of long distant runners and not sprinters. If you sprint in a marathon race you are more than likely to fall by the wayside. The stay away must be viewed as the beginning of the struggle. Gradually, the momentum shall be gathered and people power will finally prevail over the state power.

It should be noted that the stay away project has been successful in the following fronts:

It has brought together all the progressive forces and movements to work towards a common goal and for the common good. The resultant synergies shall go a long way in confronting the evils that have plagued our beautiful country.
Fatalism, political exhaustion or fatigue was beginning to take toll amongst the civil society leaders and operatives as well as the masses. This project has rejuvenated the people. Once again people have come to realize that in their own hands they bear the power to cancel their captivity. Like Shakespeare has observed "our fate is not in our star but in ourselves."
The region (SADC) and the international community were beginning to give up on Zimbabwe. Some had already dismissed the Zimbabwean crisis as a case closed. Some had already closed their ‘shops’. Thus the stay away project has rekindled hope.
The boycott of the opening ceremony of parliament by the opposition was part of the stay away project. The boycott has embarrassed the Mr. Mugabe and his henchmen. This has also sent signals to the rest of the people that the ‘war’ against the social evils and political criminals is far from being over. The stay away has reopened a new front of confronting the status quo after the demise of the 2005 March elections.

In lieu of conclusion
What we often call the end is actually the beginning and to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from [T.S ELIOT].The end of the two days stay away is actually the beginning of a much protracted struggle against the modern day apartheid in Zimbabwe. The people shall not bear the whips and scorns forever. It’s a question of time before the process that has been started culminates into a nationwide programme that shall get rid of all the evils that have grabbed the people for the past two and a half decades. All progressive minds should be at work now to ensure that a true operation restore order project is launched against the forces of darkness. Martin Luther observed that, ‘when evil men plot, good men must plan, when evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind’. The clarion call for all progressive forces is to stay focused, determined, the journey is likely to be long, rough and full of thorns but defeat is not the language. Revolutions are not movements of hopelessness, revolutions are movements of hope.

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