PRESIDENT Mugabe . . . has set up a crack taskforce committee to reverse a humiliating defeat against long time rival Morgan Tsvangirai

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has set up a crack taskforce committee headed by a senior army general to try to reverse a humiliating defeat at the hands of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, ruling ZANU-PF sources said.

Although there are no official results from the March 29 presidential poll, it is common knowledge that the 84-year-old leader was beaten by long time rival Tsvangirai.

ZANU-PF and independent projections however show that Tsvangirai was a shade below the 50-plus percent required to take power from Mugabe, but Tsvangirai has claimed victory saying he won enough votes to avoid a second round of voting.

The sources said the committee comprises central bank chief Gideon Gono, Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba, ZANU-PF national commissar Elliot Manyika, trained secret service operative and ZANU-PF legislator Saviour Kasukuwere and a top army general.

The team draws in Gono’s expertise to mobilise financial resources, Manyika’s usually crude mobilisation tactics and the army’s logistical expertise in a desperate bid to keep the ageing Mugabe in power.

“I can confirm that the taskforce is in place and will be running Comrade Mugabe’s run-off campaign,” a knowledgeable ruling ZANU-PF party source told ZimOnline.

On Friday night Manyika held a marathon meeting with the leaders of the war veterans and collaborators for “serious briefing” on how Mugabe’s campaign will be handled.

“The groundwork is being laid as we speak. You can not rule out coercion and violence,” said the source, who is among senior politburo members who failed to convince Mugabe at last Friday’s politburo meeting to negotiate a safe exit with Tsvangirai.

ZANU PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa refused take questions on the matter.

"What business is it of yours? You want me to tell you how we are going to campaign, certainly not," Mutasa said curtly before switching off his mobile phone.

Our sources said the committee’s terms of reference are to raise money for Mugabe during what would be an intense three weeks of campaigning ahead of the presidential run-off.

The source said the money would be used to buy voters outright and to pay war veterans and ZANU-PF militia, all Mugabe’s shock troops who have anchored his past election campaigns.

Despite being suspended from ZANU-PF, war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda has been re-called to lead the campaign in rural areas and is using the ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare as the war veterans’ command centre.

Some war veterans have already been given Chinese-made pick up trucks and have been cited in rural provinces to prepare the groundwork for what could turn out to be another violent campaign. 

Reports on Sunday said war veterans and militant ZANU PF youths had begun seizing some of the few remaining white-owned farms, especially in parts of the southern Masvingo province.

Three cattle ranchers said they were forced off their land on Saturday while a fourth farmer was on Sunday reportedly still holding out, with about 50 militants threatening to break down his farm gates.

Sources say farm invasions will spread across the countryside in days to come as ZANU PF pushes to regain the upper hand in rural and farming areas where it surprisingly lost several seats to Tsvangirai’s MDC party.

Zimbabwe looks set to be plunged into political violence as Mugabe seeks to defend his turf from a resurgent Tsvangirai, some quarters had long written off as a fading opposition leader.

There are suggestions Mugabe did not want a run-off with Tsvangirai and had instead opted for a transitional period to safeguard himself and his family, but was pushed to stand by a small cabal of loyalists that do not see any future without him.

Security has been beefed around Zimbabwe’s only ruler since independence from Britain in 1980, with tankers now seen outside his official State House residence since Monday when he was told he had lost the election.

“But what is more interesting is the inclusion of Gono, he seems to have tied his fate to President Mugabe. I don’t know whether that is a wise move or not given the political climate prevailing at the moment,” the source said. – ZimOnline.