Army revolts against General Sibanda

Junior Commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army have reportedly openly defied the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces Philip Valerio Sibanda and called for his removal from offices after he failed to tend to their welfare.

A source in the Military Intelligence Department who spoke to this reporter said, "There is pandemonium that is happening in the ranks and file of the armed forces. We are having a situation where the junior commanders are openly defying the CDF.

"If you go to all the barracks you will find out that the junior officials are complaining about the treatment that is coming from the Karanga commanders that are being promoted by of late. The junior commanders and the rest of the service force are saying there is preferential treatment in the barracks and uneven distribution of rations which is causing friction.

"The CDF is moving in to replace the junior Commanders with his own Karanga members  who will be loyal to him after fearing the that the majority Zezuru commanders will be defiant to his command. In the recent past we have the junior commanders complaining that the CDF is not standing up for them and their grievances are not being attended. What you saw  on Monday when the air traffic controllers went on strike was a swift intervention by the said Zezuru airforce members who were appointed by Shiri who moved in to assist in the saga. If the CDF continues with his way he is going to find himself isolated and you know what mutiny means when you are failing to command the army."

The Zimbabwe Independent has  reported that Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander Lieutenant-General Edzai Chimonyo last week convened an emergency staff meeting where he read the riot act over rampant indiscipline, theft of rations and criminal activities involving soldiers as disquiet within the rank and file of the military sparks concern.

Chimonyo is said to have told the soldiers that being the man in charge, he was not going to tolerate indiscipline in the army and indicated that so rampant has indiscipline become among soldiers that the army's internal prisons, known as detention barracks, are being overwhelmed.

The generals are reportedly  worried that during this period of a deteriorating economic situation in the country, underpinned by skyrocketing prices, high cost of living and hyperinflation, which has rendered salaries worthless, the soldiers are in a desperate condition: ill-disciplined, disorganised, poorly fed and poverty stricken, according to insiders.

To survive the hardships, the soldiers have had to engage in money-spinning activities such as gold panning and street vending while others have turned to crimes like theft.