News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Zim army warns of crackdown on ‘cyber warfare’

Posted: 06 Aug 2016 02:44 AM PDT

Zimbabwe’s army has vowed to act against activist using social media to organise anti-government protests.

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Harare - Zimbabwe’s army commander has warned his soldiers will deal with threats from activists using social media to mobilise anti-government protests, the first time the military has commented on the demonstrations.

Lieutenant-General Valerio Sibanda, the Zimbabwe National Army commander, said in an interview with state-owned The Herald newspaper social media activism was cyber warfare that the army would deal with.

Neither the army, which has anchored President Robert Mugabe’s 36-year rule, nor the police force have been paid on time since June.

Zimbabwe has seen several protests in recent months with unemployment above 80 percent, dollar shortages worsening as commodity prices slumped and as the region suffers its worst drought for 25 years.

The largest anti-government protest in Zimbabwe in the last decade was organised on social media last month, when a strike by #ThisFlag movement shut down businesses.

“As an army, at our institutions of training, we are already training our officers to be able to deal with this new threat we call cyber warfare where weapons - not necessarily guns but basically information and communication technology - are being used to mobilise people to do the wrong things,” Sibanda said.

“The major task we are undertaking now is that of training and preparing the army for whatever eventuality.”

This came as Pastor Evan Mawarire, the founder of Zimbabwe’s #ThisFlag social media movement, on Friday called for a protest against Mugabe and his government.

Mawarire asked his supporters in a Facebook video message to stand up and sing Zimbabwe’s national anthem during a cricket match in the southern town of Bulawayo on Saturday. Zimbabwe is scheduled to play New Zealand, and the game will be broadcast internationally.

“When the 36th over starts, you and I are going to stand up as a sign of saying for 36 years (of Mugabe’s rule) we have been quiet, but now we are standing up,” said the 39-year-old activist, who recently fled to South Africa after receiving death threats.

“I want you to sing the national anthem. They can’t shut you up. They can’t arrest you for singing the national anthem,” Mawarire said.

The ruling Zanu-PF party said the protest action was a ploy by Mawarire “to achieve his political ambitions”.

“If these people have issues, they must engage the government and not be confrontational,” Tafadzwa Mugwadi, a senior Zanu-PF youth leader told dpa.

Generals in Zimbabwe’s military are veterans of the 1970s independence war, and while they publicly support Mugabe and his Zanu-PF, they have divided loyalties over who should succeed Mugabe, who is also under pressure from war veteran allies.

Reuters

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