EVERY SOLDIER IS A POTENTIAL CRIMINAL...(Thomas Sankara)

Arm them with humanity

EVERY SOLDIER IS A POTENTIAL CRIMINAL...(Thomas Sankara)
A soldier points a gun at an old unarmed woman

Every Soldier Is A potential criminal...(Thomas Sankara)

There was a gash across the top of his head, the face had lacerations and was swollen, while his lips had visible marks of where he must have sunk his teeth during the last moments of his young life, a tender flower plucked from our midst. We viewed the body of young Connie Mudanda for the last time, with his brother and my friend Clayton  Maticha supporting the mother who was sobbing uncontrollably. Connie, the young man that I had last seen in about a year in Harare when we had travelled with his brother for a soccer match,had been murdered in cold blood at Manyame Air  Base by a  fellow soldier, Taguma Chakanyuka. It was at this very moment in the bushes of Chivhu hundreds of kilometres away from my Kasi, Nketa 8 that I realized that as a nation we have not paid enough attention to the harm that soldiers have done to us. The killing happened the night of 7 September 2018 barely a month after gunshots rang true and loud in the central business district of Harare leaving a trail of anguish, pain and death. This one hit the nerve for it had taken away from me; yet there have been worse cases.

I will take time to give the heart wrenching details of two particular cases. A 24 year old, Blessmore Shatei in July 2017 at Manyame Air Base again shot and killed a female workmate after a foiled rape attempt. This one was hell bent on behaving true to the notion that they are criminals in uniform, he shot Venah Bokosha and covered her body with leaves with her panties and army jeans still at ankle level. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder with actual intent.

The second heinous act by a member of Zimbabwe National Army that I will bring your attention to happened on the first of February 2018, they seem to like the first of a month for their bloodletting. Private Chapeyama Carlos shot and killed his wife Archly Phiri 21 and her two sisters Ritha Nkomo 23 and Nkosivumile Ncube 16 in New Magwegwe Bulawayo, he also shot his child Tlowi Chapeyama (18 months) before acting in a manner befitting the coward he is, turning the gun on himself; the gods however frowned upon him and he survived to face trial.
I do not seek to paint soldiers black, they have done exceedingly well in that regard. I seek that communities and the powers open their eyes to the threat that these brothers and sisters of ours pose once they undergo training. Whatever is being drummed into their heads never brings out the angels in them, instead the devil is unleashed. It is about time that the training programs be tailor made to educate and stamp on the members of the army that they do not cease to be human when they become soldiers.
Ekasi ask any young boy if they are harassed how the "ubhudi wami lisotsha" loosely translated, “my brother is a soldier” works in the streets. It is like magic, having a brother or relative who is a soldier makes you stand out like that rock that emitted diesel in Chinhoyi. It is an ominous threat that is used as a currency to invest fear in our communities. Soldiers have robbed, abused, raped and assaulted civilian population since time immemorial. We want to help them so that we help ourselves. Every soldier is a potential criminal unless there is going to be a deliberate attempt to try and educate them and allow for proper interaction with the society.


We want as a people in Nketa,Sekusile,eMinyela to celebrate the existence of the military people in our communities, not to be cowed and afraid. Train them to love as much as they hate. Teach those young people to respect and live by the motto to SERVE AND PROTECT.

I had hope before the Monthlathe Commission, that it is only the lower rank and file who are the potential criminals however, the commission left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The message remains the same, we can produce better soldiers, less monsters if we put our mind to it. Let it be communicated, let it be adopted as a goal to erase the memories of the blood and loss through  a force that loves.

 Soldiers should see things from the same angle with everyone! They must respect the oath.Until such a time we will live in fear,waiting for our turn to be raped, abused, assaulted and being at the wrong end of a warning shot. Meanwhile we will throw no stones ours are houses of glass

Fortune favours the brave 

Reuben Tawanda Mbasera