There is hardly any place in Zimbabwe that Mugabe doesn’t have influence over or his laws and regulations have presided to lessen the standard of life.

And, it would appear, that senior members of his party are intent on making hay while the sun shines - on them, at any rate.

On Friday, came the news that the wife of the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces has either snatched or somehow become the guardian over triplets born to a woman in Chitungwiza. The woman had appealed on national television for assistance in paying the hospital bill and before we knew it, the triplets are in the care of Jocelyn, Constantine Chiwenga’s wife.

The article that reported this story said: “Critics have described her as “unbalanced” and unfit to take custody of vulnerable children.”

We know that Mugabe’s wife, Amazing (Dis)Grace, has a habit of assaulting reporters and photographers - and we know that many of Mugabe’s close security personnel are not averse to beating up on people that come too close (Peter Tatchell in London a few years ago is a good example) - whilst personnel in his motorcade are quite capable of beating up on drivers that don’t stop or get out the way in time.

Years ago, there were at least two instances where drivers had become lost and somehow ventured into the fortified area of Borrowdale Road where Mugabe lived and they were shot dead for their time.

If Mugabe or any of his followers decides that they want something, be it a farm or a company, then they will move heaven and earth to obtain that. And they are not too particular how they do it.

The lawful owner may find themselves on a criminal charge for something totally disconnected, and while they fight the case, their property is neatly removed. Or the owner meets with a sudden and untimely death.

An example of just what Mugabe is capable of occurred just two months ago.

“Lee Johns, an Australian businessman who has lived in Zimbabwe for over 12 years, was deported last month after winning a US$1 million claim against the Reserve Bank for unpaid rentals. In an exclusive interview on our Behind the Headlines program, Johns told us he was arrested on the same day the High Court granted him an interdict against the bank. His Kwekwe company, Consolidated Gold Mines, had an agreement to rent out the Globe and Phoenix Mine to a Reserve Bank subsidiary, Carslone. Apparently the bank failed to make a profit during this venture and after paying rentals for 2 years, they stopped paying anything in the third year. This prompted Johns to sue in the High Court.”

Rather than pay the outstanding money, Mugabe ensured that Johns was removed from the scene - forcibly.

In many respects, these are two examples of just what Mugabe does in political purposes, except that he doesn’t have people deported, he has them banged up in custody facing trumped up charges, or those they oppose them meet sorry and often bloody ends.

Mugabe leads a litany of stories behind him that are littered with dead bodies, ruined lives and illegally procured property.

But when you are the ‘democratically elected’ President of Zimbabwe, you can do no wrong, make no fault and are above reproach - especially when you have the mechanisms of the security forces working to your every need, personal above national, you can hardly put a foot wrong.

Mugabe has succeeded in oozing into every nook and cranny in Zimbabwe, his spectre looming large over Zimbabwe.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man