Joint Operations Command

The Joint Operations Command or JOC is the supreme organ for the coordination state security in Zimbabwe. It was established by the Rhodesian government and co-ordinated its counter-insurgency war in the Second Chimurenga [Martin, D. and Johnson, P. 1981. "The struggle for Zimbabwe". Boston, Faber and Faber] [N. Bhebe and T. Ranger (eds), 1995. "Soldiers in Zimbabwe's Liberation War". Volume One. James Currey, London.] as well as military incursions into neighbouring countries such as Mozambique [Smith Takes a Dangerous New Gamble, "Time", 13 June 1977 [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919000-1,00.html] ] . The JOC retained its role in post-independence Zimbabwe, and has been accussed or master-minding political violence.

The JOC in the 1970s

The JOC in 2008

The JOC was headed in 2008 by Minister of State Security Didymus Mutasa, but he was replaced soon after the Zimbabwean presidential election held on March 29 by the former Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities Emmerson Mnangagwa [ [http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/zimbabwe0608/4.htm IV. Background] , [http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/zimbabwe0608/index.htm “Bullets for Each of You”: State-Sponsored Violence since Zimbabwe’s March 29 Elections] . Human Rights Watch. June 2008. ISBN 1-56432-324-2] . The JOC has been accused of organising repression campaigns against both opposition partisans, civil society and the U.S. ambassador [Mugabe's hatchet men "Independent Online", 29 June 2008 [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=vn20080629145757585C592084] ] .

It has been claimed that in the wake of the Zimbabwean presidential election held on March 29, the JOC "de facto" took over control of the day-to-day decision-making of government, effectively operating as a military junta ['Military coup' in Zimbabwe as Mugabe is forced to cede power to generals. "The Times", 9 June 2008 [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4092858.ece] ] . The JOC has also been implicated in the violent suppresion of opposition supporters between the March 29 election and the runoff election in July 2008 [Zimbabwe: UN resolution targets Robert Mugabe's 'criminal cabal'. "The Telegraph", 9 July 2008 [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/2274377/Zimbabwe-UN-resolution-targets-Robert-Mugabe-criminal-cabal.html] ] .

It has, notably, come under scrutiny from members of the Politburo of the ZANU-PFFact|date=October 2008.

Membership in 2008

* Emmerson Mnangagwa, former Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities
* General Constantine Chiwenga - Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces
* Air Marshal Perence Shiri - Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe
* Lieutenant General Philip Sibanda - Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army
* Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri - Commissioner of the Zimbabwe Republic Police
* Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Paradzayi Zimondi - Head of the Zimbabwe prison service
* Happyton Bonyongwe - Director-General of the Central Intelligence Organization
* Gideon Gono - Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Proposed Restructuring

According to the deal arising out of political negotiations between the three largest political parties, the JOC is to be renamed the National Security Council. It will be chaired by Robert Mugabe and the prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, is to be a sitting member.

References