8 Emmerson Mnangagwa, the current chairman of JOC, was given the task of overseeing the demolition of its main opponent, ZAPU, through the mass killings in Matabeleland between 1983 and 1987. This military operation was known as Gukurahundi (the Early Rain that Washes Away the Chaff) and was spearheaded by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade, headed by Perence Shiri, now commander of the air force and another powerful member of JOC. President Mugabe’s first major hurdle came in 1997 when the increasingly militant, disaffected veterans of the liberation war demanded massive disbursements, crippling the economy. This led to price hikes and job losses, followed by food riots. Then, in 1999, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change was formed, posing the first significant challenge to the President and ZANU PF. Partnership Africa Canada summed up ZANU PF’s modus operandi as follows: “Each time President Mugabe and his inner circle have faced a crisis of political legitimacy, they have resorted to carefully crafted campaigns of economic theft with which to engage in crass patrimonalism to placate key constituencies and buy more time in office. As such, the involvement of ZANU PF elite in the country’s diamond resources is the latest chapter in a long continuum by which the violent expropriation and manipulation of economic resources have been used for their political and economic gain.” 29 Three key events preceded the ruthless plunder of the Marange and River Ranch concessions: • Zimbabwe’s plunder of the diamond-rich Democratic Republic of Congo: In 1998 President Mugabe sent troops to support the government of Laurent Kabila, resulting in the massive enrichment of some of President Mugabe’s friends, and reportedly the President himself. • The orchestrated invasion and seizure of white-owned commercial farms in 2000: A 2009 audit of stolen farms revealed that the beneficiaries were largely a who’s who of ZANU PF politics, notably the members of JOC.30 • The manipulation of foreign exchange rates: This practice was rife during the years of hyper-inflation when ZANU PF elite with special access to hard currency could make a fortune buying and selling on the black market. 31 Hyperinflation – 2004-2009: Between 2004 and 2009, Zimbabwe suffered hyperinflation which rose to world record levels until it abandoned the Zimbabwe dollar in favour of the US dollar. 29 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 6: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 30 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 11: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 31 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 11: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf