28 “Police operations to quell the smuggling targeted only the small players, leaving alone the powerfully connected smugglers and buyers, who operate with impunity.” 114 “These so-called diamond barons were working for the personal accounts of a select wealthy few, the sharks at the top of the military and security services — people such as General Constantine Chiwenga, the ambitious, thuggish army chief; Emmerson Mnangagwa, the wealthy defence minister; the late General Solomon Mujuru, [former commander of the national army], and his wife, Joice, [President] Mugabe’s vice-president; Gideon Gono, governor of the [Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe] and Augustine Chihuri, the powerful police chief. And, of course, the Mugabes themselves.” 115 Since the political elite are intimately tied to the military establishment, the Joint Operations Command (JOC), they constitute a “rebel movement” opposed to the democratic governance in Zimbabwe. 116 The true power brokers of Zimbabwean politics are the members of JOC. 117 Although the late General Solomon Mujuru was not a member of JOC, as previous head of the military and, through his wife, he controlled some formidable levers of power in his own right. Among them was ZANU’S Politburo, the most powerful party organ. “The Mujuru’s strategy is to consolidate their control of internal ZANU structures, build behind-the-scenes alliances with the MDC and present themselves as compromise candidates once Mugabe dies,” explained PAC. 118 The late General Mujuru was also a shareholder in ACR, from which PAC claims many of the company’s problems stemmed. “ACR contends that his share is no bigger than 3%, worth a monetary value of £240,000. Nobody believes that.” 119 By Friday 19 August 2011, speculation regarding the death of the legendary General Mujuru in a fire in the farmhouse of his Beatrice farm had reached fever pitch. Relatives, friends and political allies told the Zimbabwe Independent that, as facts of the events and circumstances leading to his death became clear, they “pointed to a damning conclusion of a sinister plot”. 114 Sunday Times (UK), ‘Robert Mugabe’s dirty diamonds’, 4 April 2010: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article7084367.ece 115 Sunday Times (UK), ‘Robert Mugabe’s dirty diamonds’, 4 April 2010, pg 4: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article7084367.ece 116 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 2: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 117 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 7: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 118 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 7: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 119 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 9: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf