While the majority of Zimbabweans the world over are watching events play out in a criminal court in Harare, where MDC politician Roy Bennett is answering to charges that he was complicit in banditry, terrorism and weapons crimes, we also need to be aware of so many other cases and allegations that are all coming together that prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Robert Mugabe rules using deception, plots, conspiracies, lies and inconsistencies.

In the Bennett case, the main State witness is a Mutare arms dealer who has already served four years in prison for possessing unlicensed firearms, who, according to the prosecuting Attorney General (a man whose unilateral appointment is one of the stumbling blocks within the fragile unity government), will testify that he had discussed an ‘assassination’ plot against Mugabe.

The witness, however, has stated that his evidence will reveal that the ‘confession’ in which he implicates Bennett was procured under duress.

Meanwhile, it has been highlighted that Mugabe refuses to swear Bennett into cabinet as the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, whilst Mugabe allowed the present Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, to be sworn in and at that time he was facing treason charges – which were subsequently disproved.

Just a few weeks ago, the ZANU PF controlled police raided Tendai Biti’s house in Harare, searching for, they said, hidden weapons of war. They found nothing and the story seemed to go away.

Now it transpired that the ‘hidden weapons’ were supposed to have been planted by twelve soldiers instructed to carry out the mission. Those twelve soldiers decided that they did not want to be part of the conspiracy, and all twelve have disappeared – with their weapons!

A huge manhunt is reportedly underway – but, of course, no official word from either political circles, or police spokesmen.

Another individual whose appointment by Mugabe is deemed unilateral and is also a stumbling block within the unity government is Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe refuses to budge on either Gono’s appointment, or the Attorney General.

Not very long ago it was revealed that Gono had, without the required authority, removed foreign currency from accounts held within the bank. Mugabe very quickly stated that Gono was ‘not a thief’ and had made the move in the interests of the security of the nation.

Much of that money has yet to be returned to the accounts, and no criminal charges have been preferred against Gono.

When the story of the dozen soldiers who ran away with their weapons broke this morning, the plot was supposedly to stop an investigation by Finance Minister Biti, who had uncovered the illegal siphoning of US$45 million from the RBZ which was to “provide financial cover to banks in trouble”.

Gono claims the money was used to bankroll the troubled airline, Air Zimbabwe, to pay presidential scholarships and to finance diplomatic missions. This was at a time, however, when the RBZ had failed to provide funding for salaries for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, pensions, communications and courier services.

Biti presented a full report on this plunder to Mugabe last week. Another report has been sent to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.”

I find it strange that the report has not been made public as it is in the public interest that we be aware of the lengths to which Mugabe and his cohorts are prepared to go.

”An investigation by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) technical team also corroborated Biti’s findings, and said Gono had stolen US$45.5m from the RBZ.

“The RBZ has used foreign reserve assets to fund its operating expenses, withdrawals of foreign currency amounts and debt service, as well as payments on behalf of the government,” the damning IMF report stated. “The total value of fund outflows is reported to have been US$45.5 million between end-December 2008 and end-August. The RBZ also accumulated US$40.3 million in arrears on operating expenses during the first nine months of 2009.”

Whilst the IMF corroborates the findings by Biti, why have criminal charges not been preferred? How is it that Gono is permitted to carry on without rein, without punishment and without any care of his treatment of public and private funds?

Is it because of Gono’s close relationship of Mugabe, or is it that the Biti and the IMF would prefer to leave well alone?

Either way, it is of no doubt that Mugabe’s rule is based upon the lowest of human nature – plots, conspiracies, lies and inconsistencies.