HARARE – Robert Mugabe has embarked on an intricate charm offensive ahead of general elections as he hosts Central Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) chiefs, sources in President’s Office says this is a daylight bribery mission in preparation for backing from African leaders after rigging elections.
Some of Africa’s most brutal State spies agents are being pampered and taken to splash Victoria Falls tourist resort at a considerable cost as a plot to influence their governments to secure his shaky position.
Last week Mugabe hosted Malawian President Joyce Banda on a five day official visit to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s relations with Malawi had hit an all-time low when Banda took over the presidency of that country. Too close to the West, Zimbabwe thought of Banda.
With Mugabe in a war of contrition with the West, it was unthinkable that the Zimbabwean President could sup with Banda. She came into the country and she was conquered with unprecedented State welcome protocol.
This week Zimbabwean intelligence agents dressed in dark suits thronged the corridors of the downtown Harare convention center.
Mugabe said he hoped the visiting intelligence chiefs will enjoy “Zimbabwean hospitality” and visit the nation’s tourist attractions.
Accreditation forms for the convention asked delegates to provide details of their golfing handicap and several played golf in teams arranged Sunday.
General Happyton Bonyongwe, head of Zimbabwe’s feared domestic security agency, the Central Intelligence Organisation, took over as chair of what is known as “the spies’ organisation” for the next year.
The members of the Central Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) are now in Victoria Falls for a Five Star tour of the majestic falls, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Last night a senior source in President Mugabe’s office said the Spy agents were being showered with extraordinary luxuries since their arrival and behind it all, some are being bribed with diamonds to set them to influence their governments to back a stolen election in Zimbabwe.
The delegation including directors-general from the CISSA member states, were received at the Victoria Falls Airport by Mayor Jiyane, ZTA Chief Executive Karikoga Kaseke, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Secretary Margaret Sangarwe and other senior government officials.
The delegates will tour the rainforest and the Zambian side and also get an appreciation of the state of preparedness ahead of the UNWTO General Assembly in August.
The Mayor of Victoria Falls, Jiyane said the delegation has been given an opportunity to experience the true hospitality of Zimbabwe and as such should be tourism ambassadors and market the country when they go back to their home countries.
He said Zimbabwe is proud to host the 10 CISSA conference and hopefully the intelligence chiefs will endorse Zimbabwe as the tourism destination of choice.
Opening a convention of the continent-wide 49-nation Committee of Intelligence and Security Services on Monday, Robert Mugabe said outsiders have used at least 20 armed conflicts in Africa since 1990 to gather intelligence and deploy “stealth predator drones,” unmanned surveillance aircraft, to spy on African countries.
He told Africa’s annual meeting of security agents who work under the cloak of secrecy that they are now confronted by increasing human and drug trafficking, money laundering and cyber- terrorism.
Mugabe said Africa’s vast reserves of untapped resources and the world-wide recession have triggered a new scramble for control of its “raw wealth.”
Opening a convention of the continent-wide 49-nation Committee of Intelligence and Security Services, Mugabe said outsiders have used at least 20 armed conflicts in Africa since 1990 to gather intelligence and deploy “stealth predator drones,” unmanned surveillance aircraft, to spy on their countries.
“Our erstwhile colonizers continue to manipulate international institutional and conventions to justify unilateral military interventions in African states with the objective of extracting and unfairly exploiting our resources,” Mugabe said.
He told Africa’s annual meeting of security agents, who work under the cloak of secrecy, that they are now confronted by increasing human and drug trafficking, money laundering and cyber-terrorism.
The pervasive fear of violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe’s 2013 elections contradicts Robert Mugabes’ rhetorical commitments to peace, and raises concerns that the country may not be ready to go to the polls.
The last time Zimbabwe held an election it descended into extreme violence. 200 people were killed and thousands more injured.
Zimbabwe’s Inclusive Government – the country’s uneasy power-sharing experiment, based on a 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) between, principally, President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party – averted greater political violence and repression.
But it has not delivered political or economic stability. A reasonably free, conclusive vote is still possible, but so too are disputed polls or even a military intervention by security officials supporting, and profiting from, Mugabe’s continued rule. Zimbabwe Mail
Discover more from Nehanda Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
