Mugabe security on high alert

By Itai Mushekwe

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe, is reportedly on high alert amid fears that his personal security could have been enfeebled, following the death of his spy confidante, Elias Kanengoni, Nehanda Radio has been told.

The former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) director was a key nerve in the octogenarian’s security regime both locally and abroad where he arranged with other spies on foreign soil, to provide Mugabe with top-notch protection.

Kanengoni, whom unconfirmed reports claim was poisoned to his death, became an inner intelligence circle for the President, during his stint with the CIO’s VIP Protection Unit, government insiders said.

Mugabe according to intelligence sources has allegedly engaged the services of foreign bodyguards, and operatives cleared by the CIO to beef up his safety as it is now all but clear, that those gunning for his eventual exit from power, might after all take him down in a worse-case scenario.

Our sources say, the move has become apparent since Mugabe has a watershed presidential campaign trail this year, and an array of international trips. The veteran leader returned back home from Ethiopia last Monday, the very day Kanengoni was laid to rest at the Heroes Acre in Harare.

China first

“The phenomenon of hiring foreign bodyguards and intelligence experts for the first family is not new,” said an intelligence source privy with the latest developments around the Mugabes.

“Some three years ago, first to take the lead was Grace Mugabe. The First Lady refused Zimbabwean bodyguards, preferring those from China whom she has been seen with in public as she goes about her charity work, or be it the many trips to Hong Kong, which their daughter Bona has made her second home”.

“Mugabe is now suspicious of Zimbabwean security personnel, therefore equipping his security entourage with Chinese nationals. It all makes sense even for Beijing, because they need Mugabe to be up and running now more than any other time, as their strategic interests in the country have grown drastically.”

In November 2011, the Zanu PF leader betrayed his increasing reliance on Chinese intelligence operatives while attending Bona’s graduation in Hong Kong. Mugabe praised Chinese authorities “for protecting her (Bona) from harassment” by foreign journalists, especially British tabloid reporters.

Political waters

Nehanda Radio also gathers that Mugabe is still in “shock-mode” over Kanengoni’s death, amid revelations that the man he pardoned for the shooting of Gweru businessman, Patrick Kombayi, for attempting to contest the late VP Simon Muzenda in a parliamentary seat, was contemplating launching a political career as tensions in the CIO over Mugabe’s succession had reached a tipping point.

The late spy operative, was eying to contest a senatorial seat in Mazowe in the forthcoming polls, and quite possibly stand a chance of earning an appointment into cabinet owing to his loyalty to Mugabe.

Kanengoni was also paving way and using his CIO muscles, to facilitate the candidacy of his daughter Tabeth to contest for, the Mazowe Central seat on a Zanu PF ticket.

However, it seems not everyone was happy about Kanengoni’s political inroads. Curiously Zanu PF officials point out to the fact that Tabeth, is planning to run for a seat, which defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife Auxillia has also allegedly declared an interest and could easily win nomination to represent Zanu PF.

Intelligence czar

Despite tensions in the spy apparatus, which had seen relations between Kanengoni and his boss CIO director general Happyton Bonyongwe sour, Mugabe was reportedly looking into promoting Kanengoni to run the intelligence machinery altogether.

This was despite the late operative being in favour of taking up political office since he remained a silent Zanu PF central committee member, despite media smoke-screens claiming current intelligence minister Sydney Sekeramayi has forced him to relinquish the party post, sources said.

It is also under the watch of Kanengoni that the likes of self-exiled businessman, James Makamba, have had a torrid time following reports of an alleged affair with Grace Mugabe, a job which only internal intelligence can unmask.

“Many senior Zanu PF officials are shedding crocodile tears over Kanengoni, when in reality they feel relieved,” a Zanu PF central committee member said.

“He had hawk eyes, and in some way had become the old man’s sixth sense. The likes of Chris Kuruneri, where incarcerated due to Kanengoni’s swift intelligence.

The same goes for Philip Chiyangwa, former Zimbabwe ambassador-designate to Mozambique, Godfrey Dzvairo; banker Tendai Matambanadzo and Zanu PF external affairs director Itai Marchi, who were nabbed for espionage some years back. The then State security minister Nicholas Goche, had a dreaded combination with Kanengoni in getting the job done.”

In our intelligence briefings, it has also emerged that Kanengoni could have allegedly been poisoned for “knowing too much” and “keeping dossiers on Zanu PF senior leadership”, which could spell trouble for those implicated even in a post Mugabe era.

Night of long knives

As revealed by Nehanda Radio, in our disclosures of a shadowy military industrial complex, made up of the Military Intelligence Directorate (MID) and Military Intelligence Unit (MIU), a climate of fear and retribution is pervading Harare as Mugabe’s presidential era draws to a certain close, with each passing day.

Reports of planned assassinations, have become the order of the day, with the likes of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his finance minister, Tendai Biti accusing the military of targeting their lives.

“I have been informed today by our friends in the security forces that they have a plot to assassinate our leadership to instil fear into our supporters. They cannot win any elections without using violence but we are not afraid of anyone,” said Biti in February this year.

The country’s military intelligence agencies, seem to be leaving no stone unturned, on the back of claims that they are planning a final assault of grabbing political power “by whatever means necessary” and will “kick away” any stumbling block to their mission of managing Mugabe’s replacement.