Sources told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that
although the official reason given for their removal from office was that they
were due for retirement after reaching the mandatory pensionable age of 65 for
government officials, the affected permanent secretaries were largely those
perceived to have been sympathetic to the vanquished Generation 40 (G40)
faction in Zanu PF.
The move comes as government last week fired three Central
Intelligence Organisation (CIO) directors while two others were re-assigned as
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s restless administration continues to remove senior
security officers seen as sympathetic to Mugabe.
Senior government officials said the 13 permanent
secretaries were verbally informed of their fate last week while written
correspondence is expected to follow should Mnangagwa be confirmed as president
by the Constitutional Court.
The Independent learnt that the affected 13 permanent
secretaries include Ngoni Masoka (Labour and Social Welfare ministry); George
Mlilo (Transport); Machivenyika Mapuranga (Higher Education ministry); Sylvia
Utete-Masango (Primary and Secondary Education) and Melusi Matshiya, secretary
for Home Affairs.
“Sweeping changes are coming across the entire civil
service. After permanent secretaries are retired, they will move to directors
and deputy directors,” a senior government official said. “We believe a
wide-ranging purge is underway, applying to people who had ties to former
president Mugabe. The purge is intended to get rid of everyone even remotely
associated with him because the new guys want people they know are loyal to
them.”
The permanent secretaries, who are principal accounting officers
for their respective ministries, are largely being blamed for frustrating
Mnangagwa’s ill-fated 100-day projects which he embarked on when he wrested
power from Mugabe in a military coup last November as he sought a clean break
from his long-time principal.
“They want to give the impression that this is all about
the retirement age but everyone knows the politics behind it. You remember
that, only recently, they increased the retirement age for those in the army to
70 years and this is being seen as a move to cushion them against the impending
purges. They will even extend it to the lowest office bearers as a cover,” the
source further said.
No official comment could be obtained from Chief Secretary
to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda, who is responsible for permanent
secretaries, as his phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, security sources told the Independent the reason
behind Mnangagwa’s sacking of CIO directors last week was because they were
among those suspected of giving him unreliable intelligence about his
popularity ahead of the July 30 elections.
At recent security meetings, Mnangagwa reportedly accused
the CIO of feeding accurate information to Mugabe, who appeared to know that
Mnangagwa’s electoral nemesis Chamisa had gained tremendous popularity and
posed a serious threat to his presidential ambitions.
Addressing a press conference a day before the elections,
Mugabe said he was sure Chamisa had the edge over Mnangagwa. The highly
contentious poll result indicated that Mnangagwa actually won by a wafer-thin
margin after garnering 50,8% of the vote, which would ordinarily be just enough
for one to form a government if there was no legal challenge.
“The actual motive behind the sacking was that the
president thought they were still loyal to Mugabe. They were accused of being
loyal to Mugabe which is now an unpardonable offence in this current
administration. They will be replaced by people from the army. In fact, more
heads are set to roll in the (CIO) department, including some people in the
provinces,” an intelligence source said.
Those who were fired from the CIO include director—counter
intelligence Musafare Nyamudahondo, director—technical department Charles
Hwekwete and director of economics Jimias Madzingira.
In February, Mnangagwa initiated the biggest purge of CIO
officers when he fired 17 senior operatives for allegedly being loyal to
Mugabe. Among those dismissed at the beginning of the year were
director—security Albert Ngulube, director—external Andrew Muzonzini, Kizito
Gweshe deputy director counter intelligence and Tadzingaira Tachivei, assistant
director—counter intelligence, who was recently arrested over alleged links to
Mugabe, the former president’s aide de camp Wonder Nyakurima and many others.
Earlier in January, Mnangagwa had also fired 11 senior
police officers who were alleged to be sympathetic to Mugabe and the former ZRP
boss Augustine Chihuri. Zimbabwe Independent
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