THE State security establishment is reportedly planning to track and attack perceived opponents of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime, with local and foreign-based journalists, ex-security officers, ex-Zanu PF and opposition politicians being targeted, a leaked security document has shown.
The document, based on the minutes of a Joint Operations
Command (JOC) meeting compiled on August 20 this year which was copied to
directors of the Zimbabwe Military Intel Corps (MIC), Air Force of Zimbabwe
Intelligent Corps, Police Intelligence and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional
Services (ZCPS) Intel, revealed names of individuals who were under constant
surveillance forallegedly working against and sabotaging the government.
The meeting was held on August 10 and security forces were
put on high alert saying they must widen the arrests of all people leading
online campaigns and to engage Interpol and Southern African Regional Police
Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (Sarpcco) to locate those in the diaspora.
Contacted for comment, national police spokesperson
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was not aware of the document.
Three security personnel have since been reportedly nabbed
for interrogation over their links to ex-security members turned
anti-government campaigners.
“I am not aware of that document. You can send it to me for
confirmation,” Nyathi said. Even after receiving a copy of the document, Nyathi
professed ignorance on the authenticity of the document.
However, a top intelligence officer confirmed the minutes
were authentic. “Yes,” the intelligence officer yesterday said, adding “our
documents are encrypted when we are sending to each other.”
The document read: “Following a JOC meeting on August 10,
2020 on the backdrop of ongoing incessant attacks on the President of the
Republic of Zimbabwe … Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ruling party Zanu PF and the
government of Zimbabwe by malcontents in Zimbabwe and in the diaspora who are
working in cahoots with our erstwhile colonisers to destabilise Zimbabwe and
pave way for an illegal regime change, it is hereby directed that all security
services be on high alert and reinvigorate efforts to stop this growing
anti-government campaign.”
The minutes showed that the meeting resolved that all those
who spread hate-speech and anti-government statements communicating violence by
the government like ZimbabweanLivesMatter and ZanuPFMustGo hashtags should be
tracked down and arrested, and that the “successful” arrests of journalist
Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume
were part of the co-ordinated attacks on Mnangagwa’s perceived opponents.
“This has reached a tipping point, therefore, those
spearheading the campaigns should be tracked down, arrested and brought before
the courts of justice. The campaigns are not only meant to foment violence and
sabotage government ongoing efforts to revive the economy, but to subvert a constitutionally-elected
government and replace it with foreign-funded opposition political parties.
This is a direct assault on our national defence and security system. It has
been established that the under-listed persons comprising opposition
politicians, former Zanu PF members, ex-security services members, media
personnel, activists, among others, have become security threats bent on
soiling the image of Zimbabwe.
“The arrest of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume has
been successful, but there is critical need to widen the net so that those
leading online campaigns are arrested. This security operation must be
conducted with guidelines set by the inter-agency committee and all activities
be recorded and communicated as stipulated in the aforementioned guidelines.
Efforts, including engaging Interpol and Sarpcco, should also be made to locate
those in diaspora activities by so-called human rights activists, NGOs
[non-governmental organisations], CSOs [civic society organisations],
ex-members of the security forces should be monitored.”
The document claimed that information gathered by
intelligence teams revealed that some ex-security service members connected to
serving members and top Zanu PF officials were responsible for the leaking of
classified information to the public domain.
This was a serious breach, the document added, which should
be “stopped forthwith”.
“All commanders should, therefore, be vigilant and ensure
that all officers under their command are committed to the objectives of this crucial
operation. The under-listed individuals should be tracked and information that
may lead to their arrest should be top priority. Intelligence officers should
cultivate more informers and ensure the success of this operation,” the minutes
read.
Some of the listed individuals who were reportedly
purveyors of misinformation about the country were listed as ex-Central
Intelligence Organisation member Philip Nyevero, who is accused of releasing
official secrets, Shepherd Yuda ex-ZPCS member, former Zanu PF youth leader Jim
Kunaka, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Peter Mutasa, ex-military
member Albert Matapo, ex-Zanu PF youth commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu, Tajamuka’s
Promise Mkwananzi, journalists Edmund Kudzayi, Mduduzi Mathuthu, Lance Guma and
Simba Chikanza of ZimEye as well as Kelvin Sikhosana a member of the Special
Air Service and MDC Alliance’s Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, among others.
The security establishment was also worried about a book on
the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) by a former officer and journalist, Dickson
Bandera.
“He has announced that he is writing a book titled Zimbabwe
Republic Police since Augustine Chihuri. From the excerpts he has shared on his
online accounts so far, it is clear his book is meant to expose and damage the
image of the ZRP. His activities should be monitored and the release of the
book should be blocked.”
All officers are now required to sign a new oath of
secrecy. Chin’ono yesterday said he had seen the document. “If the document is
genuine, then it confirms that we have been political targets for exposing
corruption. The charges that were brought to us that we were inciting violence
were fictitious and bogus and this document, if true, proves that our argument
was right. We were arrested for simply exposing corruption which goes right to
the top in the regime,” he said.
Ngarivhume said he had also seen the document, but was not
perturbed by the surveillance.
“We are going through persecution from the State and the
minutes confirm that. We will not be intimidated and we are not afraid of
fighting against corruption. We will fight until the corruption in our society
is eradicated. We are surprised that the government is putting so much
resources in tracking dissenting voices but our hospitals have no medicines,
doctors are not at work, teachers are on strike, what type of government is
that? We will continue calling against corruption until it is eradicated,” he said.
Newsday
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