'MDC smuggling guns and training violent militias under Operation Light House'

State Security Minister Owen Mudha Ncube says the opposition MDC is smuggling guns into the country and training violent militias to overthrow the government.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ncube said, "We are watching attempts to drive Zimbabwe into chaos. Some rogue elements among us, are conniving with some hostile Western governments to smuggle guns and set up so-called Democratic Resistance Committees that are, for all intents and purposes, violent militia groups.

"These plans are key components of "Operation Light House", the brainchild of one Western power, that seeks to destroy the democratic foundations of Zimbabwe, make the country ungovernable and justify foreign intervention. As the State Security sector, we shall take concrete action to deal with such threats."

Ncube further instructed MDC to reform itself and cooperate with the government instead of plotting to remove the government.

"While Government is moving on with its reform agenda, we note the need for the MDC-Alliance to reform itself into a normal opposition political party that embraces outcomes of democratic processes and has the patience to wait for another opportunity to prove to voters that it deserves their trust. The world over, opposition parties in democratic dispensations have a constructive role to play in between elections." He added

On March 31, the Supreme Court declared that Nelson Chamisa's leadership of the MDC was illegitimate and placed Khupe in temporary charge. It also ordered the party to hold an extraordinary congress within three months.