'I was ordered to kill Tsvangirai'

A Presidential Guard officer has gone into hiding in fear of his life after refusing to obey order to carry out an assassination attempt on MDC-T leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, claims The Zimbabwean.

Captain Ibrahim Chasakara (32) also sensationally admitted that he had been responsible for the car accident that claimed the life of Susan Tsvangirai near Beatrice four years ago, and begged forgiveness from the PM, his family and all Zimbabweans.

The officer, who did his advanced military intelligence in Russia, told The Zimbabwean this week that he has been in hiding for weeks, since telling his seniors that he was not interested in doing any more harm to Tsvangirai or his family ever again.

"We have done too much evil and now it's time to reform," said Chakasara.

"We cannot keep on killing our own people just because they oppose Zanu-PF. Tsvangirai never did anything wrong but I was told that he should be taken out on the day election dates are announced. I refused to prepare a report on how this could be done. I told them that I am not interested in doing that."

"Fortunately good friends in the intelligence services cautioned me there was a plan to take me out, so I decided to go in hiding as I know how evil these men are."

Military insiders, including Baba Jukwa, confirmed Chasakara's story.

"This is very true. The man who missed his target Tsvangirai and took out his wife instead always cried, and if you remember sometime last week I did a brief of this story. I understand this man is now in hiding but his family including brothers, kids and wife are being held as bait," said Jukwa.

Chasakara, who wept as he spoke, went on to ask for forgiveness from Tsvangirai's family and Zimbabweans as a whole. "I did the entire homework which eliminated the Prime Minister's wife, but I was under orders from my superiors. I am sorry, Zimbabwe, for the death of Amai Tsvangirai.

It wasn't our intention. Our target was Tsvangirai - unfortunately the wife was caught in the crossfire," he said.

Chasakara added that he has well trained in Russia and Lebanon.

"They know that I won't miss him if I am assigned to take the Prime Minister out of the picture as I am one of the few skilled soldiers in that field," he said.

He appealed to the government to help rescue Private William Makurumidze.

His two children and two brothers who are being illegally held as baits to get him to come out of hiding.

"Our government should intervene and rescue my family and friend who are being held hostage by military intelligence as they want me in exchange for them. The last time my friends in intelligence told me that Makurumidze was held in a male ward at Parirenyatwa Hospital. He had been badly tortured and struggling for his life. My brothers Aleck and Tinashe, together with my two kids aged seven and four years, are being held at State House cells. I also know that my wife Gladys Murove is not safe wherever she is," he appealed.

He said there were a lot of soldiers and civilians rotting in the same cells, which had become a "hell cell" for those refusing to indulge in various evil activities planned by the army bosses.

"It's sad that soldiers and civilians are being kept in those cells. I know what I am talking about, I worked and operated there. People are tortured, dying and being buried as paupers while masses think they disappeared."

Jukwa said political parties and civil society organisations should approach SADC to intervene before these people were killed.

"It's high time SADC and the African Union take Zim issues seriously because a lot of evil things go unattended," he said. He also appealed to Tsvangirai and Zimbabweans to forgive Chasakara, saying: "The man has reformed and come out openly about his past evil deeds. This can give closure to what really happened to Amai Tsvangirai. Zimbabweans should embrace this man as he is another step to the light of a New Zimbabwe."

At the time Tsvangirai said he was satisfied that his wife had been killed in a genuine accident.