Mutasa threatens Mugabe 'haters'

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa has threatened to use state security agents to expose dirty lives of those who are in the habit of attacking President Robert Mugabe.

Addressing party youths in Mutare at the weekend, Mutasa who is minister of State in the President's Office responsible for National State Security, said if need be, they would intrude into people's private lives to silence them for "attacking the president".

"Because of the work that I am doing these days, I can tell what Kudzi (a party member) is doing these days. We have our means of seeing things these days, we just see things through our system. So no-one can hide from us in this country," Mutasa said.

"Even in cabinet, I tell them what is happening everywhere, but we are not in the habit of exposing people just like that, we preserve your privacy."

Mutasa revealed that when matters demand, state security agents would reveal individuals' dirty secrets just like they did with former Catholic Archbishop Pius

Ncube when they exposed his sexual escapades.

"If you denigrate our president who is doing us a good job, we will expose you like Pius Ncube. Be careful not to denigrate our president we will visit your bedrooms and expose what you will be doing," he said.

The Zanu-PF chief turned his attack on fellow Zanu-PF politburo member and cabinet minister Emmerson Mnangagwa whom he said leads a faction and challenged him to dispute that.

"In Zanu-PF there is one faction headed by Mnangagwa. He is my friend, we stayed together in prison for two years and even if he asks me or even if he gets this information from the television, I will repeat what I am saying because it is a fact," he said.

Zanu-PF is this year expected to hold its elective congress to choose leaders and two factions have emerged with one allegedly led by Vice President Joice Mujuru and another led by Mnangagwa. Both Mnangagwa and Mujuru have denied harbouring any presidential ambitions when Mugabe retires.

But before the December congress, a youth congress is set for next month and according to Mutasa, the Manicaland province is in support of Kudzayi Chipanga to become the wing's deputy-secretary.

Although Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena is said to have thrown his hat into the ring, Mutasa told the youths to rally behind Chipanga.

The Manicaland godfather said he has pardoned a group of party politicians who petitioned Mugabe to fire him on allegations that he was dividing the province.

Among those who petitioned Mugabe to act on Mutasa were Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and party Women's league chair Oppah Muchinguri.