News / National
Mugabe's spy agency thrown into dis-array; Online news site
03 Jul 2011 at 16:50hrs | Views
Online news claim that Zimbabwe's spy agency the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) was thrown into turmoil after a London based anti-Mugabe and pro-Western radio station published details of some 480 plus state security agents.
Described as the "Internal Directory of the President's Office" SW Radio Africa published a 2001 list with the names, home addresses, national ID and employer numbers of some 480 'operatives' and 'deputy intelligence officers'. It showed which agents were deployed in the various provinces and districts and the office buildings they used for their 'work', including room and telephone numbers.
Online news claim that marathon meetings were being held throughout the weekend as senior CIO officials plotted a response to the most serious breach of the organisation's secrecy in its entire history. Several posh cars including 4×4 all-terrain vehicles were seen parked outside the CIO Chaminuka Buildings HQ in Harare.
Despite the list being leaked on Thursday, Mugabe's regime and even the state security agency itself was struggling to come up with a response. By Sunday afternoon, no statement denying the authenticity of the list had been issued. Making their response even hard is the fact that SW Radio Africa is serializing publication of the list over 6 weeks.
So confident is the station of its list they are even detailing what agents on the list have done.
The journalist who broke the story, Lance Guma has been subjected to a torrent of abuse and threats to his life by unknown people commenting on the some Zimbabwean news forums.
Contacted for comment, Guma refused to comment saying the statement issued by the SW Radio Africa Station Manager Gerry Jackson was an adequate explanation. In the statement Jackson said;
"The Central Intelligence Organisation is not used to protect national security and to safeguard Zimbabweans. Along with the military and the police it is used by Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF to hold on to power, using brute force and intimidation. Experts say the CIO is the most powerful arm of ZANU PF's security apparatus, the 'brains behind the regime."
"The CIO is also administered directly through the Office of the President, and is not covered by any legislative framework. It is not an innocent organisation and many deaths can be laid at its door.
"So we are serialising the release of this document in the interests of transparency and accountability and in the hope that by exposing these names, some of the daily fear Zimbabweans live under will be taken away. We also hope that it might make some of the perpetrators of violence think twice before they commit further human rights abuses.
"In today's media world it is much more difficult to stay hidden in the shadows. We welcome feedback, corrections, responses from our listeners and take to heart concerns that have been expressed about publishing the home addresses of these CIO. These addresses have now been removed," Jackson said.
Described as the "Internal Directory of the President's Office" SW Radio Africa published a 2001 list with the names, home addresses, national ID and employer numbers of some 480 'operatives' and 'deputy intelligence officers'. It showed which agents were deployed in the various provinces and districts and the office buildings they used for their 'work', including room and telephone numbers.
Online news claim that marathon meetings were being held throughout the weekend as senior CIO officials plotted a response to the most serious breach of the organisation's secrecy in its entire history. Several posh cars including 4×4 all-terrain vehicles were seen parked outside the CIO Chaminuka Buildings HQ in Harare.
Despite the list being leaked on Thursday, Mugabe's regime and even the state security agency itself was struggling to come up with a response. By Sunday afternoon, no statement denying the authenticity of the list had been issued. Making their response even hard is the fact that SW Radio Africa is serializing publication of the list over 6 weeks.
So confident is the station of its list they are even detailing what agents on the list have done.
The journalist who broke the story, Lance Guma has been subjected to a torrent of abuse and threats to his life by unknown people commenting on the some Zimbabwean news forums.
Contacted for comment, Guma refused to comment saying the statement issued by the SW Radio Africa Station Manager Gerry Jackson was an adequate explanation. In the statement Jackson said;
"The Central Intelligence Organisation is not used to protect national security and to safeguard Zimbabweans. Along with the military and the police it is used by Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF to hold on to power, using brute force and intimidation. Experts say the CIO is the most powerful arm of ZANU PF's security apparatus, the 'brains behind the regime."
"The CIO is also administered directly through the Office of the President, and is not covered by any legislative framework. It is not an innocent organisation and many deaths can be laid at its door.
"So we are serialising the release of this document in the interests of transparency and accountability and in the hope that by exposing these names, some of the daily fear Zimbabweans live under will be taken away. We also hope that it might make some of the perpetrators of violence think twice before they commit further human rights abuses.
"In today's media world it is much more difficult to stay hidden in the shadows. We welcome feedback, corrections, responses from our listeners and take to heart concerns that have been expressed about publishing the home addresses of these CIO. These addresses have now been removed," Jackson said.
Source - .
