News / National
Mugabe tightens his security
07 Oct 2014 at 22:05hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe is reported to have beefed up his security on members of his party whom he suspects of opposing the election of his wife Grace to lead the party's Women's League.
Mugabe, it is said wants to nominate his wife Grace the party's 2018 presidential candidate if she is elected the leader of the Women's league at Zanu-PF congress due this December.
Grace last week rolled out her campaign with a rally in Chinhoyi which was attended by thousands of bussed supporters from the Mashonaland West province. High placed sources within the country's spy organisation the Central Intelligence Organisation said the aging leader is reshuffling security staff in all the government departments as he fears an ouster.
"There is a massive reshuffle of aides to government ministers (CIO officials who guard government officials) which started last week with the most targeted being those who belong to the camps which are opposed to the elevation of the First lady to lead the women's league. The reshuffle has also affected security attachés' to countries out of the country who are also suspected of working against the President. We have a number of such security personnel who were deployed oversees who have been recalled," said the sources.
According to an online publication, the Foreign Affairs department has not confirmed whether there were such redeployments of security officials assigned to work outside the country as both the Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and his Deputy Christopher Mutsvangwa's phones could not be reached.
The sources said Mugabe (90) had indicated that he would step down before the next election but the CIO advised him that there are senior Zanu-PF officials sitting in the party's highest decision making body, the Politburo, who would push for his prosecution.
"We are not resting as we are closely monitoring every party official's movements because of these developments. We have the list of such senior party officials who are working against President who we are closely monitoring and this is not an easy task", added the official.
Mugabe, it is said wants to nominate his wife Grace the party's 2018 presidential candidate if she is elected the leader of the Women's league at Zanu-PF congress due this December.
Grace last week rolled out her campaign with a rally in Chinhoyi which was attended by thousands of bussed supporters from the Mashonaland West province. High placed sources within the country's spy organisation the Central Intelligence Organisation said the aging leader is reshuffling security staff in all the government departments as he fears an ouster.
"There is a massive reshuffle of aides to government ministers (CIO officials who guard government officials) which started last week with the most targeted being those who belong to the camps which are opposed to the elevation of the First lady to lead the women's league. The reshuffle has also affected security attachés' to countries out of the country who are also suspected of working against the President. We have a number of such security personnel who were deployed oversees who have been recalled," said the sources.
According to an online publication, the Foreign Affairs department has not confirmed whether there were such redeployments of security officials assigned to work outside the country as both the Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and his Deputy Christopher Mutsvangwa's phones could not be reached.
The sources said Mugabe (90) had indicated that he would step down before the next election but the CIO advised him that there are senior Zanu-PF officials sitting in the party's highest decision making body, the Politburo, who would push for his prosecution.
"We are not resting as we are closely monitoring every party official's movements because of these developments. We have the list of such senior party officials who are working against President who we are closely monitoring and this is not an easy task", added the official.
Source - online
