Mugabe blows Mwashita's CIO cover

President Robert Mugabe confirmed Wednesday that Zanu-PF agitator Vivian Mwashita was, in fact employed by the spy agency the Central Intelligence Organization.

Speaking during the joint burial of Mwashita and Victoria Chitepo, the late widow of murdered Zanu chairman Herbert Chitepo at Heroes Acre, Mugabe said Mwashita was haunted by her experiences. He did not state what rank she held in the spy agency but hinted that she had a top position. Zanu-PF usually disguises the CIO credentials of its operatives.

"Vivian witnessed brutal scenes during the war," Mugabe said. "Every time she recalled those scenes she would break down and it has tormented her all her life. At independence she came back home and while the war was over there was an economic war to fight and that war is still on-going. She was employed in the CIO were her military training bore fruits in the transformation of a colonial entity into a people oriented organisation."

Mwashita, whose Chimurenga name was Kundai Mabhunu, is among the war veterans implicated in the looting of the government's war victims' compensation fund. She caused havoc in Harare South when she unleashed a wave of political terror against supporters of fellow CIO operative Margaret Dongo, who had defeated her in elections.

Tendai Biti's opposition Peoples Democratic Party said burying Mwashita at the same time as Chitepo was meant to divert attention from the latter's ‘illustrious' political career and her contribution to equality.