Tsvangirai's advisor threatens to quit over assassination attempts?

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's close political advisor Dr Alex Magaisa has allegedly threatened to dump the party amid reports he suspects rivals in PM's office were out to get him.

Dr Magaisa joined the PM's office as an advisor last November and his critics within the MDC-T have attacked him saying he was failing to advise Mr Tsvangirai on pertinent political matters.

Insiders say the former Kent University law lecturer's stint in the PM's office has not been all rosy as power struggles and undefined job descriptions among senior officials in the office were causing counter-accusations, the Zanu-PF aligned Herald reported.

It is understood the final straw was the death of his personal driver and nephew Edmore Munyoro who was killed in a car accident under unclear circumstances last week.

Munyoro was coming from Murehwa where he attended Dr Magaisa's personal secretary's birthday party and reports say Dr Magaisa was supposed to be travelling in the car.

"He (Munyoro) was driving Dr Magaisa's official vehicle. Dr Magaisa was supposed to have attended the party but was not back on time from Cape Town so he feels those people from the office who are targeting him thought he was in the car.

"It is not the first time that his vehicle has been tampered with. The other time, his vehicle's wheels were tampered with but he quickly realised it and got it sorted," said an insider close to Dr Magaisa.

Another source said Dr Magaisa told his relatives of his intentions to quit at the burial of Munyoro at Manjisi village in Chikomba East constituency last Wednesday.

"He confided with his relatives at the burial of Munyoro that he was not safe in the party - knives were out for him. He told them that he is contemplating quitting because he feels there are some people in that office who feel threatened by his presence and exterminating him will remove him from the scene for ever.

"He says they want him out because he was parachuted to the top post when there are other people who have been with the party for a very long time. These are the same people who have been accusing him of failing to advise the PM," said the source.

Dr Magaisa was appointed in November last year in a reshuffle that ruffled some feathers as he took over some of the key responsibilities that were under the ambits of other staffers.

Efforts to get a comment from Dr Magaisa were fruitless as his phone went unanswered despite having promised to give The Herald a comment on the matter yesterday.