CIO Chief Faces Axe Over Makoni

Authoritative sources said that the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) was in the grip of a power struggle between Bonyongwe, its director-general, and his deputy, Maynard Muzariri, who is said to back Mugabe continuing in power.  While some top Zanu (PF) officials and military commanders have publicly declared their backing for Mugabe, insiders say many among these clandestinely support Makoni.No comment could be obtained from the CIO, which does not disclose its affairs to the media as a matter of policy. A hostile Intelligence Minister Didymus Mutasa refused to take questions on the matter also because it involved the secret service.The CIO is not run through the media. Why do you think I can talk to you about the country’s intelligence matters,” Mutasa said curtly.
Our sources said the rivalry between Bonyongwe and Muzariri had virtually paralysed intelligence gathering with the two CIO bosses spending time spying on each other than running the organisation.
For example, they said last January CIO officials in Harare compiled a report and submitted it to Mutasa, linking Bonyongwe and retired army general Solomon Mujuru, among others, to Makoni’s presidential ambitions.Mujuru, husband of Zanu (PF) and state Vice-President Joice Mujuru, is one of the power brokers in the ruling party and has long been rumoured to support Makoni.The sources said Mutasa did not hand over the report to Mugabe, but waited for the return of Bonyongwe from abroad and confronted him with the document.This angered operatives in Muzariri’s camp who then approached Mnangagwa (Emmerson, the Minister of Rural and Social Amenities). They briefed him on the goings on in the CIO, a senior intelligence officer said.Mnangagwa is Mujuru’s biggest rival to control Zanu (PF) post-Mugabe. He was sidelined for the vice-president’s job four years ago when Joice was appointed, but has since mended his relationship with Mugabe who he is backing to stay in office.When Mnangagwa approached Mutasa over the CIO report, he was told it had not been handed to Mugabe because it was seen as biased.
Mutasa said he wanted neutrals in the CIO to compile a comprehensive report on alleged Bonyongwe links to Makoni back-dating to the time when he was in government, said a source.
A senior CIO officer has since been tasked to compile a fresh report that would be submitted to Mutasa, Mnangagwa and Mugabe. ButnMugabe, in the meanwhile summoned Bonyongwe last month and accused him of editing out vital information from reports compiled by juniors on the Makoni project.Bonyongwe’s term ends in April. Our sources said it was highly unlikely Mugabe would renew the CIO boss’ contract but added he was also unlikely to promote Muzariri to the job of director-general.Mugabe was likely to promote CIO deputy director general (internal) Elias Kanengoni to head the organisation.Kanengoni, also said to be a Mnangagwa ally, is perceived to be more loyal to Mugabe after the President pardoned him from serving a six-year jail term for shooting former Gweru mayor Patrick Kombayi during the 1990 general elections.
While the army and police are credited with keeping public discontent in check by brutally crushing opposition-led street protests, it is the CIO that has played a critical role to keep Mugabe in power by infiltrating and destabilising opposition parties to ensure they are unable to effectively organise against the veteran leader. – ZimOnline

Munjondzi Mutandiri of the NCA addresses Zimbabweans at Marabastad.

NCA praises Zims for defying Mugabe
PRETORIA – The National Constitutional Assembly has praised Zimbabweans for defying President Mugabe’s government for its arrogance in denying citizens an opportunity to choose their own leader.
Addressing a crowd of about 300, at Marabastad Home Affairs in Pretoria at the launch of the Get the Vote Campaign, Munjodzi Mutandiri from the NCA said it was time for Zimbabweans to intensify their defiance campaign.The constitutional group reiterated its long standing stance at a meeting organised by the Peace and Democracy Project in Johannesburg of Get out the Vote Campaign which encourages Diasporas to go back to Zimbabwe and participate in elections. As the NCA we are proud of the contribution by every citizen in and out of the country in making sure that the country is governed by laws not of neo-imperialists but by laws which are authored by the people. Giving the mandate to a few elitist to write a national constitution can not be tolerated as every individual should make a contribution on how he or she must be governed, said Munjodzi. – Trust Matsilele

Makoni Tours Rural Areas
BY CHIEF REPORTER
MASVINGO
One of Zimbabwe’s leading opposition challengers for the presidency, Dr Simba Makoni, took his election campaign to Masvingo province, holding mass rallies from Nemamwa to Mashava.Makoni called on the country to tear down the pervasive atmosphere of fear imposed by Zanu (PF), which has ruled the country non-stop for the past 28 years.I am the real Simba Makoni that you are seeing, he said. I am not fronting anyone. I was not sent by anyone or any group. I was sent by the desire to serve you, the people, so that we, together, can get Zimbabwe working again.There is only one issue in this campaign for Zimbabwe’s presidency – change. Makoni insists it is possible to change direction without changing horses.He told more than 4,000 cheering supporters that the country had to break almost three decades of rule by the one party.I am seeking your mandate to lead the country in a new direction, he said
Now it’s our turn to tear down the wall of authoritarianism and poverty, he told the sea of people who filled a dusty football field at Nemamwa Growth Point near Great Zimbabwe.With distinct yellow posters all over the place, some written Simba kaOne, Simba Kuvanhu/Amandla Ebantwini, Makoni closed his marathon campaign at Mashava after having traversed the whole province on a meet the people tour.
Experts predict that this month’s presidential elections will be the most closely fought race in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, and arguably the most important election in its modern history.
But it may not be enough to overcome the decades of habit, combined with a Zanu (PF) party sometimes described as the world’s most efficient election-rigging machine.Analysts say that in the past, Zanu (PF) has done whatever it needed to win the elections, both legal and illegal, and this year seems to be no different.There are persistent reports of voter coercion and attempts at vote-buying, particularly among poorly educated and vulnerable rural communities.Zanu (PF) denies doing anything illegal, but Makoni still attacked the ruling party, telling his crowd that neither the lies, defamations nor the whole apparatus of state could stop him. He refuted statements by the ruling party that he would return land seized from whites under the land grab, back to the whites.  He clearly believes he can win.

Fewer Polling Booths a Ploy to Aid Mugabe – MDC, ZESN
 
Province      Reg Voters   Poll Stat  Av Reg Vtrs   Constits   Av Reg Voters

Bulawayo      313 459             207      1,514.3              12          26,121.6

Harare       766,478                379       2,022.4            29           26,430.3

Manicaland   709,664             1,150      617.1              26           27,294.8

Mash Central  448,477            774        579.4              18           24,915.4

Mash East     624,630            1,038     601.8               23            27,157.8

Mash West    582,989            1,100      530.0              22            26,499.5

Masvingo     699,199             1,202      581.7             26             26,892.3

Mat North     345,264            545        633.5              13             26,558.8

Mat South     342,280           528        648.3              13             26,329.2

Midlands       739,510           1 289     573.7              28             26,411.1

Total           5,571,950         8,212                           210 
 
HARARE – The MDC believes the allocation of fewer polling stations in urban areas is an attempt by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to sway the ballot in favour of President Robert Mugabe’s government.Party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said:  They (ZEC) want to make sure that Mugabe and the ruling party win the elections. They have designated more polling stations in rural areas where they think Mugabe still has support.Independent election monitoring group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said that the decision by ZEC to reduce polling stations in cities smacked of a grand attempt to rig the elections in favour of Mugabe.For instance, there are only 379 polling stations in Harare where the average number of registered voters per polling station is 2 022. In Bulawayo, there are only 207 polling stations with the average voter per station being 1 514.In Mashonaland East province, a stronghold of Zanu (PF), the ZEC designated 1 038 polling stations with the average voters per station being 601. 
In Mashonaland Central there are 774 polling stations with the average voters per station being 579, raising suspicion that the ZEC was favouring the ruling party even before a single vote was cast.The ZESN chairman, Noel Kututwa, said ZEC should increase the number of polling stations in urban areas if all voters were to have a fair chance to cast their ballots in the 29 March presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.Kutukwa said: The average voter in Harare province will need to be processed in 22 seconds and some cases in as little as nine seconds (for example, in Chitungwiza Ward Two where 9 281 registered voters will share two polling stations). – ZimOnline
 
 
Implats Does Deal With Govt
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Impala Platinum, the world’s second-biggest platinum producer, says it has agreements in place to deal with a new nationalisation law in Zimbabwe.Chief Executive officer David Brown and Executive director Les Paton, said: Implats had planned for this eventuality and has agreements in place which will be taken into account when looking at the overall compliance to the new law. Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) advises that the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Bill passed by the Zimbabwean parliament on 2nd November 2007 was assented by the President of Zimbabwe and gazetted on Friday, 7th March 2008. The date for the act is still to be notified through a Statutory Instrument (SI), still to be gazetted. Implats wishes to advise that the proposed Mines and Minerals Act Amendment Bill that underpins this legislation has still to be introduced to parliament.
Implats said  the agreement reached include a deal reached by its majority-owned Zimplats in May 2006 with the government of Zimbabwe on the release of 36% of its resource base in exchange for a combination of empowerment credits of 19.5% and $51 million in cash, or credits of 29.25% if no cash is received.The company said it would also get credits for infrastructure and social spending, although the amount had not yet been finalised.Last month, Implats said it aimed to increase platinum output from its Zimbabwe mines by 100,000 ounces to 260,000 by 2010. – NtandoNcube