Tsvangirai fires security agents

The sources said Tsvangirai — who in March survived a serious car accident that killed his wife and which was partly blamed on poor security arrangements for the Premier — acted after a disturbing incident involving some of some of his guards during a dinner hosted by President Robert Mugabe for neighbouring South African leader Jacob Zuma last Thursday.

According to our sources, who spoke on condition they were not named, one of Tsvangirais senior state-provided guards, who they identified only as Mashundure, inexplicably ordered a vehicle that is used by some of the Premiers security men removed from Mugabes presidential State House palace where the banquet was taking place.

Mashandure who has caused a lot of embarrassment for Tsvangirai ordered one of the Toyota Prado vehicles out of State House and yet it carries the PMs security team. The PMs security would have been compromised by such an act, said a source, who is very close to Premier.

Tsvangirai, who has survived attempts on his life before, uses security agents provided him by the state when he became Premier as well as a team of agents provided by his former opposition MDC-T party.

It was not immediately clear whether Mashandures intention was to remove Tsvangirais guards from the MDC or whether the effect of his instruction would simply have resulted in fewer agents whether MDC or state-provided left to watch over the PM. According to our sources, it was the MDC security team that refused the order by Mashandure to remove the security vehicle and its occupants.

Secretary to the PM Ian Makone refused to take questions on the matter. He said: I am not in a position to comment. I do not think it is an issue for discussion at the moment.

Although the VIP protection unit falls under the police, the law enforcement agencys spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena refused to discuss the matter referring ZimOnline to the Presidents Department.

Mugabes spokesman George Charamba was not immediately available for comment on the matter. Last weeks incident is the second inside four months after Tsvangirai was in May forced to make a U-turn when state security agents denied one of the cars in his entourage entry into State House for a dinner hosted for a North Korean delegation.

In April state security agents manning Tsvangirais offices at Munhumutapa Building blocked civic activists who wanted to meet the PM from entering the building that also houses Mugabes offices. It only took the intervention of Tsvangirais deputy Thokozani Khupe for the activists to be allowed entry.

While the incidents clearly confirm the security establishments lack of respect and contempt for Tsvangirai, the incident at State House last Thursday will only help fuel speculation about the PMs safety under the protection of the same state security agents who openly dislike him.