By Staff Reporter
A source in the MDC has revealed that Nelson CHAMISA and other MDC leaders are furious with the MDC Security and Intelligence Department following a series of actions that reflect its incompetence. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the attack on a police officer by the party’s Security department youths on Saturday 12 October 2019 which resulted in the discovery of the MDC’s riot operations gear.
According to the source, rational elements within the MDC questioned the wisdom of the security youths’ belligerent behaviour, pointing out that the police officer was harmless and posed no threat to Harvest House or MDC members.
The irrational action of the youths compromised an operation that had been going on for at least 12 months. The operation involved the acquisition, through theft and other illegal means, of the uniforms, equipment, identity cards and other paraphernalia of the security forces that would be useful in incriminating Government when MDC commits crimes such as kidnapping, intimidation, and public violence with a view to causing local and international actors to apply pressure on Government. The compromised material would have been used in planned future acts of violence possibly around November/December this year.
The MDC leadership is also unhappy with the security and intelligence information leakages that have led to the party’s failure to execute effective anti-Government protests. MDC plans often get to the state or public domain prematurely. According to the source the MDC is “highly infiltrated, even at leadership level”. The source observed that most of the sellouts were doing it for “the money”, others are either former ZANU PF officials, war veterans or former security personnel who were planted for that purpose. The source also said that the factional fights in the MDC was causing some MDC supporters to believe that they were being marginalized resulting in their willingness to co-operate with the enemy.
As a result of the events of 12 October 2018 and perceptions that the MDC is heavily infiltrated heads are expected to role in the MDC Security Department. The MDC’s security architecture is led by Giles MUTSEKWA, Emmanuel CHIMWANDA and Costa MACHINGAUTA. The source said CHIMWANDA is the most effective of these leaders and often makes professional divisions. Efforts to solicit comments from the three were in vain.
